“What on Earth is he wearing?” asked Emory in reference to Zyus Drake’s bizarre face-covering.
Virginia answered, “It’s a military cold weather mask. I used one when I was stationed in Finland.”
“Is he at war?” Jeff replied before snapping his fingers. “He’s the man with the disappearing face!”
Juniper nodded, while Emory shushed Jeff out of the side of his mouth.
Zyus found a small opening on one of the front sofas, but he waited for the bookending people to scoot over before he plopped down.
Attorney Jennifer Boone regained her composure. “Ms. Geister left very specific instructions for the reading of her last will and testament.”
“Of course, she did,” Juniper said under her breath. “Ever the control freak.”
The attorney produced from her briefcase a stack of gold sealed envelopes. “She wrote letters for each beneficiary to read aloud.”
Jeff whispered, “They look like the envelopes used to announce the Oscar winners.”
“Each beneficiary must read precisely what’s written or forfeit their inheritance.” Esq. Boone held up a folder. “I have a copy of all the text and will be following along as you read to ensure compliance to this stipulation. Any forfeiture will return to the estate.” She pulled the first envelope. “We’ll go alphabetically, beginning with Tommy Addison. Now, since he is deceased and unable to read his letter—”
“He has a son,” blurted out Juniper. “Since Ms. Geister couldn’t possibly have foreseen his death, his inheritance should go to his family.”
Eden stood to object. “If he can’t read the letter, he can’t inherit! Whatever she bequeathed him should revert back to the estate.”
Juniper waved off her suggestion. “As executor, it’s within my purview—”
“How many times are you going to play the same card?” asked Eden.
Juniper asked the attorney, “Could we please continue?”
“Very well. Ms. Geister did afford the executor wide latitude in fulfilling the spirit of her wishes. Mr. Addison’s bequeathal will go to his son. For the benefit of all here, I will let you know that it’s $250,000 in cash.” She picked up the next envelope. “Juniper Crane.”
Juniper walked up the aisle between the sofas to the desk and took the envelope from the attorney. “Do I just read it from here?”
“I think that’s fine.”
Juniper broke the seal on the letter and began reading in a voice just above a whisper. “I, Juniper Crane, have worked for Blair Geister—”
“Louder,” said Eden, although she was seated not ten feet from her. “We can’t hear you.”
Juniper frowned at Eden before starting over in an elevated voice. “I, Juniper Crane, have worked for Blair Geister for more than a decade. In that time, I have shown myself to be an invaluable assistant and a…” She paused to wipe her eyes. “…and a trusted friend. In recognition of my service and aptitude, I will receive one million dollars in cash—” An audible gasp from Eden interrupted her. “I will also take over as the president and CEO of the nonprofit EARTH Foundation.”
“Unbelievable!” Eden said in obvious disgust.
“I understand that I’m being entrusted with implementing the vision and maintaining the mission of the foundation and its founder. I will devote myself to this role until such time I am ready to step down and a worthy successor is found.” Juniper looked up from the letter and stared at the back of the room as if she didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone.
“I wonder if she knew,” Jeff whispered to his partners.
“No way,” replied Virginia. “She’s clearly stunned.”
Juniper continued reading. “Finally, I will take Ms. Geister’s ashes to Sedona to spread them in Boynton Canyon, so she can be at peace in the place that renewed her spirit.” She glanced at the urn and muttered as if no one else were in the room, “So she can be at peace.” Juniper attempted to hand the envelope back to the attorney, but Esq. Boone told her it was hers to keep.
Juniper clutched it at her side and returned to the PIs. “This is insane,” she whispered. “Why would she give me control of her foundation.”
Emory answered, “She trusted you.”
“I didn’t deserve her trust. At least now I know what I have to do to put her spirit to rest.”
“You’re going to Sedona?” Virginia asked.
“On the first plane I can get.”
The attorney called out the next name. “Zyus Drake.”
