Read Online 4 Kaua'i Me a River by JoAnn Bassett - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: JoAnn Bassett
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Her
near-lethal fingernails bit into my flesh but I refused to give her the
satisfaction of an ouch .
“Listen up, missy,” she said. “You
can prance on out of here thumbing your nose at your brothers and sisters or
you can do the right thing. What’ll it be?”
I stared her down. Even if I’d
been giving serious thought to being generous, there was no way I’d allow her
to think she’d bullied me into it.
“Let me go,” I said in my best CLC
voice. “I’ll give you two seconds to think about it.”
“Oh, and then what? You sound
like your idiot father. All threats and bluster, but in the end he always paid
up.” She released my arm. “You know this is wrong.”
Peggy piped up. “Oh give it up, Joanie.
She didn’t know Phil, but she’s a chip off the old block. The only way our kids
are going to get anything is to fight this in court.”
Peggy got up and left. Before
she could pull the door closed behind her, Joanie grabbed her stuff and
followed her out. Rita and Linda left soon after. Tim Abbott mumbled to
Valentine that he’d see everyone out.
“Is it true my father was worth
thirty million dollars?” I said to Valentine.
“That’s an estimate,” she said.
“What with probate costs, real estate commissions and taxes, Tim tells me the
approximate net value will be more like twenty to twenty-five million.”
“That means around ten million
each?” said Sunny.
“At least, maybe more.”
Valentine looked pensive. “Although if Peggy actually does contest the will, we
may be looking at higher attorney fees than we anticipated.”
“I can understand why she’s
angry about me getting anything,” I said. “After all, I just showed up out of
nowhere. But what’s her problem with Sunny? Isn’t Hawaii a community property
state?”
“It is,” said Valentine. “And
Phil was clear he wanted Sunny’s half to be treated as community property, for
tax reasons. But don’t worry. The will is iron-clad. Once the initial shock
wears off I doubt if we’ll hear anything further from those ladies.”
“I’m not so sure,” said Sunny.
“Peggy’s family name carries a lot of weight around here.”
“You two have a lot to talk
about,” Valentine said, getting up to leave. “Feel free to stay as long as you
like. I’ll be in touch regarding probate court. It’d be best if you could both plan
to be there.” She went out and closed the door.
Sunny and I stared at each other
across the table.
“How long were you married?” I
said.
Sunny blew out a breath. “Oh
great. Now you’re joining the lynch mob?”
“No, sorry. That didn’t come out
right. It’s just that you look quite a bit younger than my father.”
“I am. But to be fair, by the
time your father made that video he was already pretty sick. He looked older
than he was. He was only fifty-four when he died.”
She fiddled with a plain pearl earring
in her earlobe. “And as far as my age, I turned thirty last winter. I guess that
makes me a few years younger than you.”
I nodded.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Look,” I said. “I came here this
morning expecting to hear something about my mom. She died when I was five and
I was never told much about how she died. Now I find out I had a missing father
who’s been gouging me for cable TV service for the past fifteen years and who
died and left me a pile of cash. It’s all kind of surreal, you know?”
“Tell you what,” said Sunny. “Let’s
go someplace to talk. You like shave ice?”
***
As I went down the two flights
of wooden stairs I felt my hand gripping the handrail and my feet on the treads
but that’s about all. What had just happened? And why had I agreed to get shave
ice and hang out with my father’s trophy-wife widow? More than anything I just wanted
to locate my rental car and get back to Poipu as fast as possible.
I didn’t want ten million
dollars. And I certainly didn’t want seven pissed-off half-siblings. And
near-lethal fingernails bit into my flesh but I refused to give her the
satisfaction of an ouch .
“Listen up, missy,” she said. “You
can prance on out of here thumbing your nose at your brothers and sisters or
you can do the right thing. What’ll it be?”
I stared her down. Even if I’d
been giving serious thought to being generous, there was no way I’d allow her
to think she’d bullied me into it.
“Let me go,” I said in my best CLC
voice. “I’ll give you two seconds to think about it.”
“Oh, and then what? You sound
like your idiot father. All threats and bluster, but in the end he always paid
up.” She released my arm. “You know this is wrong.”
Peggy piped up. “Oh give it up, Joanie.
She didn’t know Phil, but she’s a chip off the old block. The only way our kids
are going to get anything is to fight this in court.”
Peggy got up and left. Before
she could pull the door closed behind her, Joanie grabbed her stuff and
followed her out. Rita and Linda left soon after. Tim Abbott mumbled to
Valentine that he’d see everyone out.
“Is it true my father was worth
thirty million dollars?” I said to Valentine.
“That’s an estimate,” she said.
“What with probate costs, real estate commissions and taxes, Tim tells me the
approximate net value will be more like twenty to twenty-five million.”
“That means around ten million
each?” said Sunny.
“At least, maybe more.”
Valentine looked pensive. “Although if Peggy actually does contest the will, we
may be looking at higher attorney fees than we anticipated.”
“I can understand why she’s
angry about me getting anything,” I said. “After all, I just showed up out of
nowhere. But what’s her problem with Sunny? Isn’t Hawaii a community property
state?”
“It is,” said Valentine. “And
Phil was clear he wanted Sunny’s half to be treated as community property, for
tax reasons. But don’t worry. The will is iron-clad. Once the initial shock
wears off I doubt if we’ll hear anything further from those ladies.”
“I’m not so sure,” said Sunny.
“Peggy’s family name carries a lot of weight around here.”
“You two have a lot to talk
about,” Valentine said, getting up to leave. “Feel free to stay as long as you
like. I’ll be in touch regarding probate court. It’d be best if you could both plan
to be there.” She went out and closed the door.
Sunny and I stared at each other
across the table.
“How long were you married?” I
said.
Sunny blew out a breath. “Oh
great. Now you’re joining the lynch mob?”
“No, sorry. That didn’t come out
right. It’s just that you look quite a bit younger than my father.”
“I am. But to be fair, by the
time your father made that video he was already pretty sick. He looked older
than he was. He was only fifty-four when he died.”
She fiddled with a plain pearl earring
in her earlobe. “And as far as my age, I turned thirty last winter. I guess that
makes me a few years younger than you.”
I nodded.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Look,” I said. “I came here this
morning expecting to hear something about my mom. She died when I was five and
I was never told much about how she died. Now I find out I had a missing father
who’s been gouging me for cable TV service for the past fifteen years and who
died and left me a pile of cash. It’s all kind of surreal, you know?”
“Tell you what,” said Sunny. “Let’s
go someplace to talk. You like shave ice?”
***
As I went down the two flights
of wooden stairs I felt my hand gripping the handrail and my feet on the treads
but that’s about all. What had just happened? And why had I agreed to get shave
ice and hang out with my father’s trophy-wife widow? More than anything I just wanted
to locate my rental car and get back to Poipu as fast as possible.
I didn’t want ten million
dollars. And I certainly didn’t want seven pissed-off half-siblings. And
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