Polar Storm

by Deborah D. Moore

  Parker thought the message odd and replayed it.

  “I’m done, how about you?” David said, closing his laptop.

  “Yeah, let’s go do a bit of restocking!”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Marcus Myhrum played the voicemail over again, for perhaps the hundredth time. He was still greatly saddened by the death of Cliff. As Cliff liked to say, money talks, and Marcus had used his clout and plenty of money to get the necessary authorities to the Tucker house quickly to retrieve the body.

  “Marcus, this is Cliff. I’ll make it quick. I’ve been gut-shot by a gang trying to break into the house and I shot back. I did more damage to their numbers than they did to ours though.” Cliff coughed, long and wet. “I don’t think I’ll make it through the night, Marcus, so I want you to promise to look after Parker. From the last report I got, he’s done good; no, make that great. He’s matured more in the last six months than in the last six years. You have control over his trust account; I feel he deserves to have it now. You have my will and you know he gets everything aside from the bequests to Justine and Sam. It would be nice if he took control of the assets, but I think he likes the north and that’s okay. Advise him as best you can. And Marcus, thank you for your friendship.”

  Marcus had Cliff cremated according to his request, and as his counselor, Marcus handled all the details surrounding the estate. The Upper Peninsula was still inaccessible, but he would personally go to see Parker when the airport opened up. This was not news to be delivered over the phone.

  In the meantime, Marcus had an outside accounting firm audit the books of Tucker Investments and create a simplified asset and income statement that would be easy for a non-accountant to understand. With the day-to-day accounting and financial work being done by a very reputable firm, the audit went quickly and the statements were ready. Parker wasn’t just wealthy now, he was very wealthy.

  

  By mid-March, ninety percent of the snow had melted in Lower Michigan, creating massive flooding. By the end of March, however, the temperatures continued to climb and with the strong warm winds coming from the south, the flooded areas had mostly dried up and life as usual resumed.

  “Are you sure that airport in the Upper Peninsula is dry enough for us to land?” Marcus grilled his private pilot.

  “Yes, sir, I’ve already contacted them. Remember, that airport is Sawyer International and was once an Air Force Base. Their infrastructure was state of the art for the time, and still surpasses most of our landing fields,” Rodney explained. “When would you like to leave?”

  “I first need to make arrangements for a car and a driver to meet me. I would probably get lost leaving the airport!” Marcus said, laughing. “How about the day after tomorrow?”

  “I will have the jet ready, Mr. Myhrum.”

  

  The driver, dressed casually, met the private jet and carried Mr. Myhrum’s suitcase to the restricted parking area. When he opened the door to the new SUV, Marcus stopped.

  “Is there something wrong, Mr. Myhrum?” Jonathan asked.

  “I was expecting something a bit more … formal,” he answered.

  Jonathon laughed. “When you gave the rental agency the GPS coordinates for your destination, the inquiry was forwarded to the State Police.”

  “Why?”

  “The location is flagged as special interest. Not many know where this is or can even get there right now,” Jonathon replied.

  “Special interest? Is it a crime scene?”

  “Not at all, it’s just a site getting privileged attention.” He finished putting the suitcase in the back and climbed in, leaving Marcus to get himself in.

  “Are you with the State Police, young man?” Marcus asked.

  “Yes, sir, I am. It was my partner that was taken in and sheltered by the owner. He saved her life, and many of us owe him big time.” Jonathon looked at his passenger. “May I ask who you are and why you’re going to see Parker?”

  “I’m his attorney.”

  

  With the grocery stores to be the first resupplied, Parker and David binge-shopped for all their favorite foods that they had missed having or had run out of during the brutal winter.

  “What did you miss the most, David?” Parker asked as they roamed the aisles of the superstore.

  David thought a minute. “Jell-O. I love Jell-O with fruit cocktail.”

  “Then when we restock for next winter we should make sure we have enough for Jell-O every week!”

  “That would be fifty-two boxes.”

  “Then we have a bin set aside for that alone.” Parker looked at David. “Come on, David, where’s your sense of adventure? This was just the beginning of my education.” He grinned and turned up the next aisle.

  

  They had barely finished putting things away, either in the freezer, the refrigerator, or on the near-empty food storage shelves, when they heard another vehicle stop near the house.

  A big SUV pulled into the driveway and parked. Parker and David came off the porch and stood a few yards back, wary.

  Jonathon didn’t hesitate. He walked right up to Parker and held out his hand. “You must be Parker. I’m really happy to finally meet you. I’m Jonathon, Jenna’s partner on the force, and I want to personally thank you for saving her. She won’t stop talking about you.” He grinned and then gave Parker a surprising man-hug.

  “Hello, Parker,” Marcus said quietly.

  “Marcus!” Parker grinned, and then his grin faltered. “Where’s Cliff?”

  “Can we find a private place to talk, son?” Marcus asked.

  “I’ll leave your suitcase right here, Mr. Myhrum. Parker can take it from here.” He waved and left the way he came.

