The Philanthropist's Danse

by Wornham, Paul

  Bethany caught her by the arm. “Janice, wait. Junior’s an idiot, but you already know that, right?”

  The housekeeper allowed herself a small smile. “I do know, but I’m serious. Dennis and I have nothing left. Our apartment is gone with our jobs. We have to get enough money to be comfortable.”

  Bethany was relieved her brother had not entirely ruined another chance for the family to take control. “How much have you been offered?”

  “Five million. A guaranteed payment for both votes instead of a share in God knows how much or little your father left.” Bethany was shocked to hear how much Smith offered. She was clearly a threat they had to remove. “We’ll double it. You’ll get no percentage, but the ten million is guaranteed. Now, tell us about Smith.”

  Janice took Bethany’s offered arm and walked with her back to the family. She knew they needed her. Not as a servant any more, now they needed her. She felt giddy, and wondered if the feeling was power. If it was, she suddenly understood how people who possessed it always wanted more. Janice had their rapt attention as she told a tale of Caroline offering cash for the Elliot’s votes. She lied about the amount and she exaggerated Smith’s intentions, but she and Dennis would be rich, so she didn’t care.

  She saw the family was worried about Smith and her plan. They realized if Janice and her husband sided with the Foundation’s CEO, they could have a lot of expensive trouble ahead. The housekeeper decided to take full advantage of their fears. “Ten million dollars is a fair price for our votes. But I want a bonus. If we join forces with Smith against you, we can stall progress for as long as it takes you to agree to share the fortune equally.

  It’s in your interests to reach a quick settlement, so I want another two million dollars for each penalty we save you. In five days, all the money will be gone unless we agree how to share it. If it ends tonight, no penalty is incurred, and you pay me another ten million. If it ends tomorrow, I’ll get another eight million.” Bethany drew a deep breath. Janice demanded a lot, but she knew if they refused it could easily cost them more than twenty million dollars. She looked at her brothers. They looked shocked but offered no objections. Bethany forced a smile and agreed to Janice’s terms. Junior didn’t like it at all. He thought it was too much money for a couple of votes, but could say nothing.

  For the second time that day, he had surrendered the right to speak because of his temper. Janice was ecstatic. If they could pull off an agreement tonight, she and Dennis would have a fortune, twenty million dollars. Her head swam and she puffed up with pride as the family swallowed theirs and made her feel important.

  Philip brought them back to reality. “So we dump Smith at the next vote. Then can we decide percentages and get on with our lives?” Janice nodded, but she had to get to Dennis to make sure he did as he was told. She couldn’t afford to have his ignorance mess up her brilliant deal. She excused herself and hurried off to find her husband.

  $

  William was walking back to the conference room when he saw Janice exit the dining room in a rush. She beat him to the conference room and headed directly to her husband, Dennis. He wondered what her hurry was and saw Caroline also noted Janice’s hasty entrance.

  Caroline looked pleased when she saw the Elliots whispering together. The lawyer guessed the three of them had made a deal to protect each other against the aggressive family. Bird was still shocked by the sizeable payout to Freddie Hagood. The fortune the others were fighting over was to be reduced by Freddie’s settlement, but they would never know it.

  He wondered if Bethany realized Smith was working against the family, but he could not interfere, his role prohibited it.

  $

  William brought them to order and handed control back to Larry. The group was spread out around the vast table after Jeremy’s staff had removed two chairs. They remained in the same order as before, but both the table and the room seemed larger.

  MacLean immediately got down to business. “We’re making good progress, but I’m mindful we only have until midnight to get everything squared away. With that in mind I have a new motion.” He looked at directly at Caroline, but she was unflustered as he played the hand she expected and was prepared against. “I propose we remove Ms. Caroline Smith with immediate effect and without compensation.”

  Smith maintained her serene composure and looked forward to the moment the family realized they could not screw her out of her share of the fortune. She wanted to watch Junior’s face when he realized he couldn’t beat her. William asked if she had anything to say, but she smiled and shook her head. He accepted Junior as seconder of the motion and reminded them that they required eight or more votes to pass. He opened his spreadsheet and began the roll call. “Mr. MacLean?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mr. MacLean votes aye.”

