The Philanthropist's Danse (21 page)

Judge Freeman felt like he was going to have a heart attack. His mind was numb as he tried to comprehend what he had heard. Even William stared in horror at the youngest son. He had intervened in what he had thought was a tragic accident, not a murder.

Philip laughed as he watched the two men react. “Yeah. I killed him with my Carrera. The crooked fuck sold me some dope that had been cut so many times I would have needed to snort a pound of it to get a buzz. When I bitched about it, the prick pulled a gun on me and told me to leave town. So I did, but as I was heading out, I saw him crossing the road, strutting like he owned it. It was too easy. I floored it, and it was game over for him.

“You have to admire German engineering, he must have gone twenty feet in the air, but there wasn’t even a dent in the Porsche. They build cars even tougher than street dealers. They should use that in their fucking commercials.” Philip slouched down in his seat, he was done talking and now waited for the shit storm to hit, hoping it wouldn’t last too long before they got back to talking about money.

Freeman jumped to his feet and pointed at Philip. “I risked my career, my life to get you a pass on that incident.” He turned to Bird, who watched with some difficulty, his own face betrayed deep dismay. “Did you know about this Bird? Did you know that this... this thug killed that man deliberately?”

William shook his head, he had no words. He’d been as duped as the Judge had been. Even the Old Man had not suspected Philip of his crime. It was not the secret Philip was required to reveal. “No, I had no idea. I’m sorry, Judge. Philip has surprised me as much as you, this shocking news isn’t the secret he is required to share.”

Philip sat up quickly. “What? What did you say, Bill?” He looked frightened. He had no idea what other secret he could have. He’d done nothing worse than what happened in Macon.

“While your story is compelling and difficult for me to hear, it’s not what you’re required to share. I’ll ask you one more time, Philip. Share your secret with the group.” Bird’s voice was pure ice and his eyes filled with cold fury. He saw confusion on Philip’s face and felt a cruel pleasure as he realized Philip did not know what to say. “Philip, last chance. Start talking or you’re done.”

Bethany wanted to tell Philip to say something, to say what he had to say to make William stop threatening him, but she couldn’t find the words. Her brother had killed a man and did not care. She knew she should turn to her brother’s aid, but remained silent, she may have committed her own sin, but what she had done was at least legal.

Philip’s mind raced, he had been so sure the Old Man had found out the truth about Georgia. He had listened to the people around him tell their dark secrets, and it occurred to him his father had discovered all the worst things there was to know about those around him.

Only one other person in the world knew Philip had run down the drug dealer on purpose, but he had forgotten about her. He had convinced himself the girl must have emerged and sold the information to his father. Now he knew he had been wrong. There had been no need to tell the story of the murder, but he had no clue what he had to say to meet the condition. “I don’t know, what could be worse than killing a man? Jesus. Billy, give me a hint. Please?”

His plea was met with an impassive stare. Philip’s heart sank. He’d just taunted the lawyer and would get no sympathy there. He cast a wild look around the room, but no one could meet his eyes. “You can’t do this, Bill. I’m family, you need to help me. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say.”

William was angry, but kept his voice as even as he could. “Philip Thurwell, you have not met the requirements for continuing. You will leave this room and will have no further involvement in negotiations. You will not share in your father’s fortune.”

Philip paled as his panic rose. “Junior, you got to help me, man. Can’t you see what’s happening here?” Junior looked away, unable to meet his brother’s eyes. “Beth? Come on Beth. It’s me, your little bro. Stop him from kicking me out.”

Bethany shook her head. “I don’t even recognize you, Phil. You killed a man and look at the consequences.”

Philip’s panic stripped away the last vestige of his civilized veneer. “Yeah, Sis, I did. But you killed your baby, so tell me that we’re so different. Now help me out, you self-righteous bitch.”

Bethany recoiled as if he had slapped her. William’s voice cut through the silence. “Philip, will you remove yourself from the room, or do I need to have you removed?”

“Sure and who are you going to get to move me, Bill? I’d like to see you try and make me leave.”

William keyed a small button secreted under his desk. The door opened immediately, and Jeremy walked into the room. William nodded toward Philip, who stood defiantly in place. “Jeremy, Philip needs to be escorted to his suite, if you’d be so kind.”

The major-domo smiled perfunctorily and approached the youngest Thurwell. “Please, come with me, sir. There’s no need for trouble.”