  Following Parker into the cabin, Marcus said, “Nice place, Parker. I never did see it first hand, only pictures and a video. It looks … cozy, aside from the flat screen TV.” Marcus made small talk while the three went into the kitchen. When David moved to sit, Marcus gave him a stern look and he moved to stand by the sink.

  “Anything you have to say to me, Marcus, you can say in front of David.” Parker’s face contorted slightly in pain. “And I have a feeling this isn’t good news, is it?”

  “No, Parker, I’m afraid it isn’t. Cliff passed away in early February. Some thugs attacked the house and Cliff was shot, but not before he took down eight of them with that shotgun he loved so much. I’m deeply sorry for your loss, as it is my loss too. Cliff was my oldest and dearest friend. That’s why I had to come here with the news personally.”

  Parker pursed his mouth into a fine line, and his chest heaved with deep breaths while he fought to control his emotions. David drew a glass of water from the hand-pump and set it in front of Parker, and then he placed his hand on Parker’s shoulder much as Parker had done for him.

  “It’s been almost two months, Marcus. Can I assume you’ve taken care of all the arrangements, and that his urn is now buried next to my mom?”

  “Yes, all is done. Even with pulling every string at my disposal, it still took four days to get to the house, considering how much snow there was. As per his request, it was a quick cremation, in part by necessity.”

  “I appreciate you coming all this way, Marcus. Is there anything else?” Parker looked down at the glass in his hands and took a long sip, trying to ease the lump that threatened to block his throat.

  “Yes, Parker, there is … all the legal paperwork. Even though he never officially adopted you, you were Cliff’s sole heir. His final words to me were to take care of you and to offer you my counsel and that’s what I’m doing. We can do this later, if you wish.” Marcus had opened his briefcase and then closed it.

  “We might as well get it over with.” Parker sighed and slumped in his chair.

  “I’m going to start opening my house back up. I’ll
be back in an hour or two for dinner. Is that okay?” David said and gracefully made his exit.

  “That’s a thoughtful young man,” Marcus commented, not looking at Parker.

  “Even though David stayed here all winter, he actually lives next door and is like a brother to me. He’s become my best friend, Marcus, and I know it’s obvious he’s young, but he’s a genius, so don’t underestimate him,” Parker said defensively. “And if it weren’t for him, I’d be dead now.”

  “I meant no disrespect, Parker.” He looked, really looked, at the young man across from him. “In his last call to me, Cliff said you had matured more in the last six months than in the last six years. He was right. Now, down to business:

  “You are aware that Tucker Investments is a holding company for various real estate concerns. These vary from business strip malls, to business complexes, to apartment buildings. There are twenty-four properties total as of the latest acquisitions. Because Cliff was an astute and cautious businessman, each parcel has its own accounting division and is under perpetual audit. I had the company CPA put all the information together for your inspection. Here are the individual financial statements and one that combines all of them into an easy-to-read and understand income statement.” Marcus set a thick stack of papers on the table, and a smaller one next to it.

  “It was Cliff’s hope you would take over running the business, but also understood that you might not want to. My advice to you would be to not make any decisions for at least a year. Since each property supports its own staff for operations, they pretty much run themselves. Either way, Parker, you are now the CEO of Tucker Investments, and very wealthy.”

  Parker picked up the smaller of the sheaves of paper and glanced at the figures. When he got to the last page, he stopped.

  “This is the annual income for the company?” he said, unbelieving at the wealth in his hands.

  “No, Parker, that’s the quarterly income.”

  Parker looked over at Marcus and blew out his breath.

  “Would you like a drink? I know I need one.” Parker stood on shaky knees and opened the refrigerator, then closed it—a beer would not do. He got two glasses out from the overhead cupboard and filled them with ice. Into one, he poured spiced rum and club soda, and took a long swallow and refilled it.

  “Do you have any bourbon?” Marcus asked.

  Parker took a couple of bottles out from the cupboard and set them on the table, and then handed Marcus the other glass of ice.

  “Pardon me for being blunt, but this income statement makes my trust fund seem like pocket change,” Parker said.

  “Remember, son, this is the business income, it’s not what Cliff took in draws every month, though he was entitled to. He was constantly reinvesting. Even if you don’t wish to reinvest, a small part of this income is to keep the company working,” Marcus explained.

  “What if I wanted to liquidate?”

  “I would advise against that. The taxes involved would eat up any profit.” Marcus poured his drink. “As CEO, however, you will have access to a very healthy income with only the normal and usual individual income taxes. And don’t short-change your trust fund; it has grown considerably, thanks to Cliff.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “As I suggested before, don’t do anything for a year … regarding the business, that is. Otherwise, you are in the position of doing anything you want, Parker.”

  “I was going to ask Jenna to marry me,” he whispered.

  “Then you will need a pre-nup. I’ll have one drawn up.”

  

  “I know I said two hours, but it didn’t take as long to turn everything back on as I thought it would, and I’m hungry,” David announced his arrival. “Are you okay, Parker? You look pale.”

  “Get yourself something to drink and join us. What do you know about accounting?”

  “Probably more than I should, why?” David sat and poured a glass of wine.

