I sat back and opened my eyes wide. “Really, Parker? Please elaborate. In what areas of Stewart’s affairs did he give you carte blanche control?”
“Many more than you realize, Mrs. Harrington.”
My gaze never wavered as my lips twitched to a grin. “That isn’t what I was told. As a matter of fact, I was told your desired activities were constantly monitored.” I shrugged. “Then again, one doesn’t know whom a woman can trust these days.”
“Me. You can trust me. Stewart trusted me.” He reached into his briefcase and produced another folder. “I haven’t had the chance to show this to you, and Stewart didn’t sign it, but he was about to.” He opened the document titled: Last Will and Testament to a page near the back, and pointed. “Here, Mrs. Harrington, please read this clause, the one under Specific Bequests and Devises.”
I looked to where his bony finger pointed:
I, Stewart Allen Harrington, give controlling power over previously verified contract between myself and Victoria Ann Conway, now Victoria Conway Harrington, to the executor of my estate, Parker Craven, until such time as the withholdings upon said contract are complete or agreement is fulfilled.
I nodded. “Yes, that is interesting. However, as you stated, Stewart never signed this new will and testament; therefore, it’s not valid.”
“That is why I gave you the contract. We can fulfill your husband’s wishes by completing a new contract, one that is as legally binding as your first.”
“You may remember when Stewart and I signed that contract? It was the first time you and I met. You may also have realized that I was woefully uninformed of the true nature and extent of that contract. Nonetheless, I believe you are fully aware that I have followed that contract to the letter. I have fulfilled my obligation. Due to Stewart’s untimely death, I am now the sole inheritor of his estate. Tell me, Parker, what incentive do you have to entice me to sign your contract?”
I leaned forward, elbows on the desk, and looked him square in the eye. “In other words, tell me why in the fuck you think I’m that dumb. I can buy and sell you. I can fire your ass and find a new law firm to represent my holdings. Tell me why you think I’d agree to living that hell another day.”
Though he seemed slightly put off by my forwardness, Parker didn’t miss a beat. “Yes, Victoria, I remember the first time I saw you. I remember many other things.”
I maintained my façade though my stomach lurched.
He went on. “I also know about deals that Stewart made. After all, I’m his attorney. Let’s specifically talk about this one.” He reached down and retrieved another folder. When he opened it, and I saw the document, I knew I didn’t need to read it. I knew exactly what it was. Parker watched my expression before he continued, “I’ll assume, for the sake of argument, that you recognize this contract, your original contract?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, indeed. If I recall, it was the one that Stewart asked you to review only days before his death?”
“It is the one I reviewed only days before my husband’s death,” I confirmed, changing only a small part of his meaning. Again, he didn’t miss what I said.
His eyes flashed knowingly. “I heard a few semantic changes to that agreement.” He leaned forward. “If we’re to make this work, honesty would be best. Mrs. Harrington, your husband didn’t tell you to review the contract, did he?”
“No.”
“You weren’t with your husband the afternoon in question, as you previously stated. Were you?”
“No, I was not.”
His smug confidence grew. “And you know how I know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, Parker. If we’re going for honesty, I know that you’re the pencil dick I spent my afternoon with. I’m honestly surprised that Maura has stayed with you this long.”
Crimson blossomed from his neck to his cheeks. “Maybe she hasn’t complained because she isn’t as experienced as you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “It wouldn’t take her long to comparison shop. I must say, you can rest assured that your wife is faithful. I mean, all it would take is one other man to show her that she’s spent her life with a bargain-basement second, when truly she would be happier with a designer knockoff.”
Parker’s jaws clenched as the vein in his forehead bulged.
“Again, I’ll ask you, Parker, why would I possibly want to sign your contract?”
“Don’t act so confident. You have no idea the mess that Stewart left. His dying is your worst nightmare.”
“I doubt that. I’ve already had some pretty bad nightmares.”
“Stewart wanted to be perfectly certain of whom he was marrying. He had you thoroughly investigated.”
I shook my head. “I was eighteen fucking years old. I’m sure that investigator enjoyed the cakewalk.”
Parker sat taller. “No, Victoria, you were nineteen.”
Bile bubbled from the depths of my stomach. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I think I know how old I was.”
He tapped the desk. “You will sign my contract because if you don’t, I’ll share that bit of your personal history with interested parties. One interested party will be the US government.”
“Excuse me?”
“When you married Stewart Harrington, you claimed to be Victoria Conway, born in May. Whether you know this or not, the birth certificate you produced for your marriage license was false. It was changed, forged. Therefore, if that information were to be made public, you could neither buy nor sell me. Your marriage would be rendered null and void. Stewart’s holdings would go into probate. In the meantime, I would be the one, as executor, who would be in control of everything. That would include the foundations, such as the Harrington Society.”
