'Oh, God,” she said as she joined them on the porch. “Why is she still with you?” She turned to Harriet. “This is none of your business.'
The door opened into a spacious waiting room in what had once been the formal parlour. Nathan Bohne motioned the trio into a hallway. He opened a door and guided Michelle into a small book-lined conference room. He motioned Aiden and Harriet into his office.
'Would you please wait here while I speak to your sister?” he asked Aiden, although it was more a command than anything.
Aiden raised his eyebrows but didn't argue.
'I wonder why he's separating us?” he said when they were alone.
'I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready. Maybe he knows your sister well enough to realize her reaction to whatever he's going to say might be better handled one on one.'
She sat, and Aiden paced around the room in uneasy silence for a full fifteen minutes before Nathan Bohne finally came back.
'Your sister decided she'd go on back to your mother's place,” he said and shut the door behind him. “Her presence isn't necessary for what I'm about to tell you in any case.'
'Please, sit,” he said to Aiden and motioned to the empty chair in front of his desk, next to the one Harriet was sitting in. “Can I assume by her presence that you'd like Miss Truman to hear anything I might reveal to you?'
'Yes,” Aiden said and sat down next to her as requested.
'Let's begin, then.” He picked up a file from the credenza behind his desk and sat in his high-backed leather desk chair. He opened the file, picked up a sheet of paper then put it down and closed the folder. He leaned his elbows on the desk and tented his fingers, resting his chin on them.
'Your mother came to me a few months ago to discuss her estate. She said she'd discovered certain irregularities in her tax returns. I asked her if she needed help from our legal investigators, but she declined. I assumed from the way she acted it was perhaps a family matter. Of course, now I wish I'd pressed the matter, but I suppose that's water under the bridge.
'Your mother asked me to make certain to her will that I'd hoped we wouldn't be addressing this soon.” He picked up the folder again and pulled out the top sheet. “I've prepared a summary for you, I'll read now, and then I've got a complete copy of all the documents I'll give you when we finish probating the will.'
He cleared his throat and began to read. It might have been a summary, but it was still filled with legal language.
Prior to the change, the bulk of Avanell's estate would have been divided among her brother and children, with a generous additional bequest going to her scholarship fund. Under the new plan, Bertrand would receive nothing. Scholarship trust funds were set up for all the grandchildren, with Avanell's community scholarship plan manager administering the payout. Marcel was to receive a fishing camp on the Toutle River and a rental property in Olympia.
'You probably understand the next bequest better than I do,” Nathan said. “Your sister Michelle will receive her inheritance in the form of an annuity that will pay out a modest fixed income and will be administered by an investment management firm. It's an unusual arrangement for a competent adult heir.'
'Well, Michelle, as you may have noticed, is not your typical adult heir,” Aiden said. The muscle in his jaw twitched. If Nathan Bohne didn't hurry up, Harriet thought, he was going to have another death on his hands.
'Now the part that involves you.” Bohne folded the summary paper and put it back in the folder. “Everything else goes to you,” he said.
Utter silence filled the room. Harriet squirmed in her seat and finally broke the silence.
'What, exactly, does that mean?'
The lawyer cleared his throat. “It means everything Avanell owned that I haven't yet mentioned-her house and its contents, vacation properties with the exception of the fish camp, several investment properties and a number of financial instruments. Oh, and of course, her financial interest in the Vitamin Factory. When we've completed the probate process, I'll have a list of your new holdings. We also have a listing of her insurance policies and can help you with exercising them.'
Aiden leaned back in his chair. “I don't know what to say.'
'I know this is a difficult time for you and your family, and I don't want to make it more so by what I'm going to tell you next, but I can't in good conscience let you leave without having a clear understanding of what's going on.
'The contents of your mother's house, as well as her cars, boats and any other vehicles are yours. Your sister has no right to sell, trade, distribute to other relatives or even touch anything in that house. Any conversation she might have had with your mother regarding individual objects was rendered invalid by your mother's latest will. She made her intentions very clear regarding your sister. You don't have to let her stay in the house; and frankly, now that your mother's funeral is over, you would be well served by showing her the door as soon as you return to the house.'
'That sounds a little harsh,” Aiden said.
'I don't wish to make trouble between you and your sister, but she is not as innocent as she might appear.'
Harriet didn't think she appeared innocent at all but was pretty sure Aiden was still trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. Apparently, the lawyer was going to make sure that didn't happen.
'I'm embarrassed to tell you that one of my clerks is an old college friend of Michelle's. Your sister coerced our employee into revealing certain facts about your mother's will without my permission. When she overheard your call a short while ago, she broke down and confessed that Michelle had called in an estate agent and planned to sell everything, including the cars and house. Michelle knew you would find out eventually but figured she would get as much as she could and apply it to her debts, and she assumed she could convince you that it was her due.'
Aiden stood up.
'I'm sure you'll want to process everything,” Nathan Bohne said. He stood and held his hand out. “If I can be of further help, let me know.” He adjusted his gold silk tie. “I'll be down the hall in the library if you have questions. Take as long as you need. I know this is probably a bit of a shock.'
He left, and Aiden sat back down. He propped his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands.
'I can't believe Michelle was trying to sell Mom's house out from under me. She's my sister, for God's sake.'
Harriet didn't know what to tell him. Money did crazy things to people.
'I'm sure she must have been desperate to try to scam you at a time like this.'
'I don't think
'Are you sure that's a good idea? Maybe you should let things cool down a little.'
'I have to talk to her. She's my sister. Besides, I need to make sure that estate witch has cleared out.'
Chapter Thirty
Aiden pulled in behind the blue Town Car in front of Mavis's cottage and let Harriet out.
'I'll come back later on foot and pick up the rental car. I guess I can get rid of it now that I own four.'
'Maybe you could call Mavis when you're leaving home so you don't scare us to death when you get here.'
He agreed, and she got out of the car and stood on the porch while he drove away. She turned to open the door but stopped when she heard a rustle in the rhododendrons to the left of the porch.
'Who's there?” she called. She listened. “Is anyone there?” she called again.
A figure in a baggy black jacket came around the bush.
'Carla?” she said.
'Hi, Harriet,” the young woman replied and looked at the ground.
'What are you doing here? Did you come to see Mavis? I'll get her for you.'
'No,” she said. “I'm not here to see Mavis.'
'I don't understand,” Harriet said and stepped off onto the grass.
