The Philanthropist's Danse (32 page)

William saw the man needed time to think. “I’ll go. We can talk about Philip later. I have more of these to deliver.” The Judge nodded but did not move from the couch. The letter slipped from his fingers and laid on the floor as he tried to comprehend the enormity of the change in his life.

W
illiam headed directly to Freddie Hagood’s suite. The magnate, still dressed immaculately in a dark suit and tie, answered the door quickly. “Come in, Bill. What can I do for you?” William pulled out the envelope and handed it to Hagood. “Ah, so we come to the moment of truth. You work fast, Bill, thank you.”

Freddie opened the envelope and looked at the number before folding the paper and placing it in his breast pocket. “Fair enough, I suppose. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the others had agreed to agree sooner, but with Johnston’s idiot sons, it was always going to be difficult. You’ve impressed me this week, William. If you want a job, call me.”

Bird thanked Freddie for his consideration but knew he’d never work for anyone else again. Once he had collected his fee he and his wife would leave the city and retire to a small town not far from the mansion. He would be more than comfortable through a long retirement. The men shook hands, and the lawyer excused himself to visit the next beneficiary, Camille Jolivet.

$

Bethany opened the door to greet William and surprised him. He had been convinced the sisters had fallen out over her vote to keep Junior’s inheritance. He realized he was dead wrong when he entered the room. Bethany took a seat next to Camille and they held hands, looking at him with trepidation. “Please, ladies, relax. I have your settlements.”

He pulled out two envelopes, there was no point in making Bethany wait since she was already here. The sisters exchanged a look as he handed each of them their fortune. Bethany paused and looked at it. Her eyes filled with tears as she realized this would be the last thing she would ever receive from her father. Camille opened hers and looked quickly at the page, then at Bethany. “Mon Dieu. So much money, I had no idea.”

Bethany smiled at her sister’s quiet amazement and opened her own envelope. She looked at the number for a long time before looking up. “We wasted so much. Is this all that was left, Bill?”

The lawyer understood. She would have had a better idea than most of her father’s material wealth. “There was only sixty per cent left, Beth. I’m sorry, but the penalties cost you.”

She shook her head sadly as Camille looked at them in confusion. “How can you not be happy, sister? You’re trés riches, we are both rich.” Bethany smiled, and Bird saw genuine warmth between them. He was pleased to have been wrong in his prediction of their future.

Bethany’s voice caught in her throat. “Yes. Yes, we are wealthy. But my father had so much more, and we lost it because we couldn’t stop fighting. I feel ashamed.”

She looked at William with a face full of worry. “Can we talk about the boys? What’s going to happen to Phil and Junior?”

William stalled. “I can’t talk about them right now. I have to deliver the settlements. I’ll speak to the Judge later. I think he has some idea what to do.”

She nodded. “Please, Bill. Let me speak for them when you see the Judge?”

He agreed. It was only fair for them to have an advocate present as their futures were decided. He noticed Camille dropped her eyes when Bethany raised the topic of her brothers and sensed there was still disagreement on that subject. He promised to call Bethany when he met the Judge and left them. Both were re-reading their letter, but with very different interpretations of what it meant.

$

Larry MacLean was shirtless when he opened the door. He had gone back to bed and looked like hell. He pulled on a plain white t-shirt and tried to smooth his tousled hair into some kind of respectable shape as William waited. He mumbled an explanation as he dressed. “I was trying to get some rest. I didn’t sleep much last night, too much going on in my head.”

William began to apologize, but MacLean dismissed it. “I said I was trying to sleep, I didn’t say I was sleeping. I’ll need to be out of this place before I can rest. This place is filled with Johnston, and my conscience is punishing me.”

William saw deep lines around MacLean’s eyes. Larry looked pale under his sailor’s tan, and William almost felt sorry for him. “I’ve got your money, Larry and instructions how to claim it.”

He handed it to MacLean, who took it quickly and tore it open. “Oh God, is that all? I thought it might be bad, but not this bad. What a mess.” He slumped onto the nearest chair and shook his head. “I’ll have to support my entire goddamned family with this… It’ll be a big shock to them. They’ll need to make cuts.”

William was annoyed that MacLean had the nerve to complain about the money he was taking from the friend he betrayed. “It could have been a lot worse, Larry. Try to remember that.” His voice was sharper than he intended, and it made MacLean start. He looked up and Bird saw shame in his eyes, and the sting his words left. “Make sure you’re on time for dinner, I’ll see you then.”