Philip snorted and looked down his nose at the servant who stood calmly with his hands at his sides as if he were at attention. “I don’t think so. You’ll need to do better than this creep, Billy.” As he sneered, Philip aimed a powerful punch at the major-domo’s jaw. Without apparent movement, Jeremy avoided the blow and suddenly had Philip’s face buried in the tabletop with his arm raised painfully behind his back.

“Never mind sir. We’ll soon have you up in your room and comfortable.” He marched Philip from the room. The young man whined in pain as his nose dripped blood onto his shirt. He was forced to walk briskly or risk getting his arm broken. Another staff member closed the door behind them and left the group in a stunned silence.

“Was that really necessary, William?” Bethany broke the silence, her voice a whisper.

Bird saw everyone looking at him. He tried to smile but found his mouth was dry. “I’m sorry for the violence, but we would not be able to continue until Philip was removed. He was rather belligerent.”

He checked his watch, it was mid-afternoon, and he needed to call a recess to get to the yellow envelope labeled
Charlie Wells
. He wrapped up the meeting. “Each of you has met the requirements to continue, Philip has not and will receive nothing from Mr. Thurwell’s estate. I recommend we take a short break, it has been a rather intense session.”

T
he group broke up slowly, but William left them and hurried to his office. He needed to see what was in the envelope with Charlie Wells’ name on it. The Old Man had made it clear that when an envelope was ‘triggered’ there was to be as little delay as possible before opening it.

Bethany made a move to follow the lawyer, but found her way blocked by her older brother. “Where are you going, Beth?”

“Junior, we can’t allow Phil to be disinherited. I know he was a monster, but he’s our flesh and blood.” She moved to rush by him, but he grabbed her arm. “No, Beth, he’s out. William said so, and I agree. Besides, he’s only my half-brother, remember?”

Bethany looked into Junior’s eyes and saw no forgiveness in them. He squeezed her arm again, hard. She winced in pain as his fingers twisted her skin. “You do agree with me, right sister?” His face was so close to hers that she could smell old coffee on his breath.

“Please, Junior, you’re hurting my arm. Just let me talk to William?” Junior sneered and opened his mouth to speak but instead made an odd gurgling sound. He went pale, and his strong grip released her as he sagged at the knees. She saw Dennis Elliot close behind her brother. The manservant caught Junior under the arms before he hit the floor and helped him to a chair.

She looked at Dennis, confused by what happened. Had he attacked Junior? Then, just as suddenly, Janice was at her side. “Come with me, Miss Beth. Let the men talk.” Bethany allowed herself to be led away, still uncertain as to what had happened. Junior sat in the chair, trying to catch his breath. His ribs felt as if they were on fire. Dennis stood next to him and offered a glass of water. “Drink this. You’ll feel better in a few moments.”

Junior sipped the water and realized Dennis had jabbed him so hard it had taken his breath away. “Dennis? What the fuck? Did you hit me?” He sounded incredulous, and his temper flared until he looked up and saw the hate on Dennis’ face. His rising color faded to paper white again as Junior realized that Janice undoubtedly had told her husband what happened the previous night. The Elliots must have seen him grab Bethany’s arm and Dennis had jumped in to save her.

Junior was afraid. He had not expected to have to deal with Janice’s husband. Dennis took the glass away from Junior and leaned down. His face was so close to Junior’s he could feel his hot breath on his cheek. “Your days of bullying women are over, Mr. Thurwell. You understand me, don’t you? Or do I need to explain things more fully, in private?”

Junior nodded quickly, saying nothing. He had to get away. He needed a place to be safe, so he could think. Dennis offered his hand to the winded man. Junior took it and was helped to his feet. Dennis squeezed the hand in a vise-like grip. It hurt like hell, but Junior tried not to show it. “Run along now, Mr. Thurwell.”

Junior scurried from the room, no longer concerned with finding his sister but headed to the safety of his own suite. Caroline Smith had been looking for Junior and saw him rush from the room. She wanted to speak to him before the next session and hurried after him.

Dennis took a casual glance around the room and was pleased that no one had witnessed the quiet drama. He had remained in control of his temper, but he had wanted to beat Junior to a pulp. He stood for a moment and calmed himself, but when he turned, he saw the Judge’s deep brown eyes regarding him from a few feet away. “That was nicely done, Mr. Elliot.”

Dennis smiled as if he had no idea what the other man was talking about, but knew it was pointless. He had missed seeing the Judge because he had been seated, but the big man had enjoyed a ringside seat. The Judge pushed the chair next to him back, an invitation for Dennis to join him. The manservant hesitated for a few seconds and then took the seat.

