Chapter 12 - The Family Vote
News of the foundry raid broke before sunrise.
Federal investigators seized the archive, but most of the ledger had disappeared with Vale. The two recovered volumes contained enough evidence to open dozens of investigations.
Not enough to locate Evelyn.
The ransom deadline approached.
Claire returned to Whitmore National with the five-hundred-million-dollar check.
The voting trust required signatures from a majority of activated beneficiaries.
Only Claire had deposited her instrument through an approved channel.
Richard’s check had been rejected after his attempted private sale.
Brittany’s instrument was in Vale’s possession.
Marcus claimed his had been destroyed.
Elaine’s was missing.
Daniel had refused his original designation.
To activate the trust, Claire needed at least three family beneficiaries to present their checks before noon.
She called a meeting in the same Christmas dining room where they had laughed at Evelyn.
Richard arrived first.
He placed his check on the table.
The paper was stained and creased, but intact.
“I picked it up after everyone went to bed,” he admitted.
“You tried to sell it.”
“Yes.”
“If you deposit it, the money may be frozen because of your connection to Vale.”
“I know.”
“Then why do it?”
“To give you the vote.”
Brittany entered next.
She looked exhausted, without makeup or carefully styled hair.
“Vale has my original,” she said.
Whitmore’s legal team had confirmed that a lost instrument could be replaced if the beneficiary formally reported attempted theft and cooperated with investigators.
Brittany signed the statement.
“I thought Grandma hated me,” she said.
“Why?” Claire asked.
“Because she always compared me to you.”
“She compared everyone to everyone.”
“She said you listened before speaking. She said I performed emotions instead of feeling them.”
Claire could imagine Evelyn saying exactly that.
“Were you selling the family photographs to Vale?”
Brittany began crying.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He said I was helping recover stolen history. Then he offered money.”
“How much?”
“More than I had ever earned.”
“You could have asked Dad.”
Brittany laughed bitterly.
“Dad borrowed against my trust fund years ago.”
Richard looked away.
Brittany continued.
“I wanted something that belonged only to me.”
Claire understood the desire, though not the betrayal.
“Help me activate the trust,” she said. “Then testify against Vale.”
Brittany nodded.
Marcus arrived with Elaine.
Marcus claimed his check had been destroyed when he threw it away. Claire played the Christmas footage.
After everyone left the dining room, Marcus crawled beneath the table and retrieved it.
He flushed.
“I was curious.”
“You contacted three private collectors,” Cole said.
“I wanted valuations.”
“You offered to sell it for two hundred thousand dollars.”
“It was a piece of paper.”
“It was Grandma’s test,” Claire said.
Marcus leaned back in his chair.
“So what? You passed because you’re the saint of the family?”
“No. I passed because all of you were too busy laughing to notice that she was saying goodbye.”
The words silenced them.
Elaine placed her check on the table.
“I want my five million.”
Claire was not surprised.
“There are conditions.”
“There are always conditions when the Bellweathers give anything.”
“You have to cooperate with the investigation.”
“I will answer questions through counsel.”
“You have to vote to activate the trust.”
Elaine smiled coldly.
“That depends on what you offer me.”
Richard slammed his fist on the table.
“Mother has been kidnapped.”
“Mother built this nightmare.”
“She is your mother.”
“She spent our childhood measuring us for roles in a war she refused to explain.”
Elaine turned to Claire.
“You think Evelyn chose you because you are kinder than we are. She chose you because you are easier to control.”
“Maybe.”
The answer surprised Elaine.
Claire continued.
“But I’m the person standing between her and Vale.”
“And you want my vote.”
“Yes.”
“What do I receive?”
“Your five million dollars.”
“I want a board seat.”
“No.”
“Then I vote against activation.”
Claire checked the time.
Eleven twenty-three.
She needed three votes. Hers, Richard’s, and Brittany’s replacements would be sufficient if all instruments cleared.
Whitmore’s legal team began processing them.
Elaine watched with growing concern.
“You don’t need me.”
“No.”
“Then why invite me?”
“Because Grandma gave you a chance to choose.”
Elaine’s confidence faltered.
Claire pointed toward the check.
“You can deposit it, cooperate, and become part of whatever we build from this. Or you can carry it to another private buyer and spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder.”
Marcus pushed his own check toward the center of the table.
“I’ll deposit mine.”
Elaine stared at him.
“You said this was absurd.”
“It was absurd when I thought there was nothing to gain.”
Claire almost laughed.
At least he was honest.
The bank verified Richard’s instrument.
Then Marcus’s.
Brittany’s replacement remained under review.
At eleven fifty-eight, Claire signed the activation document.
Richard and Marcus added their signatures.
The five-hundred-million-dollar check was scanned.
A screen displayed the final confirmation.
BELLWEATHER VOTING TRUST ACTIVATED.
SUCCESSOR CHAIR: CLAIRE BENNETT.
Claire’s phone rang.
Vale.
She answered.
“I activated it.”
“You did not appoint Richard.”
“No.”
A long silence followed.
“You have made an expensive mistake,” Vale said.
“Release Evelyn.”
“I no longer need her.”
The video feed arrived seconds later.
May you like
The metal chair was empty.
Blood covered the floor.
