Nia stopped in the doorway.
“Aunt Cam?”
Camille Bennett stood immediately.
“Nia.”
Nia ran to her.
Camille hugged her tightly.
“What are you doing here?”
Camille looked toward Rochelle.
“That’s a good question.”
Rochelle went pale.
“Who called her?”
Dr. Carter answered:
“I did.”
“You had no right.”
“I had every right to contact the listed trust co-trustee after our finance office identified an issue involving restricted education funds.”
Darren stopped beside Rochelle.
“Co-trustee?”
Camille released Nia.
“Yes.”
Darren looked at his wife.
“You told me Ben’s sister had nothing to do with the money.”
Rochelle's face hardened.
“She didn’t.”
Camille laughed once.
“That’s new.”
Nia stared.
“Can someone tell me what is happening?”
Everyone looked at her.
Dr. Carter pointed toward the chairs.
They sat.
Nia beside Camille.
Kayla had been dropped at school earlier because Rochelle did not want her present.
Darren sat beside Rochelle.
Dr. Carter began carefully.
“Your father created the Benjamin Bennett Education Trust four months before he died.”
Nia swallowed.
“How much?”
Camille looked at her.
“At the beginning?”
“Yes.”
“Two hundred forty thousand dollars.”
Nia stared.
That number did not feel real.
Darren did too.
“Two hundred forty?”
Rochelle crossed her arms.
“It was not cash sitting in a drawer.”
Camille looked at her.
“No one said it was.”
Nia whispered:
“For me?”
“Yes.”
Camille nodded.
“For education.”
“What kind?”
“Tuition if you ever needed private school.”
“College.”
“Academic programs.”
“Tutoring.”
“Books.”
“Educational travel.”
“Technology.”
“Anything reasonably connected to your education.”
Nia looked toward Rochelle.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“You were seven.”
“I’m twelve now.”
Rochelle’s eyes filled.
“I was going to.”
“When?”
No answer.
Camille spoke.
“The trust was supposed to have two trustees.”
“Your mother and me.”
Darren frowned.
“Then how did Camille lose access?”
Rochelle said:
“She moved to Seattle.”
“That does not remove a trustee.”
Camille answered.
“No.”
She looked toward Rochelle.
“I signed a limited administrative delegation two years after Ben died.”
Nia looked confused.
“What does that mean?”
“It allowed your mother to approve routine education expenses without waiting for me.”
“Because I was across the country and every little school bill required two signatures.”
“That made sense.”
Camille’s mouth tightened.
“It apparently made too much sense.”
Rochelle leaned forward.
“Do not accuse me in front of my daughter.”
Camille stared.
“She has a right to know what happened to her father’s money.”
Nia’s stomach dropped.
“What happened?”
Mr. Lewis opened his laptop.
Dr. Carter looked at Rochelle.
“We discovered the issue because Mrs. Bennett applied for additional tuition assistance for Nia this semester.”
Darren turned.
“You did?”
Rochelle stared straight ahead.
Bellmont was expensive.
Nia had attended since first grade, before Benjamin died.
Darren believed tuition came from the trust and family income.
Apparently not entirely.
Dr. Carter continued:
“Our financial-aid form asks families to disclose education accounts specifically designated for a student.”
Camille said:
“Rochelle listed the trust balance as twelve thousand dollars.”
Darren looked shocked.