Accompanied by muffled chatter, Zyus pushed off the sofa and approached the attorney. He wasted no time in opening the envelope and reading the text in a baritone voice. “I, Zyus Drake, was never a friend to Blair. I just liked to play games with her because I knew what she wanted, and I took full advantage of it.”
Jeff whispered to Emory, “I wish he’d take that mask off,” prompting an elbow in the ribs from his partner. “What? Like you’re not curious?”
“After the…” Zyus took a breath. “…incident, I blamed her. I sought retribution by suing her, and I dictated embarrassing details into court records. My actions put her on the defensive. I didn’t take into account her feelings and that maybe she felt overwhelming guilt for what had happened to me – whether it was her fault or an act of cruelty by Fate. Now my future is once again left to Fate. Since I so enjoy games, Blair has created one especially for me. She bequeaths to me the Pangram Box and all its contents if I can find it within 114 hours of right now.”
Esq. Boone looked at her watch and announced, “The time is 1:20 p.m.”
Zyus continued reading. “The Pangram Box is to be turned over to Esq. Jennifer Boone with the seal intact so that she may open it to reveal its contents. Furthermore, if I do find it in time, Blair accepts some fault for the incident, and this inheritance is to be considered her penance. If Blair had no fault, I won’t find it in time, and the Pangram Box and all its contents will revert to the estate. I am to be given a key to the house and free reign to search, but I must under no circumstances damage the house or property in my search, or I forfeit any claims.”
“You have until 7:20 a.m. next Monday to find the Pangram Box.” The attorney handed him a tiny manila envelope. “Here’s a key to the house.”
After pocketing the key, Zyus crumpled the letter and dropped it as he marched from the room and out of the house.
Jeff whispered a question to his partners and Juniper. “What the hell is a Pangram Box, and why 114 hours?”
Juniper shook her head. “I don’t have a clue.”
Emory told them, “A pangram is a sentence that uses all the letters of the alphabet like Jackdaws love my big sphinx of quartz.”
Jeff shot him a confused look. “What did you just say?”
“It’s one of the shortest English sentences that uses all the letters.”
Virginia asked, “How do you even know that?”
“I like puzzles. And word trivia.”
Jeff chuckled. “You really are a nerd.”
The attorney pulled the next envelope. “Eden Geister.”
Eden sauntered to the desk, took her envelope and slit the seal with her pink thumbnail. She scanned the text before reading it aloud.
Juniper grinned and pulled out her phone. “This should be good. I have to record it.”
Eden took a breath to begin reading but stopped when she saw Juniper. “Seriously?” She turned to the attorney. “I’m not going to read this until she puts that camera away.”
Juniper told her, “You don’t read, you don’t inherit.”
Eden shook her head and read like an auctioneer who was about to pee her pants. “I, Eden Geister, am the last living relative of my beloved cousin Blair Geister. In spite of having demonstrated a clear propensity to fluid morality in financial matters, my generous cousin is bequeathing me the sum of one million dollars in cash. Hopefully, I will use this money to better myself and one day pay it forward to someone far more deserving, who shouldn’t be difficult to find. Until then, I hope I have enough sense to reflect on my life and my more dubious choices, so that I may repair the damage I have inflicted on my family name.”
As soon as she finished reading, Eden ripped the letter to shreds. She grabbed the urn and lifted it above her head. “Record this!” She hurled it at Juniper.
Jeff intercepted the flying urn but couldn’t lock his fingers onto the slippery gold surface. The urn clanged to floor, knocking off the top.
The attendees gasped, either at Eden’s startling act or in dreaded anticipation of Blair Geister’s ashes dispersing throughout the room, but not a single ash left the urn.
Jeff picked it up and looked inside. “It’s empty.”
Juniper took possession of the urn and returned it to its perch. “Her ashes haven’t been delivered yet. Thankfully.”
On the verge of hyperventilating, Eden smoothed out her dress and reclaimed her spot on the sofa.