  “Mr. Johnston C. Thurwell III?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mr. Thurwell votes aye.”

  “Ms. Bethany Thurwell?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ms. Thurwell votes aye.”

  “Mr. Philip Thurwell?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Mr. Thurwell votes aye.”

  “Ms. Camille Jolivet?”

  “Oui, yes”

  “Ms. Jolivet votes aye.”

  “Mrs. Janice Elliot?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mrs. Elliot votes aye.”

  Caroline stared at Janice. Her face darkened, and she began to tremble, had she been played for a fool? Her mind reeled when she heard the next vote. “Mr. Dennis Elliot?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mr. Elliot votes aye.”

  Caroline was betrayed. The scheming bitch housemaid had played her for a sucker. She had probably been sent by the family to mess with her. She heard Bird’s voice, but it seemed a thousand miles away. “Caroline, I must know how you vote.” It was clear he had been asking for a while, but she hadn’t heard him. She gathered herself, trying to retain some dignity. “No.”

  “Mrs. Smith votes nay.”

  “Ms. Elizabeth Freah?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ms. Freah votes aye.”

  “Mrs. Winifred Tremethick?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mrs. Tremethick votes aye.”

  William looked at the tally. “The motion is passed, nine votes to one. Caroline, you need to leave the room. I’ll call you later to... Caroline?”

  Smith was rigid, she heard nothing. Her eyes were on Janice, glaring at the woman that only a few moments before she thought was her ally.

  She saw Junior smirking. He had done this. It must have been his plan to send Janice to trap her. Rage boiled within her. “You smug pricks, I hate you.”

  Bird stood. “That’s enough Caroline. You have to go. Now.”

  She shot a look at him. “Fuck you, lawyer. I bet you were in on this, you goddamn bloodsucking shyster.” Smith lost control, her hands balled into tight fists as she turned to Janice. “You bitch. I’ll ruin you, you back-stabbing, trailer-trash whore.”

  William summoned help and with relief saw Jeremy enter the room with one of his female staff. They took Janice by each arm, but she didn’t fight. She was still shouting insults at Janice as she was escorted out, her voice full of malice even as it grew fainter in the lobby. Caroline’s voice became more distant until quiet returned, but a thick tension hung over everyone at the table.

  Janice held her hands under the table to stop them from shaking. She repeated twenty million, twenty million, twenty million to remind herself that enduring Smith’s vicious outburst was worth it.

  She saw Dennis look at her with a mix of shock and fear. She had not told him the entire plan, she had not had time before William called the group to order, but he agreed to follow her lead. She would need to fill him in on the details later, but it didn’t matter. The deed was done, and their future was now secure.

  $

  William was surprised how efficiently the family had removed three people without sharing a si
ngle dollar. They had no idea the pot had been reduced by Freddie’s settlement, and they never would. The group would decide shares by percentages and would only learn the dollar value of a person’s share if they worked it back from their own settlement after everyone was paid.

  Bird looked at MacLean and raised an eyebrow, wondering if they were done removing people yet. Larry saw the look and addressed the whole group. “Ladies and gentleman, on behalf of the family, thank you for your support. I can reassure you there will be no more votes to remove anyone without a share of the money. However, the family maintains its claim to the majority of the fortune. The balance is to be shared equally among you. To be clear, we are discussing shares for Betty and Mrs. Tremethick. Mr. and Mrs. Elliot have agreed to a fixed settlement in return for their support.”

  Dennis was surprised and shot his wife a sharp look. He had no idea he was involved in a plot, and he hoped Janice had sold their support for enough. He desperately wanted to talk to his wife, but he couldn’t interrupt Larry, so he held his tongue and worried. MacLean was talking to Betty. “Ms. Freah, we understand your relationship with Johnston, and while some in the family disapproved of it, we will respect his wish for you to share his wealth.”