  Parker handed him the financial statement, while locking eyes with Marcus, as if to dare him to question what he was doing.

  David flipped one sheet after another, while sipping from his glass. He stopped, set the glass down, and went back to the beginning and flipped through the pages again. When he got to the last page, he looked at Parker.

  “Damn.”

  Marcus finally spoke. “Would you rather wait until morning to go over the rest?”

  “What else is there?”

  “That is only Tucker Investments. Then there is your trust, the house, the two vacation homes, and Cliff’s life insurance,” Marcus stated.

  “Yeah, can it wait until the morning? Or at least until after dinner; I’m not only stunned, I’m famished.”

  “As you wish.”

  “I hope you like steak and shrimp … and Jell-O.”

  

  “And this represents your current net worth,” Marcus pushed a paper at Parker, “and this is your liquid net worth, as simplified as I could make it.” He handed over a second sheet, and picked up his cup of coffee, the second for the morning. This wasn’t going as he expected and that pleased him. Parker wasn’t acting like the anything-goes-rich kid anymore; he was thoughtful and cautious and overwhelmed by his sudden wealth.

  Marcus had been part of the Adams and then Tucker family for over twenty years. He had met Janet Adams at a grief seminar that included those who had or came into sudden wealth. Janet and Marcus hit it off professionally and she hired him as her attorney. It was Marcus who introduced Cliff to her, a move he never regretted.

  Marcus had watched Parker grow from a sullen five-year-old child, to an angry ten year old, and finally to a good-looking, naïve, spoiled brat at fifteen who got anything and everything he wanted. When he went away to college, Parker grew out of being a brat, but was still undeniably spoiled. Marcus felt this experiment of living off-grid was just another of Cliff’s indulgences to Parker’s constant and fleeting whims. As close as he and Cliff were, this time Cliff was direct that he did not want Marcus’ advice; he only wanted Marcus to do the job he was being paid for.

  “Do you have any questions?” the attorney in him finally said.

  “About a million; for now though, only one: where is this money?” Parker asked. David silently handed back the statements after looking at them.

  “It’s in an account, awaiting your decision on what to do with it. Your options are to transfer it to any account you wish or to lump it into your trust, which will then dramatically increase your monthly allowance. Keep in mind, your trust and your liquid worth are two separate entities. Do you wish my advice on this?”

  “Yes, Marcus, I do, and please offer that advice freely,” Parker said.

  “Very well. If I were in your position, I would have the monthly allowance from the trust direct deposited to a spending account, such as the debit account Cliff set up for you. Let the liquid account sit and grow, and use it for major purchases. In a year, evaluate how that is working for you. It can always be changed at any time.”

  “That makes sense. That’s what I want done for now. And thank you, Marcus. This has been a difficult and confusing time for me,” Parker said. “And I think that after I talk with Jenna, I may want to come down to the house and visit the various holdings. This,” he pointed to the stack of financial statements, “is hard to wrap my head around without having something tangible to relate to.”

  “I think that is a very wise step forward, Parker.” Marcus left the financials on the table, after having Parker sign a receipt that he had received the statements and that they were sufficiently explained to him. He put his copies back in his briefcase and left to repack his suitcase.

  

  “David, don’t be angry with me for what I’m about to do, okay? I really and sincerely feel I need to do this,” Parker said.

  Before David could question Parker, Marcus came out of the bedr
oom with his suitcase.

  “Please have a seat Marcus. There is something David and I need to discuss with you,” Parker said. “You are my attorney now, right? And that means there is client-attorney privilege, right? You can’t repeat anything I say to you unless I agree, is that correct?”

  “Yes, Parker, that is correct.”

  “I think I killed a man,” Parker stated.

  “Please explain that statement. You think you killed a man? You don’t know for sure?”

  “There was this guy who thought the cabin was supposed to be his, and he started to harass me to get me to leave. I didn’t know who was doing all this petty stuff, not until he broke into the house while we were next door. This was the second or third week of the blizzard. He threatened both of us, and although he had a gun, he didn’t pull it on us, but I pulled mine. We struggled and the gun went off.” Parker took a drink of water before continuing. “I was scared and really angry, Marcus. With all the snow, there was no way I could call 911 even if the phones worked.”

  “How is David part of this?” Marcus asked.

  “I was here,” David said.

  Marcus nodded and looked back at Parker.

  “We dragged him out behind the barn. We were going to decide what to do in the morning, but by then, he was gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “Yeah, that’s why I don’t know if I killed him or not. Maybe he was only stunned and got up and walked out into the storm. I just plain don’t know.”

  “Did you check for a pulse?” Marcus asked.

  “No, I’m not even sure how.”

  Marcus took off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the chair. “First, David, do you have a dollar on you?” David nodded. “Good, give it to me.”

  David pulled out his wallet and handed Marcus the bill.

  “You have just paid me a retainer. This has to stay completely above board, so I am now your attorney also.” Marcus put the bill in his pocket. “Okay, start over at the beginning and tell me exactly when all this started; any details you remember, anything at all. And David, please add anything you recall too.” He folded his hands in front of him, and listened as Parker and David talked.