As if in reprieve to the unexpected excitement, the next few beneficiaries offered little drama, since they were mostly representatives of various charitable organizations – except for the chef and maid, who each received $250,000.
Jeff said to Juniper, “Looks like everyone who worked here at the house is getting a quarter of a million. Everyone but you.”
Emory nodded to one of the locutorium’s windows, through which a man in a safari hat could be seen working on the flower bed by the pool. “Not the gardener.”
Juniper told them, “George Henry has only been here about a month.”
Jeff clicked his tongue. “Sucks for him.”
The attorney reached for the last envelope. “Finally, Dr. Barry Sharp.”
Dr. Sharp approached the desk and read his letter. “I, Dr. Barry Sharp, an environmental studies professor at the University of Tennessee, have already been awarded a grant for my research from the EARTH Foundation. In addition to this, Blair Geister asks me to announce and oversee the establishment of the Geister University Environmental Studies Scholarship Fund at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The GUESS Fund will pay the complete tuition of every student currently enrolled in environmental studies who goes on to graduate in that major. It will also pay for the tuition of up to fifty students in that field of study every year.” Dr. Sharp finished reading. “That is most generous, and I can’t wait to announce it.” He looked at the urn. “Thank you, Blair.”
As the professor took his seat, Esq. Boone said, “That’s it for the envelopes—”
“Wait a minute!” Eden popped off the sofa. “Wait a minute! What about the house? What about the mine? What about all the buildings she owned?!”
The attorney flipped a page in her folder. “I was getting to the house. She left this part for me to announce.” The attorney read from the will. “My house and all items within it – apart from the contents of the Pangram Box – shall remain in trust for one year while the property is converted to the Tennessee Museum of Indigenous Peoples Art. The trust is endowed with enough money for the conversion and to run the museum for fifty years. In addition to the art pieces already on display, I have a large collection in storage that shall be moved to the house. I have left architectural plans for the conversion with my attorney, and I entrust Juniper Crane to oversee it. Once converted, the house and property will be donated to McMinn County with all proceeds going to public schools in the county.” The attorney looked up at the attendees to say, “And that’s it for now.”
“That’s it?” asked Eden. “What about the mine and all her buildings?”
“Any asset not specifically mentioned in the will or contained within the Pangram Box would fall under the residuary clause, wherein everything remaining would go to a specified beneficiary or beneficiaries.”
“Then read it to us,” insisted Eden.
“I can’t do that for another 114 hours. There are items in the Pangram Box that would impact it, based on whether or not Mr. Drake finds it in time. If he finds it before the deadline, he is to present it to me before the reading of the residuary clause, which will occur here immediately following the deadline. Whatever is in the Box will be signed over to Mr. Drake, should he succeed.”
Eden threw up her hands. “What’s in the Box?”
Esq. Boone replied, “She didn’t tell me.”
“Who are the residuary beneficiaries?” Eden asked.
The attorney closed her folder. “I can’t divulge that until the appropriate time has elapsed.”
“What you’re telling us is Blair’s entire fortune – deeds and all – is in this hidden Box, and she gave it all to that freak!” Eden punctuated the last word with an angry point to the front door.
“That’s not what I’m saying. Again, I don’t know what’s in the Pangram Box. It could contain absolutely nothing. She did say it was a game. On the other hand, it could contain ownership rights to part or all of Blair Geister’s assets that were not specifically bequeathed to someone in her will today. What is certain is that if Mr. Drake finds the Box in time, everything in it is his, and then all remaining assets would go to the beneficiary or beneficiaries listed in the residuary clause.”
Juniper asked, “And if he doesn’t find it?”
“Anything not specifically mentioned today, including the unclaimed items in the Pangram Box, would be covered by the residuary clause and therefore go to the beneficiary or beneficiaries listed within.”
As Eden stormed from the room, Jeff turned to Juniper and asked, “Who is Zyus Drake?”