“Mid fifties,” I answered.
“No problem,” Brenda said, again proving that when it comes to anything related to giving birth, women know more than us guys. At least they think so. And they’re likely right.
“Still,” I said, “I want to nail it. In those years, the general’s ex-wife had a rep for being a frisky woman, by the general’s own description. I think he’d know. Trying to sneak anything past that old soldier is like trying to sneak a fresh chicken egg past a possum.”
“You got what you need for the tests?”
“I think so. When I researched modern DNA testing for a novel last year, I read that they can do them within a day now. True?”
“Yeah. Chunky charges extra for quick results. If he gets it before noon, next day end of business is about as fast as it can be done.”
*
After stopping to see Chunky, which first required we share a cup of coffee and some reminiscing, he committed to having the DNA done by the time he closed tomorrow. I told him I’d be back then at five.
From the car, I called Axel. He and Hillie were at the Sea Breeze Manor assisted living facility. The place also had a convalescing wing which had been built while the five old soldiers had still been living in the assisted living section. The general had contributed enough that the wing was named The Whittaker Building. Axel had checked out the Sea Breeze and the place had a top reputation. All their rooms were rented and they had a waiting list. It was an independent operation run by the owner. I’m guessing the families of the residents liked being able to go directly to the owner. Axel put Hillie on the phone when I asked how it was going.
“Hi, Mr. Kile.”
“How’s it coming, Hillie? Are you able to work with their records okay?”
“Oh, sure. My dad had so many different small business clients that I think I’m familiar with about all the popular accounting software programs. This one’s a snap. Mr. Morrissey, the owner, had his bookkeeper up and quit on him last Friday. It’s actually easier not having someone looking over my shoulder explaining things I don’t need explained.”
“Is it all … checking out?”
“Yeah. I spent a couple hours looking at the records Charles put together at the Whittaker house. Man, that’s some house, Mr. Kile.”
“You were saying, Hillie?”
“It’s all like what you expected, Mr. Kile. The general paid everything. No one else paid anything.”
“What about visitors for those men, any records identifying them?”
“I don’t know. I’m just into the financial records. But I know Axel’s been chatting it up in the restaurant with the staff and other residents. The owner here thinks the world of the general so after Charles called him, Mr. Morrissey is letting us see whatever we want. The restaurant’s in the assisted living wing. It’s the biggest part of the place. Axel walked over here to tell me you were on his phone. Maybe he knows something. I’m about done. I’m taking notes. Two of the five died about six years ago. One died three years ago, then another about two years back. After that, Mr. William Branch, the last of the five died about a year ago. I hope you’re not expecting me to bring you anything of importance cause I’m not finding any of that. You wanna talk with Axel? He’s still here.”
Hillie must’ve handed him the phone. “Hey, boss.”
“You finding out anything?”
“Two of the five old soldiers never had visitors. The other three did. Two of those three had only infrequent visitors from out of town. There were two regular visitors, the general and his chauffeur, a man named Clifford Branch, the son of the last man to die. The general used to come every other week to have lunch with his men, as Mr. Morrissey said the general called them. They have a private dining room here and Mr. Morrissey always set that up for them to use. When he came, Clifford Branch came with him. Drove him here I’d guess and joined them for lunch. Clifford Branch also came the in-between weeks to have lunch with the group in the main dining room. Is General Whittaker as good a man as everybody says he is?”
“Yes. He’s a pip, as my grandmother would say. I’ll bet he was a hell of a field commander. But, back to business, are you finding anything we can use? Any friction among the five men or animosity toward the general?”
“Gosh, no. From what the staff remembers, the few I’ve talked to who were here back then, the old soldiers all swore by the general. Of course, if someone’s paying all your bills, you tend to think that person’s pretty swell. You know?”
“Sure. By the way, how did you get out there? Buddha drive you?”
“Buddha’s on the job. We took a cab.”
*
At home, with Axel still with Hillie, I picked up the mail and right away tore open an envelope from the Law Office of Reginald Franklin III. Inside was a copy of the general’s will with a hand written note from the attorney, dated two days ago.
“The general instructed me to provide you a copy of his last will and testament. If there are any questions I shall be available.”
I sat down and read it finding nothing I didn’t already know. He would leave a half million to Clifford Branch, the chauffeur, two million to Charles and two and a half to Karen. Another million was designated for Ileana Corrigan’s parents. Stocks and bonds were to be sold as chosen by his personal representative in sufficient value to increase cash funds to cover those bequests. All remaining assets, real and personal, tangible and intangible, net of any remaining liabilities inured to the benefit of Edward Whittaker, the general’s grandson.
There was one other clause addressing the disposition of the general’s assets in the event of any of the legatees dying before the general. If Charles or Cliff or either one or both Mr. and Mrs. Corrigan died before the general, their shares would be divided equally between Eddie and Karen. In the event that either Karen or Eddie predeceased the general, the bequest for that heir would go to the other. In the event both Eddie and Karen predeceased the general, their inheritances would be combined and a foundation created, administered by Charles Bickers, to provide scholarships to the children of soldiers killed during their term of duty.
I had already known about all of it except for providing for Mr. and Mrs. Corrigan. The only other new piece of information, the personal representative was Reginald Franklin and in the event he couldn’t serve, his daughter Karen would serve in that capacity. There was the usual language that the personal representative would serve without bond and, in the absence of gross negligence, without liability for acts performed in good faith as personal representative. And, further, that no conflict shall be claimed by others should Karen serve, given that she would be a legatee in addition to her official role. And a proviso that should anyone named in the will challenge its content or division of assets, that person would be removed and his/her portion divided equally between Edward and Karen Whittaker.
Chapter 21
I had taken last night off to have dinner with my ex-wife and our two daughters. That event had been scheduled before I took the assignment for General Whittaker. Back when we set it up, last night had been the only night both our daughters would be home from college and had nothing else they had to do. Rose and Amy, were adults, but of the ages when parents were scheduled in amongst gal pals and love interests.
The evening with them had been pleasant, but not altogether a good night. Don’t misunderstand, seeing my daughters had been an absolute joy. Still, when we are all together things seem, I don’t know, off center, somehow. It had been that way since the divorce and my getting out of prison. Not the easy way it had always been when we lived together as a real family. We all knew those days were behind us. Our daughters wanted Helen and me to be together again. At least that was my read of their feelings on the matter. Yet my ex just couldn’t get over the hump. What I did, shooting the guy, going to prison for it, well, she feels I deserted her, abandoned our family. My pardon meant the state had forgiven me. Helen had not. I understood, sort of.