William left the room before he said something else he might regret.

$

William closed MacLean’s door behind him and leaned against it to take some deep breaths. He had to remain calm. He still had two envelopes to deliver and neither would be easy. He practiced breathing with his eyes closed until he felt his irritation recede.

When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see Jeremy standing a few feet away, watching without appearing to watch. “Is everything alright, Mr. Bird? I’ve just moved Mr. Elliot’s effects to another room. He’s been informed of the change, and it seemed to suit him well enough. How about yourself sir? A cup of tea, perhaps?”

William shook his head. The major-domo amazed him with his tact. “Thank you, Jeremy, I’m fine. I have a couple more visits to make and then maybe I’ll take a cup of your strongest coffee. I don’t think tea would cut it for me right now.”

Jeremy smiled and promised the best cup of coffee in the State anytime he wanted it and then was gone. He disappeared down the hallway in quick strides. William watched him go and took another deep breath. It was time to visit Caroline Smith.

She answered the door with her hair down. Her usual business suit had been replaced with sweatshirt and jeans. She stood in the doorway, blocking the entrance with her arm as she demanded to know what William wanted. He explained the reason for his visit and watched greed creep across her face. She suddenly became friendly and ushered him into her room with a theatrical flourish. Her eyes flashed with excitement as he reached into his pocket and drew out her envelope.

She snatched it from his fingers and ripped it open. She scanned the page until she found the number. She sneered in triumph as she read the letter that made her rich and William felt a wave of revulsion at her naked greed. She had harmed Thurwell’s Foundation, his legacy, by accepting bribes. Yet now she was rewarded further. William wondered why the Old Man had included her in the group, she was unworthy.

She saw something in his eyes she didn’t like and cocked her head to one side. “What, you don’t approve? Well that’s too bad. You can go, leave me alone.” William suppressed anger at her imperious tone and left her. He shuddered at her ability to get under his skin.

$

William had one envelope left in his pocket and forced himself to walk to Junior’s door to deliver it. He nodded at the burly guard who anticipated William’s intent by rapping on the door for him. William could have wished for a moment to compose himself, but the door flew open, and he saw Junior. “What do you want, Bird? Are you checking I’m still here, that I haven’t slipped past your dog?”

William remained impassive. He could not let Junior get to him. “I need to speak with you, may I come in?”

Junior snorted. “I don’t see why you should be allowed in when I’m not allowed out. Why should I admit my jailer to my cell, are you going to search it for contraband?”

The lawyer pulled the final envelope from his pocket and showed it to Junior, who stopped talking. “Come in, then.”

William glanced at the guard, who rolled his eyes dramatically. William almost laughed but managed to keep a straight face, the moment helped relax him as he followed Junior into the room.

“So it’s done then? After all the fuss, those damned leeches get my father’s money, and I get the crumbs from the table. Give it to me.” William passed the envelope to Junior, who opened it and read the same number as the other nine people. “I knew it. This is a sick joke, Bird. This is a drop in the ocean. Those idiots stole my inheritance from me. If they had listened to reason, we’d all be richer, but look at this. I’m sure the whore and the help are thrilled to little bits, but you know this is a sick joke.”

He threw the papers to the floor and turned his back on William, who dared not breathe a word for fear of telling Junior what he thought of him. He waited and watched Junior’s back. Thurwell’s oldest son was rocking on his heels, a sure sign he was agitated. Eventually he turned and looked at William. “Can I challenge this? I’m sure a court would look favorably on the family’s claim that we have been robbed of what was rightfully ours.”

“You signed an agreement, Junior, before you arrived. You all did. You all agreed the results of the week would be binding. My instructions are clear. If anyone challenges the settlement, they are stripped of everything. What you have now is the most you can ever hope for. You may not like it, but that’s the reality. This week was your father’s plan, his final wishes.”

Junior glowered, but he knew the lawyer was right. He also knew if he challenged the settlement that news of his brutal assault on his sister would leak out. He was frustrated and angry. He hated to give up the fight almost as much as he hated to give up the last word on the matter. “So be it, then. A great fortune is wasted on leeches and sycophants. If that’s how my ignorant father wanted it, fine. But I don’t like it, Bird, not one bit. Now, when can I get out of here? I’m tired of this place.”

