The Dead Man's Last Move
Chapter 03 - The Dead Man's Last Move
The next morning, the three of them sat inside the downtown office of Arthur Cross's longtime attorney.
Samuel Reed was seventy-two and had known the Cross family for almost forty years.
When Claire placed the documents on his desk, he didn't look surprised.
That frightened her more than anything.
"Mr. Reed," Ethan said, "did my grandfather expect something like this?"
Samuel removed his glasses.
"Your grandfather expected many things."
Vivian sat rigidly beside the window.
"This conversation is ridiculous."
Samuel ignored her.
He opened Arthur's trust.
"Six months before Arthur died, he asked me to add what he called a protection clause."
"Protection from whom?" Claire asked.
Samuel looked toward Vivian.
No one spoke.
Vivian stood.
"I refuse to sit here while a dead man's paranoia is treated like law."
"It is law," Samuel said quietly.
She stopped.
Samuel explained that Arthur had become concerned about the way Vivian controlled Ethan's finances, relationships, and business decisions.
He had also begun reviewing company records.
Some transactions disturbed him.
"What transactions?" Ethan asked.
Samuel hesitated.
"Arthur believed money had been disappearing from Cross Development."
Vivian laughed.
"Your grandfather was heavily medicated."
"He was also correct."
Samuel opened another folder.
There were payments to consulting firms Ethan had never heard of.
Millions of dollars.
Claire looked toward Vivian.
"Where did the money go?"
Vivian's eyes narrowed.
"You have no idea how this family operates."
"Then explain it."
Vivian turned toward her son.
"Ethan, take your wife home."
He didn't move.
Samuel continued.
"If the inducement clause has been triggered, Vivian temporarily loses administrative control of the trust."
Vivian went still.
"And who gets control?" Ethan asked.
Samuel looked at Claire.
"She does."
Claire stared at him.
"No."
"Temporarily."
"I don't want it."
"That may be precisely why Arthur chose you."
Vivian grabbed her purse.
"You'll destroy everything he built."
Claire stood.
"I haven't done anything."
"You married my son."
Vivian's voice cracked.
"And apparently that was enough."
She left.
The door slammed behind her.
Ethan sank into a chair.
Claire looked at her husband.
There were questions she had avoided for months.
Now she couldn't.
"Did you know about the trust?"
"No."
"Did you know she wanted me gone?"
Ethan said nothing.
Claire felt something inside her break.
"Ethan."
He looked up.
"I knew she didn't trust you."
"That's not what I asked."
His silence answered her.
Claire stepped backward.
"You knew your mother was trying to destroy our marriage."
"I thought I could handle her."
"You didn't handle her."
Claire's voice trembled.
"You let me think I was the problem."
She picked up her coat.
Ethan followed her.
"Claire."
She stopped at the door.
Behind Samuel's desk, a telephone suddenly rang.
He answered.
After listening for several seconds, his face changed.
"What happened?" Ethan asked.
Samuel slowly lowered the phone.
"The financial records we requested last night are gone."
Claire looked at him.
"All of them?"
May you like
Samuel nodded.
"And Vivian isn't answering her phone."
