Read Online Last to Die by James Grippando - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James Grippando
Tags: Fiction, LEGAL, Suspense, Legal Stories, Florida, Lesbian, Murder for hire, Miami, Miami (Fla.)
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instrument.
Trust? said Jack.
Bear with me, said Vivien. This is a multimillion-dollar estate, after all. It's a little more complicated than leaving Uncle Ralph the rice maker and a pair of old bowling shoes.
Take your time, said Jack.
Vivien read on for another fifteen minutes. Although the language was just as dry and legalistic as before, she managed to hold the attention of everyone in the room. Especially at the end, when she mentioned each of the beneficiaries by name.
Jack scribbled down five names as she read them. The sixth?
I told you, you'll get the sixth after I've had a chance to meet with him. Vivien returned to the document, reading all the way down to the date and place of execution. When she finished, she laid the papers on the table before her, saying nothing further.
The others looked at her, then at one another, as if not quite sure they'd heard it correctly. Or perhaps they were just stunned into silence.
Finally, Sally's ex spoke up. Are you saying she actually left us her money?
Forty-six million dollars? said the Genius. He seemed dumb-founded, somewhere between giddy and on the verge of a panic attack, almost speaking to himself. I can't believe she left it all to us.
Vivien said, Well, technically, she didn't leave it to all of you. She's leaving it to one of you.
Tatum scratched his head, made a face. I'm not followin' any of this. Who gets what, and when do we get it?
Vivien smiled patiently and said, Mr. Knight, let me put this in terms that everyone here can understand. All of the assets of Ms. Fenning's estate will go into a trust. There are six potential beneficiaries. One by one, your rights extinguish upon your death. Until there's only one of you left. That's when the trust shall be distributed, principal and any accumulated interest. The last person living has all rights of survivorship.
Speak English, said Tatum.
Vivien looked at him coolly and said, Last one to die takes all.
The reporter looked up from her notes. Is that legal?
Sure, said Vivien.
Tatum said, Let me get this straight. If all these other jokers live eighty-nine years, and I live ninety years, I get the money, but I have to wait ninety years before I gets a single penny.
Exactly. But you get interest.
That's bullshit.
Let me give you another for instance, said the Genius. Let's say that we all walk out of here, and these fine folks get hit by a bus. And I don't. That means I'm a millionaire?
No. There is still one other beneficiary who's not here.
Him too, said the Genius. Let's say they're all on the same bus, and it rides over a cliff. Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Then, yes, you've hit the jackpot. You inherit forty-six million dollars as soon as everyone else is dead. The only condition is that you're still alive when everyone else dies.
Doesn't matter how they die?
No. What matters is when they die.
A tense silence filled the room, which was prolonged by an anxious exchange of eye contact among a group of strangers who now, for some reason, seemed forever linked to one another. Finally, Gerry the Genius said, It's as if she's encouraging us to bump each other off.
More silence.
Vivien looked each of them in the eye, then said, I'm not suggesting that anyone here is so inclined, but if any of the beneficiaries under this will were to bump off the others in hopes of inheriting the whole pie - well, just forget about it. Your motive would be obvious, so you'd never get away with it.
Miguel chuckled, more philosophical than angry, as if the beauty of his ex-wife's scheme had suddenly come clear. So the joke's on us. She makes us feel close to the money, but no one can really get it. At least not soon enough for it to be of any use to us in our lifetime. We'll just go on living and hoping we'll be rich some day, but we're all just going to die as poor as we ever were.
Vivien said, If you're feeling abused, you can always opt out. Nothing prevents a beneficiary from rejecting his right to
Trust? said Jack.
Bear with me, said Vivien. This is a multimillion-dollar estate, after all. It's a little more complicated than leaving Uncle Ralph the rice maker and a pair of old bowling shoes.
Take your time, said Jack.
Vivien read on for another fifteen minutes. Although the language was just as dry and legalistic as before, she managed to hold the attention of everyone in the room. Especially at the end, when she mentioned each of the beneficiaries by name.
Jack scribbled down five names as she read them. The sixth?
I told you, you'll get the sixth after I've had a chance to meet with him. Vivien returned to the document, reading all the way down to the date and place of execution. When she finished, she laid the papers on the table before her, saying nothing further.
The others looked at her, then at one another, as if not quite sure they'd heard it correctly. Or perhaps they were just stunned into silence.
Finally, Sally's ex spoke up. Are you saying she actually left us her money?
Forty-six million dollars? said the Genius. He seemed dumb-founded, somewhere between giddy and on the verge of a panic attack, almost speaking to himself. I can't believe she left it all to us.
Vivien said, Well, technically, she didn't leave it to all of you. She's leaving it to one of you.
Tatum scratched his head, made a face. I'm not followin' any of this. Who gets what, and when do we get it?
Vivien smiled patiently and said, Mr. Knight, let me put this in terms that everyone here can understand. All of the assets of Ms. Fenning's estate will go into a trust. There are six potential beneficiaries. One by one, your rights extinguish upon your death. Until there's only one of you left. That's when the trust shall be distributed, principal and any accumulated interest. The last person living has all rights of survivorship.
Speak English, said Tatum.
Vivien looked at him coolly and said, Last one to die takes all.
The reporter looked up from her notes. Is that legal?
Sure, said Vivien.
Tatum said, Let me get this straight. If all these other jokers live eighty-nine years, and I live ninety years, I get the money, but I have to wait ninety years before I gets a single penny.
Exactly. But you get interest.
That's bullshit.
Let me give you another for instance, said the Genius. Let's say that we all walk out of here, and these fine folks get hit by a bus. And I don't. That means I'm a millionaire?
No. There is still one other beneficiary who's not here.
Him too, said the Genius. Let's say they're all on the same bus, and it rides over a cliff. Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Then, yes, you've hit the jackpot. You inherit forty-six million dollars as soon as everyone else is dead. The only condition is that you're still alive when everyone else dies.
Doesn't matter how they die?
No. What matters is when they die.
A tense silence filled the room, which was prolonged by an anxious exchange of eye contact among a group of strangers who now, for some reason, seemed forever linked to one another. Finally, Gerry the Genius said, It's as if she's encouraging us to bump each other off.
More silence.
Vivien looked each of them in the eye, then said, I'm not suggesting that anyone here is so inclined, but if any of the beneficiaries under this will were to bump off the others in hopes of inheriting the whole pie - well, just forget about it. Your motive would be obvious, so you'd never get away with it.
Miguel chuckled, more philosophical than angry, as if the beauty of his ex-wife's scheme had suddenly come clear. So the joke's on us. She makes us feel close to the money, but no one can really get it. At least not soon enough for it to be of any use to us in our lifetime. We'll just go on living and hoping we'll be rich some day, but we're all just going to die as poor as we ever were.
Vivien said, If you're feeling abused, you can always opt out. Nothing prevents a beneficiary from rejecting his right to
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