Chapter 6: Read Every Page

The VanBuren family lawyer kept his office on the thirty-first floor of a glass tower in Boston.

He had a long table and a view of the harbor, and on the table sat two copies of the waiver and a gold pen.

Lorna sat at the head of it in her funeral pearls.

I came in on Friday at ten with my own pen.

I had read every page twice.

"Genevieve." Lorna did not get up. "You're prompt. Good. We can have this done before lunch."

"Good morning, Lorna."

The lawyer slid the signature copy toward me with two fingers.

"It's a formality, Mrs. VanBuren. We're closing out the estate of your late brother-in-law. Every family member signs."

"Has Iris signed?"

"Iris signed Tuesday," Lorna said.

"And Colin?"

"Colin will sign whatever I give him."

That was the first true thing she'd said in months.

I opened the document to the first page and began to read it, there at the table, with all three of us watching.

The lawyer cleared his throat. Lorna's mouth tightened.

"You don't need to read it, dear. You've never needed to."

"I know. That's why I'm starting today."

Paragraph one was the estate. Paragraph two was the date.

On page four, in the second clause, I found it.

The signer waives any interest, present, future or contingent, in the estate of Franklin VanBuren.

That included any bequest, trust, share or voting right.

In exchange, she would get a monthly household allowance.

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