“I assume there is a history between you and Mr. Thurwell?” The Judge spoke as if he were recounting a known fact instead of asking a question.

“I don’t like to see women pushed around by a bully. I’ve heard that Junior is a particularly nasty bully.”

Freeman looked at the manservant with curiosity. He was trying to figure out why Dennis had moved so quickly to intervene in what appeared to be nothing more than a squabble between siblings. The Judge had watched the entire scene play out, but until Dennis jabbed Junior in the ribs, hadn’t noticed how cruelly Junior had twisted Bethany’s arm.

How did Dennis see that from across the room, with Junior’s body blocking his view?
He couldn’t have seen it
, the Judge thought.
Even Janice would have only been able to see Bethany’s face, not her brother’s grip on her
. Suddenly Freeman understood. Janice has seen something in Bethany’s eyes and alerted her husband. Dennis had not hesitated, and the pair rescued Bethany with seamless efficiency.

They’ve seen this behavior before, the Judge realized. Or Junior has subjected one of them to similar treatment. That would mean it was Janice. Junior was too small and cowardly to strong arm a man like Dennis, but his wife, perhaps. “You’ve seen his cruelty before.”

Dennis noted the Judge made statements, he did not ask questions. He nodded but said nothing. Dennis did not trust himself to keep his anger in check if he started telling what Junior had subjected his wife to. Janice would not thank him for sharing her shame, it was best not to say anything. “It would seem the Thurwells have an affinity to violence. Was that also the case with their father?”

Dennis looked up sharply, and Freeman saw a flash of his hot temper. “Mr. Thurwell was a gentleman, always kind and gentle natured. His children though…” Dennis shuddered.

Freeman was moved by the fierce defense. Dennis was a loyal servant of the old school. The Judge did not share Dennis’s faith in his dead employer’s goodness. The philanthropist had sent his lawyer to get his youngest son out of trouble and had not been particular about the tactics his lawyer used.

The Judge leaned forward and patted Dennis on the back. “What you did for Bethany was good, Dennis. Would you and your wife consider working with me to ensure fair shares for everyone are ensured as we go forward?”

He needed allies. Freeman could not rely on Freddie and already knew Caroline could be bought. She admitted it in her confession. Dennis thought about it but didn’t see any angles. He needed Janice, she was the schemer. “I’ll ask Jan and let you know.” Dennis stood and walked out of the room without looking back. The Judge caught a questioning look from Hagood but ignored it and went to find something to eat.

$

Janice steered Bethany to the dining room where she spotted Camille and headed to her. When Camille saw Bethany’s frightened face, she immediately rushed to meet them, helping Janice seat her half-sister. Janice told her to sit and keep an eye on Bethany before leaving them, she needed to find Dennis.

Camille poured a tall glass of water for Bethany and made her sip it slowly. As her sister calmed, Camille teased the details of the story from Bethany, as she was able to recall them. “I don’t understand any of it, Camille. Junior has been selling out the firm to our competitors and Phil’s admitted to a horrible murder, God help him. Then Junior hurt me when I said I was going to talk to William about getting Phil back in. Dennis did something to Junior, I know he did, but I can’t say I’m sorry. I was frightened by my own brother. I’m so confused.”

Camille had been surprised when Bethany defended her against the old woman’s attack, but understood her sister’s reason after hearing her own confession. Camille did not care for either of her new half-brothers. She suspected Philip would have tried to sleep with her if they hadn’t been related, and Junior acted like he hated her.

They both scared her, though Camille was not easily frightened. She had not been afraid of anything since that dreadful night in Paris and the next morning, when the gendarmes came. She hugged Bethany to comfort her, and Bethany enjoyed the closeness. Despite the acrid smell of strong cigarettes that clung to her sister’s clothes, she was warm and soft and made Bethany feel safe. She returned the embrace and a bond was forged. From that moment, the Thurwell brothers would no longer be the dominant force in the family.

$

Freddie looked around the conference room and felt out of place. Since he had revealed his secret, his cover of being the great rival was stripped away, and he felt naked and exposed. He saw Betty Freah and smiled across the room.

She accepted his unspoken invitation and joined him. “Quite the day, Freddie, don’t you think? Whoever would’ve suspected you of being one of the good guys?”

“I guess, but don’t let the SEC know. I don’t think they’d share your high opinion of me.” She nudged him in the ribs. “My silence will cost you, Freddie.” He laughed. “Sure. You declared your income to the penny, I suppose?”