  He looked quickly at Bethany as he spoke, but she offered a quick smile to the woman she had hated for demeaning her father’s reputation. Betty was far more generous with the return of her smile because she could sense an offer was coming.

  Larry turned to the old Englishwoman. “Mrs. Tremethick, we really have no idea why you are here and you claim the same lack of knowledge. I’d very much like to chat with you about your role in Johnston’s past. I don’t doubt there was one and that it meant enough to him to bring you here.”

  The old lady nodded, she was tired from listening to people argue. Jetlag had caught up to her again, and she wanted to close her eyes for a few minutes rest, but no one seemed ready to stop talking. “Sir, I’ll be happy to have that conversation, but can we just get this business over with? I’m tired.”

  MacLean nodded, he could see the end in sight. “Betty, we propose you get five per cent of the fortune and Mrs. Tremethick the same. The family and I will share the rest and pay Janice and Dennis out of our settlement. Seven people will share ninety percent. You two share the balance, ten percent.”

  Betty answered with a smile, but there was an edge to her voice. “I think five points is a bit low, Larry. I agree with getting the same as Mrs. Tremethick. However, we helped you get rid of three people. I think you can do better than ten percent.” Winnie looked in wonder at Betty, she hadn’t dreamed of asking for more and she marveled at the younger woman’s courage in asking.

  Larry contemplated Betty with a small smile on his lips, he had figured it was worth a shot to go for a lowball offer. “How much is enough, Betty?” She shot back immediately. “Ten percent. Each.”

  MacLean shook his head. “No, that’s too much. Remember, this is a huge fortune. Five percent of a lot is still a lot. Seven and a half percent, each.” Betty sat back and thought about it. She could hold out and push them toward midnight until they cracked, but what if they didn’t. The old lady was no help. She just sat and let Betty do all the work. The problem was that Betty did not know how much she was negotiating for. It was frustrating to deal in percentages and only guess at the dollars.

  JT had been a billionaire, so it had to be a lot of money and she had already got her share up to seven and a half, but she hated to give MacLean the last word. “Eight points then, I’ll agree to eight.” MacLean took a quick look around the family and saw some frustration but no one voiced an objection.

  He looked at Winnie Tremethick. “Mrs. Tremethick, will you settle for an eight percent share?” She looked at him and nodded. “If it gets us finished so I can go home, yes.”

  Larry looked at William who furiously scribbled notes. “Bill, I think we’re done. The family takes eighty-four percent and will see to the payment of the Elliots and myself out of their share. Betty and Mrs. Tremethick will take eight percent each.”

  William smiled. “Of course, but you must vote on it. The motion is the family receives 84% of the money. Betty Freah and Mrs. Tremethick each take 8%. Mr. and Mrs. Elliot and you, Larry, will be rewarded from the family’s share. Do I have the details correct?”

  “Yes, I’ll propose the motion.”

  Junior seconded and William reached for his laptop for the last time.

  “Mr. MacLean?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mr. MacLean votes aye.”

  “Mr. Johnston C. Thurwell III?”

  “Aye.”

  “Mr. Thurwell votes aye.”

  “Ms. Bethany Thurwell?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ms. Thurwell votes aye.”

  “Mr. Philip Thurwell?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Mr. Thurwell votes aye.”

  “Ms. Camille Jolivet?”

  “Oui.”

  “Ms. Jolivet votes aye.”

  “Mrs. Janice Elliot?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mrs. Elliot votes aye.”

  “Mr. Dennis Elliot?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mr. Elliot votes aye.”

  “Ms. Elizabeth Freah?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ms. Freah votes aye.”

  “Mrs. Winifred Tremethick?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mrs. Tremethick votes aye.”

  Bird looked up and smiled. “Congratulations. Well done indeed. I will prepare the settlements this evening. We will meet tomorrow morning, when I set up your accounts and distribute the money. You will find out then what your share is worth. Larry, I’ll need the distributions for the family, please make sure you have those ready when we reconvene.”

  MacLean nodded, it wouldn’t take long to figure out. William saw happy faces all around and was quietly relieved at the swift conclusion of the Danse.