“Tomorrow morning you will all leave. I have cars coming to take you wherever you want to go. You must attend tonight’s dinner, but if you promise to behave, I’ll have your guard stand down during the meal.”

Junior nodded, something was on his mind, Bird knew, but what it was he could not tell. William picked up the papers from the floor, smoothed the creases from them and handed them once more to Junior, who took them and walked to the window. “Go, Bird. I’ll see you for dinner.”

William did not need to be asked twice, he left the room as fast as his dignity would permit. He nodded at the guard on his way out and went in search of Jeremy and the promised cup of coffee.

T
he mansion hummed with activity as its working occupants busied themselves with preparations for the formal dinner. It was to be a grand affair that had been planned down to the last menu item by the philanthropist himself. The guests remained in their suites for the most part, either celebrating their new wealth, or lamenting a lost fortune, depending on their point of view and relative wealth prior to the settlement.

Snow continued to fall, and the wind raised white flurries that beat upon the windows as the storm gave a last defiant blast, like a wounded animal striking at its tormentor. The forecast for the next day was for clear skies, ideal for getting everyone away from the mansion.

William sat behind his desk and looked in turn from the serious expression on Judge Freeman’s face to the worried look on Bethany Thurwell’s. They had gathered to determine Philip’s fate, and it was a personal matter for all three of them. The lawyer was thinking out loud. “I don’t know if I should press charges. It would raise too many difficult questions about this week that I will not be able to answer because of privilege. Philip, however, will not be under the same restriction and could cause great harm. He has nothing to lose.”

Freeman was more concerned that Philip would get away with another crime. He was determined to prevent that. “I understand what you say, William, but the fact is he tried to kill you. He has admitted to a prior murder. He cannot be allowed to get away with these crimes.”

Bethany spoke in her brother’s defense. “Judge, I understand you’re angry with Phil about Georgia, but Bill is fine. Thank God, nothing happened that can’t be forgiven. He was angry and lashed out, but I know him. If he’s allowed to leave, the matter will be over. I promise. What he did in Georgia was also in the heat of the moment. He said so, didn’t he? It’s his temper. It’s not his nature.”

Freeman was unmoved. “Bethany, Philip is lucky to have a sister as loyal as you. The fact is he killed once, and he tried again.” The Judge shook his head and looked at the lawyer. “William, there is no guarantee he will not break the secrecy of this meeting when we separate. He may feel aggrieved enough to go to the press, or start rumors. He is a very angry young man and will not give us a moment’s peace. He must be charged. He must face his day in court and be held accountable.”

Bethany had an idea. “What if you didn’t charge him if he promised to stay quiet? I’m sure he’d agree to that, Bill.”

William shook his head. “No Beth. If we did that, it gives him power. He’d know we need him to be quiet and that we want to avoid charges. I think he’d agree but would soon seek ways to profit from his power and reverse his disinheritance. No, that won’t work.”

She saw he was right. She could see how Philip would interpret her offer as a weakness to be exploited. Freeman spoke again. “William, you said you had instructions from the deceased Mr. Thurwell about many different circumstances. Was a physical attack not among them?”

William gave Freeman a rueful smile. “Unfortunately not. He left one marked
In Case of Murder
, but I think it was more gallows humor than anything serious. He spent so many hours putting the
Danse
together that sometimes he felt the need for some light relief. I’m sure it was no more than that.”

The Judge shrugged. “I see, but why not open it and find out what he wanted you to do about a murder? Perhaps there will be enough to guide us through the current impasse.”

Bethany nodded. “It might be worth a look, Bill. What’s the harm?”

William leaned back in his seat and considered their plan. His instructions were to open an envelope only if conditions matched the descriptions on the label. He had to decide if he should open the
In Case of Murder
envelope for the actual crime of attempted murder. “I don’t know. It seems like too much of a stretch.”

The Judge and Bethany remonstrated at such length that he relented and agreed to see what the instructions were. He opened his safe and flipped through the yellow envelopes, found the one he needed and locked the safe again.

He looked at the others and tapped the envelope lightly against the desk, still in two minds about whether it was proper to open it. “You must agree that if I open this and share its contents, you will not allow the knowledge of what we find to leave this room.” Bethany and Freeman agreed, and each leaned forward in anticipation as the lawyer slit the envelope open.

