Chapter 4
Celestine’s attorney called the next morning.
Her position was simple.
She had been trying to help Agnes.
The senior residence was allegedly discussed because Agnes had become frail and isolated.
The appraiser had been evaluating Vincent’s “expected family interest.”
The bankers were supposedly advising Celestine about her children’s inheritance.
There was one problem.
Celestine and Vincent had no children.
Arthur stared at the letter.
“Interesting sentence.”
Damien paced.
“She’s buying time.”
“Yes.”
“I’m finished waiting.”
“No, you’re not.”
Damien looked at him.
Arthur calmly removed his glasses.
“You asked me twenty years ago to tell you when anger was making you stupid.”
“I don’t remember that.”
“I do.”
Damien almost smiled.
Then Arthur showed him something else.
A private lender had filed a UCC financing statement connected to one of Celestine’s companies.
The collateral description included:
anticipated proceeds arising from disposition or encumbrance of Rourke residential property interests.
Damien stopped pacing.
“What disposition?”
“We don’t know.”
“How much?”
“Initial facility was eight million.”
Agnes looked up.
“Eight million dollars?”
Arthur nodded.
“Possibly more through amendments.”
Damien stared at the record.
Celestine had borrowed against money she expected to receive from property she did not legally own.
That could be foolish optimism.
Or fraud.
They needed more.
Arthur hired an independent forensic accountant to review public corporate filings and records lawfully available through the family’s legitimate entities.
The first result surprised everyone.
Celestine was not broke.
She still had assets.
But she had been funding a luxury hospitality project in Miami with two investors.
Construction overruns had nearly doubled.
The project needed new capital or risked foreclosure.
Her expected contribution:
Almost twelve million dollars.
Damien understood the money now.
But not the cruelty.
“You don’t throw an old woman out of her own dinner because a hotel went over budget.”
Agnes looked at him.
“No.”
“You do it because you need her to stop resisting something.”
Everyone turned toward her.
Agnes reached for the old ring.
Then looked at Arthur.
“Tell him about Vincent.”
Arthur became very still.
Damien noticed.
“What about my brother?”
Agnes said:
“Before he died, Vincent signed something.”
“What?”
“A settlement.”
Damien stared at them.
Neither had ever mentioned one.
May you like
Agnes continued.
“And Celestine has spent three years making sure you never saw it.”