“Many more than you realize, Mrs. Harrington.”
My gaze never wavered as my lips twitched to a grin. “That isn’t what I was told. As a matter of fact, I was told your desired activities were constantly monitored.” I shrugged. “Then again, one doesn’t know whom a woman can trust these days.”
“Me. You can trust me. Stewart trusted me.” He reached into his briefcase and produced another folder. “I haven’t had the chance to show this to you, and Stewart didn’t sign it, but he was about to.” He opened the document titled: Last Will and Testament to a page near the back, and pointed. “Here, Mrs. Harrington, please read this clause, the one under Specific Bequests and Devises.”
I looked to where his bony finger pointed:
I, Stewart Allen Harrington, give controlling power over previously verified contract between myself and Victoria Ann Conway, now Victoria Conway Harrington, to the executor of my estate, Parker Craven, until such time as the withholdings upon said contract are complete or agreement is fulfilled.
I nodded. “Yes, that is interesting. However, as you stated, Stewart never signed this new will and testament; therefore, it’s not valid.”
“That is why I gave you the contract. We can fulfill your husband’s wishes by completing a new contract, one that is as legally binding as your first.”
“You may remember when Stewart and I signed that contract? It was the first time you and I met. You may also have realized that I was woefully uninformed of the true nature and extent of that contract. Nonetheless, I believe you are fully aware that I have followed that contract to the letter. I have fulfilled my obligation. Due to Stewart’s untimely death, I am now the sole inheritor of his estate. Tell me, Parker, what incentive do you have to entice me to sign your contract?”
I leaned forward, elbows on the desk, and looked him square in the eye. “In other words, tell me why in the fuck you think I’m that dumb. I can buy and sell you. I can fire your ass and find a new law firm to represent my holdings. Tell me why you think I’d agree to living that hell another day.”
Though he seemed slightly put off by my forwardness, Parker didn’t miss a beat. “Yes, Victoria, I remember the first time I saw you. I remember many other things.”
I maintained my façade though my stomach lurched.
He went on. “I also know about deals that Stewart made. After all, I’m his attorney. Let’s specifically talk about this one.” He reached down and retrieved another folder. When he opened it, and I saw the document, I knew I didn’t need to read it. I knew exactly what it was. Parker watched my expression before he continued, “I’ll assume, for the sake of argument, that you recognize this contract, your original contract?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, indeed. If I recall, it was the one that Stewart asked you to review only days before his death?”
“It is the one I reviewed only days before my husband’s death,” I confirmed, changing only a small part of his meaning. Again, he didn’t miss what I said.
His eyes flashed knowingly. “I heard a few semantic changes to that agreement.” He leaned forward. “If we’re to make this work, honesty would be best. Mrs. Harrington, your husband didn’t tell you to review the contract, did he?”
“No.”
“You weren’t with your husband the afternoon in question, as you previously stated. Were you?”
“No, I was not.”
His smug confidence grew. “And you know how I know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, Parker. If we’re going for honesty, I know that you’re the pencil dick I spent my afternoon with. I’m honestly surprised that Maura has stayed with you this long.”
Crimson blossomed from his neck to his cheeks. “Maybe she hasn’t complained because she isn’t as experienced as you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “It wouldn’t take her long to comparison shop. I must say, you can rest assured that your wife is faithful. I mean, all it would take is one other man to show her that she’s spent her life with a bargain-basement second, when truly she would be happier with a designer knockoff.”
Parker’s jaws clenched as the vein in his forehead bulged.
“Again, I’ll ask you, Parker, why would I possibly want to sign your contract?”
“Don’t act so confident. You have no idea the mess that Stewart left. His dying is your worst nightmare.”
“I doubt that. I’ve already had some pretty bad nightmares.”
“Stewart wanted to be perfectly certain of whom he was marrying. He had you thoroughly investigated.”
I shook my head. “I was eighteen fucking years old. I’m sure that investigator enjoyed the cakewalk.”
Parker sat taller. “No, Victoria, you were nineteen.”
Bile bubbled from the depths of my stomach. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I think I know how old I was.”
He tapped the desk. “You will sign my contract because if you don’t, I’ll share that bit of your personal history with interested parties. One interested party will be the US government.”
“Excuse me?”
“When you married Stewart Harrington, you claimed to be Victoria Conway, born in May. Whether you know this or not, the birth certificate you produced for your marriage license was false. It was changed, forged. Therefore, if that information were to be made public, you could neither buy nor sell me. Your marriage would be rendered null and void. Stewart’s holdings would go into probate. In the meantime, I would be the one, as executor, who would be in control of everything. That would include the foundations, such as the Harrington Society.”