  “Since you reached an agreement on the first day, the clock is stopped. There will be no penalty at midnight. You will receive shares of the entire fortune in the morning and then we’ll have a formal dinner tomorrow night. Once that is over, you are free to leave.”

  They broke into spontaneous applause to signal the successful end to a stressful day. Even Winnie Tremethick smiled though her tiredness. Bird shook MacLean’s hand and then everyone else’s in turn. A quick peck on the cheek from Bethany surprised him, and it was soon followed by another from Camille Jolivet. As he left them, Bird looked over his shoulder and saw nine smiling faces. Even the old lady had been caught up in the moment as her arm was pumped energetically by Betty, who squealed. “We’re rich!”

  Chapter Thirteen

  William Bird closed his office door behind him, ensuring that the lock engaged so he wouldn’t be interrupted. The room was cool and quiet, a welcome change from the charged atmosphere of the conference room. He opened his master spreadsheet on his laptop and began to calculate each person’s share.

  He entered zeroes next to Ron Freeman and Caroline Smith’s names and punched in the amount of Freddie Hagood’s settlement. He entered an eight percent share for Winnie Tremethick and Betty Freah. The rest would have to wait until Larry gave him the numbers for the family and their payoffs in the morning.

  His next task was to check the current value of the philanthropist’s fortune with the bank. He had no idea how much interest would have accumulated since he moved the philanthropist’s assets to one offshore account, but it would be significant. William pulled up a secure web interface for a discreet bank in Zurich, Switzerland and plugged a USB fingerprint reader into the laptop. After he entered a sixteen-digit password, he placed his thumb on the pad and slowly counted to five.

  Within moments, his private telephone rang. Bird answered and spoke his password at an auto-prompt. The bank’s security system verified his password, voiceprint and thumbprint, and he was granted online access to the master account.

  William saw the twelve accou
nts he had set up before his guests arrived at the mansion. Each numbered account held only $25 and had no name associated with it. In the morning, ten of the twelve accounts would receive large transfers, the remaining two he would close.

  He smiled in satisfaction. Everything was in order at the bank. He entered a request for an up-to-date balance to be provided at 8am the next morning and logged off.

  It was time for William to visit the people who had been eliminated. Freddie would be easy, for he was taking a secret share of the money with him. The Judge and Caroline Smith would be more difficult. Both were to leave with nothing, and the lawyer did not relish the thought of meeting either one of them.

  $

  Judge Ron Freeman had made his way to his suite in a daze after his humiliating eviction. He was ruined, his political future was ashes, and he may still have to live with the threat of Freddie Hagood’s curiosity. He barely made it to the washroom where he threw up in the tub. He sank to his knees and wept angry tears with his shoes and pants splattered with vomit.

  He did not recall how long he stayed in that position. He was aware of someone knocking at the door, but he ignored it and after a while the person stopped. Freeman figured it was Hagood, but Freddie could go to hell. When the telephone rang, he ignored it. Fuck you, Freddie, he thought, you didn’t lift a finger to help me.

  Eventually, pain in his knees from the cold marble floor made him move. He lifted his head off the cool surface of the tub and rose to his feet. The tub was a mess and he’d gotten puke on the floor, and his clothes were smeared in filth. Freeman grimaced when he caught sight of himself in the mirror. He turned the shower on and waited for the hot water to wash away the mess before he stepped in and scrubbed himself clean. He let the water run over him for a long time.

  His telephone rang every 30 minutes, but he didn’t answer it. He was thinking about his bleak future when suddenly he knew what he must do to save himself. Sauce for the goose was also good for the gander, or so the saying went.

  Freeman stepped from the shower a renewed man. He felt refreshed and wore a determined expression. He may have been forced into his desperate plan, but he felt ready for the mission ahead. He toweled himself dry and picked out a dark suit, a crisp white shirt and red silk tie. He looked at his puke-stained shoes and decided to wear another pair. They were not as new, but he was in no mood to clean up his best pair.