The only sound in the room was the soft rustle of crisp paper and the hushed breathing of the three as William unfolded the letter. He read it aloud.

Bill,

I hope you never read this, for if you have cause to see these words then something terrible has happened. Let me be clear, if someone is dead, I bear responsibility for having thrown them together under the pressure of the Danse. I don’t accept I could have avoided it. No man can tell for sure what another may or may not do when desperate.

If you’re reading this, you’ve got a real problem. I can’t change what happened, but I can fix it.

First, you are to carry out your instructions and see the Danse to its conclusion. Whoever did the killing must be stripped of any share in my money and isolated from the others. Once everything else is done, send them all home but keep the killer at the mansion. There is a sealed note with this letter. Leave it with Jeremy and return to the city. He knows what to do.

Never discuss the matter with Jeremy and tell any who ask that it was dealt with. Say no more and no less. I would say I’m sorry you have to perform this task, Bill, but considering the obscene fee I’m paying you, just get on with it.

JCT2

No one breathed until after William finished reading. He held the sealed note in his hand, afraid to think what was inside. He saw the Judge, wide-eyed and rubbing his chin, while Bethany sat with a stunned look. “Does that mean what I think it does? Did my father just instruct you to have someone killed if they committed murder?”

The Judge answered. “We don’t know that, with all due respect, Miss Bethany. We have no idea what the second note says. It might say any number of things that are more innocent than what you suggest.” Freeman tried to rationalize it, but he sounded far from convinced. “William, you knew Mr. Thurwell, what do you think it means?”

William sighed. “I think it means the Old Man wanted an eye for an eye. This whole week was about settling scores, exacting revenge or delivering rewards. It’s why Bethany and her siblings were made to fight to get a single penny of what he would normally have left them as a matter of course.

“It’s why you were brought here Judge. To be given a chance to share in a great fortune for assisting Philip in Georgia. Each one of you either helped or hurt him, and he threw you all together to fight it out, trusting things would shake out to his satisfaction. Do I think he meant for a murderer to be left behind and disposed of? Yes, I think that is exactly what he meant.”

Bethany sat in disbelief, and another question occurred to her. “What’s the dance, Bill? He mentioned it twice, is that something that will happen at the dinner?”

“No, Beth, it’s what he called this week. The
Danse
, spelled with an ‘s’.

He took it from the Danse Macabre, the dance of death. It was his notion that he would lead you into a state of chaos as you each would do anything to deal your way into the fortune.”

“He figured you’d soon forget about the fact he was dead and that the money would seduce you into all manner of contortions to take what you could. He was right, too. The midnight deadline drove all of you to act in the basest manner. Take you for instance, Ron.”

Freeman could not look up as William continued. “Can you imagine threatening blackmail before you arrived here? No. Yet that’s what you did as soon as you thought you would be left out of the money. The Old Man had no illusions about the nature of his fellow man, even his family. He knew that within hours of learning of his passing, you would all cast aside grief, decency and honor to fight tooth and nail for a portion of a fortune you had no hand in building.”

Bethany wiped a tear from her eye. Bird’s words hurt, but not as badly as the wound her father had opened with his plan. She had acted badly too. She had made deals in bad faith, taken advantage of people with worse prospects than her but, who had treated her father better than his family. “I had no idea he was so bitter. He was so angry at us.”

Judge Freeman was in discomfort as he reflected on his own actions. “I’m not proud of what I did. I can see how monstrous we have all been. Mr. Thurwell has exacted a price for his money. It’s a heavier price than I would have thought possible. I’ve lost my self-respect.” He stood and paced slowly up and down the office, his face a picture of internalized shame and pain.

“My God, he played us like puppets. We danced alright, he got what he wanted, I think.”

William recalled the night he learned his beloved employer was dying. They had begun work to map out the
Danse
that same night. As the sickness developed and his pain increased, the philanthropist’s determination to make the
Danse
a tribute to the depravity of greed grew increasingly strong.

He had pleaded with Thurwell to construct a straightforward will, but he had been resolute in his purpose, and refused. He told his lawyer that a lesson had to be learned. A lesson he had learned too late, at considerable personal cost. The lawyer shook off the memory. His grief would have to wait. “We are no further ahead in our decision about what to do with Philip.”