They laughed at the standoff, then Freddie sighed and shook his head. “Johnston knew what he was doing, right to the end. By getting us to tell our stories, our secrets, he’s made us all equally vulnerable.”

Betty nodded, her thoughts too had been on JT. “I hadn’t seen him for a few months, but he still paid me. I thought maybe he’d switched to a younger girl and paid me out of kindness, but he was too busy dying to get laid. I miss him.”

Freddie nodded, he missed his friend too. They had spent much of the past twenty or so years pretending to hate each other, but in their private meetings, their mutual respect and warmth was real. Now Freddie had no peer left, no person he could be himself with. “Do you want to grab a quick bite to eat, before we get going again?” She agreed, and he was surprised as she folded her arm into his, but he liked it.

$

Larry MacLean sat alone. His friend’s family was lost to him as allies. Even Johnston had turned out to be his enemy. Larry knew he deserved punishment for his betrayal, but Johnston had stolen his family’s entire wealth. God only knew what Thurwell had planned for Larry had he lived long enough to complete his scheme.

Philip had been thrown out, and Junior would never forgive Larry for wrecking his mother’s marriage. Bethany was lost to him since yesterday. The family alliance was dead, and Larry had no idea what to do next. He spotted Winnie, still at the table. She might be his last friend in the world, so he joined her. She gave him a look. “I want to say I do not approve of your behavior with regard to your friend’s wife.”

His heart began to sink, and he made to leave but she put a hand on his arm to stop him. “However, since I committed adultery against the same marriage, knowingly or not, I can’t very well hold it against you.” She offered a sly smile, and he felt relief flow through his body. “Thank you, Mrs. Tremethick. I need a friend. All my others have abandoned me.”

“Just call me Winnie, dear. I feel old when you call me by my married name. My days with Charlie seem so real again, I almost feel like a girl. But when you call me Mrs. Tremethick it brings all the years back in a rush.”

“Okay Winnie, that’s a deal, as long as you call me Larry.”

They sat in silence and watched the others drift in and out of the room. Winnie sighed as she watched. “What a den of thieves and villains. I’ve never known such a bunch of people to make my skin crawl. Do you realize, Larry, that we are locked away in a remote location with people who have committed murder, fraud, blackmail, robbery and prostitution? My goodness.”

“It sounds bad when you put it like that.” He deadpanned.

She looked at him, confused for a moment before she laughed. Too loud. It was a release of tension, but it brought sharp looks from the others. The two of them fell into an easy chat and remembered a time when Johnston Thurwell, or Charlie Wells, had been their friend and lover. There was more unpleasantness ahead, but for now, they lived in the past to forget the present.

$

William held the yellow envelope in his hand and ran his fingers thoughtfully over its seal as he contemplated what surprises might be inside. The safe was open behind him, and his office door was locked against interruptions.

The lawyer had received two surprises in the last session, the first was the details of how Winnie Tremethick met his employer and the second was Philip’s confession to murder. He was still trying to cope with Philip’s revelation. He would never have approached Judge Freeman if he had known the truth. In fact, he was certain the Old Man would never have sent him under those circumstances. Thurwell would have lived with the shame of having a murderer for a son rather than allow Philip to use his wealth and power to escape the consequences.

Bird was still stunned Philip had not told his secret. All he had needed to admit was his complicity in Junior’s betrayal of their father by acting as courier and providing his brother with alibis for taking time away from the office. But Philip had kept a worse secret than his betrayal, and it had finally caught up with him. William would keep Philip restricted to his suite so he could not cause trouble.

William turned his attention back to the Charlie Wells envelope. His orders were unambiguous. If Winnie remembered Charlie Wells, Bird was to open the envelope and carry out the instructions within. It had never occurred to him that Johnston Thurwell and Charlie Wells were one and the same, but he had no reason to suspect it might be the case.

William slit the envelope with his letter opener and tipped its contents onto his blotter. A small silver key fell out, followed by a single sheet of paper and a second envelope, delicate and white. Bird picked up the envelope, it was addressed
To Winnie
. He looked at the key. It looked old but was untarnished, as if it had been handled often. Finally, he turned to the handwritten sheet and read his instructions.

Bill,

If you’re reading this, then you should know I’m happy. You will have had the pleasure of meeting Winnie Tremethick, and she will have remembered Charlie Wells.

I’m sure she told you about the summer we spent together in England. She might even have told you how she saved my life. What I am certain she never told you, was how much she meant to me. She could never share that, because she never knew.