Bethany was firm. “Well we can’t leave my brother here, not with the chance Jeremy might dispose of him. Please, Bill. Give him a chance, let him go. I’ll share my money with him, Junior can too. He’ll have no axe to grind if he has money. I beg you, Bill. You too, Judge, please spare my brother.”

William looked at Freeman, who shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. If we let him go he walks away from two serious crimes. If we charge him, we risk being exposed by a young man with nothing to lose and an opportunity to take revenge on his accusers. I don’t see a way to win here. Perhaps we should let Mr. Thurwell’s wishes prevail.”

William shook his head. “We can’t do that, Ron. These instructions were for a murder and fortunately, Philip failed to kill me.”

Freeman was unmoved. “He succeeded in Georgia. We thought it was an accident, but he admitted it was deliberate. That’s murder. It makes these instructions valid. There is nothing explicit that says anything untoward will happen to him if we leave him. Perhaps it only sounds ominous because that’s how we interpret it. Let’s leave Philip here and walk away, I can live with that.”

The Judge sat back in his seat as if he had pronounced sentence over Philip, but Bethany shot to her feet, her eyes wide with panic. “No, you can’t. I won’t leave him. I’ll stay here and make sure Phil is okay. My father would not want his son killed and dumped in the woods.”

William decided. “I agree with Bethany. Sorry, Ron, but I can’t do it. We either charge him, or we let him go. He assaulted me, so I think it’s my prerogative to decide. I lean toward letting him go. I don’t like it, but pressing charges makes life potentially too messy.”

Freeman nodded. “I don’t agree, but I see your point. I won’t argue, for Miss Bethany’s sake. As long as you agree he is released only after the rest of us are already clear of the mansion. I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder for him on the way home.”

William looked at Bethany. He sensed a resolution was near. “Do you agree, Beth? We can release him tomorrow after everyone else has left.”

She breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Thank you, Bill. I’ll make sure he behaves, I promise. Can I see him now, please?”

Bird nodded and called for Jeremy to come to the office. As the major-domo arrived, William walked Bethany to the door and instructed Jeremy to allow Bethany a visit with her brother. Ron Freeman stood by the desk and without anyone seeing, took the philanthropist’s sealed note to Jeremy and slipped it into his pocket.

$

Philip heard the key rattle in the lock and stood ready to leap. He had been confined for too long and was prepared to try and escape his prison. He waited for the door to open and was prepared to charge whoever came through the door. But he was stopped by the sight of his sister. She stepped into the room, and the heavy door closed behind her. His chance of escape was gone, but he forgot about it as he and Bethany embraced.

She looked over the small decanting area he was in. His cot had been pushed to one side, so Philip could pace up and down without tripping over it. There was a large bottle of water and nothing else. The wine cellar was tantalizingly close, but Philip was only able to look through the heavy iron grille that separated him from his father’s collection of fine wine. She looked through the grid and saw the light reflected from hundreds of bottles winking back at her like underground stars.

“Yeah. It’s torture being able to look but not drink.”

Philip sounded tired, and Bethany turned to him. “I’ve got good news for you, Phil. William has agreed not to press charges against you, and the Judge has agreed too. When everyone else has left in the morning, you’ll be sent home too.”

He smiled, but the look chilled her, there was a streak of malice in his eyes. She didn’t like what she saw. “Listen to me Phil, this is your chance to walk away from this, don’t screw it up.”

He snorted in derision. “Sure, Beth, I’ll go free, that’s just great. Where am I supposed to go, with no fucking money?”

“I’ll help you. Calm down, Phil, I’m on your side. I’ll give you some of my money. I got a share, so did Junior. He might help out too, if you ask him.”

Her brother shot a disgusted look at her. “So I’m to be supported by my sister and brother, if I beg just right. Is that it? I’m to get nothing of my own?”

Bethany felt anger rise, and she slapped her brother across the face, hard. He was stunned, and a red welt appeared on his cheek where her heavy ring had caught his cheek. “Shut up, Phil. So what if I give you money? Or Junior gives you some? So what? All you ever did was take father’s allowance. You’ve never earned anything, never worked for a living, so what’s the difference if your allowance comes from my pocket? What gives you the right to care about where your easy living comes from? Pride? You never had any before, stop pretending you have any now.