family?’
‘I think they’re my lawyers,’ she said doubtfully. ‘I hadn’t considered…they’re not employed by Numbat. I mean, the ones dealing with my inheritance from Pops. The Numbat lawyers…’ She looked at the stack of folders. ‘I’m not sure of anyone’s loyalties in the corporation. It’s eleven years since Pops died. The corporation grew used to functioning with Dad as Chairman. If Derek stepped into that role, nothing would change.’
Brodie’s mug thudded onto the coffee table. ‘That jerk wants to be chairman of a billion dollar company?’
‘Yes.’ She was confused by his response. ‘That’s what this is all about. Derek, and Portia, believed that Numbat was Dad’s. Derek expected to inherit. Then he learned that it’s actually mine. I can’t quite believe that Dad never told them the truth, but he was very convincing in the role of chairman and billionaire. Derek had an expectation for his future and I’m all that’s standing in his way of getting it. He and Portia know I don’t care about the money, so if they put enough pressure on me, they’re betting I’ll cave and give Derek the power-of-attorney Dad had.’
‘Making him chairman.’
‘In effect, yes.’
Brodie frowned at her. ‘Have you made a will?’
An unhappy shiver slid down her spine. ‘The lawyers, my lawyers, insisted.’
‘Good.’
He didn’t ask, but she told him anyway. ‘Portia gets the house and an allowance from a trust. Some bequests go to friends. Everything else goes to charity.’
‘Nothing for Wonder Boy.’
‘I don’t like him.’ Her fingers tightened on the handle of her mug. ‘He doesn’t like me, either. Portia…it would be cruel to leave her with nothing. She’s not usually unkind, just detached. You can’t blame a person for their cold personality. She’s not used to working and Dad left only debts. Her allowance starts now, while I’m alive. Derek can support himself.’
‘Agreed.’ Brodie swallowed some tea. ‘Does he have debts?’
‘Pardon?’
‘Derek. If he expected to inherit everything, was he living on the expectation?’
The boa constrictor in her tummy tightened viciously. ‘Putting on a show, like Dad.’ She nodded slowly. ‘Even as a vice president, his salary wouldn’t allow him an apartment like he and Anabel bought. Plus the cars and holidays. He really needs my money, doesn’t he?’
‘I think he considered it his,’ Brodie said seriously. ‘He and his mum are going to fight like hell to claw it back.’
***
After that disconcerting conversation, Jessica buried herself in the papers Brodie had carted from the mansion.
Brodie went for a walk. ‘Phone me if either of them call you. Better yet, don’t answer if they call. You can call them back later, when I’m here.’
It seemed he was taking his emotional bodyguard duties seriously. If she’d needed an objective outside view of the situation, that was it. Her relationship with her stepfamily was as ugly as she’d feared.
The papers from the lawyers and from Numbat’s CEO, Joe Sagra, were daunting in quantity, and a fair number were written in gibberish, or as they preferred to describe it, business jargon . However, if there was one thing studying for a PhD taught you, it was the discipline to read and read and read. Jessica switched from sitting in the armchair, to lying on the sofa, and back to sitting in the armchair, this time with her legs dangling over the side. Beside her, she kept a small notebook, jotting down questions and observations. As she finished, she discarded the papers onto the floor.
‘Cyclone Jessica,’ Brodie said when he walked back in.
She swung her legs off the side of the chair and looked around. ‘They’ll all need shredding.’ How else did one deal with commercial in confidence papers? She remembered years ago, in winter, Pops had burned them in his fireplace. Then toasted marshmallows.
‘So a few footprints won’t hurt?’ Paper crackled as
‘I think they’re my lawyers,’ she said doubtfully. ‘I hadn’t considered…they’re not employed by Numbat. I mean, the ones dealing with my inheritance from Pops. The Numbat lawyers…’ She looked at the stack of folders. ‘I’m not sure of anyone’s loyalties in the corporation. It’s eleven years since Pops died. The corporation grew used to functioning with Dad as Chairman. If Derek stepped into that role, nothing would change.’
Brodie’s mug thudded onto the coffee table. ‘That jerk wants to be chairman of a billion dollar company?’
‘Yes.’ She was confused by his response. ‘That’s what this is all about. Derek, and Portia, believed that Numbat was Dad’s. Derek expected to inherit. Then he learned that it’s actually mine. I can’t quite believe that Dad never told them the truth, but he was very convincing in the role of chairman and billionaire. Derek had an expectation for his future and I’m all that’s standing in his way of getting it. He and Portia know I don’t care about the money, so if they put enough pressure on me, they’re betting I’ll cave and give Derek the power-of-attorney Dad had.’
‘Making him chairman.’
‘In effect, yes.’
Brodie frowned at her. ‘Have you made a will?’
An unhappy shiver slid down her spine. ‘The lawyers, my lawyers, insisted.’
‘Good.’
He didn’t ask, but she told him anyway. ‘Portia gets the house and an allowance from a trust. Some bequests go to friends. Everything else goes to charity.’
‘Nothing for Wonder Boy.’
‘I don’t like him.’ Her fingers tightened on the handle of her mug. ‘He doesn’t like me, either. Portia…it would be cruel to leave her with nothing. She’s not usually unkind, just detached. You can’t blame a person for their cold personality. She’s not used to working and Dad left only debts. Her allowance starts now, while I’m alive. Derek can support himself.’
‘Agreed.’ Brodie swallowed some tea. ‘Does he have debts?’
‘Pardon?’
‘Derek. If he expected to inherit everything, was he living on the expectation?’
The boa constrictor in her tummy tightened viciously. ‘Putting on a show, like Dad.’ She nodded slowly. ‘Even as a vice president, his salary wouldn’t allow him an apartment like he and Anabel bought. Plus the cars and holidays. He really needs my money, doesn’t he?’
‘I think he considered it his,’ Brodie said seriously. ‘He and his mum are going to fight like hell to claw it back.’
***
After that disconcerting conversation, Jessica buried herself in the papers Brodie had carted from the mansion.
Brodie went for a walk. ‘Phone me if either of them call you. Better yet, don’t answer if they call. You can call them back later, when I’m here.’
It seemed he was taking his emotional bodyguard duties seriously. If she’d needed an objective outside view of the situation, that was it. Her relationship with her stepfamily was as ugly as she’d feared.
The papers from the lawyers and from Numbat’s CEO, Joe Sagra, were daunting in quantity, and a fair number were written in gibberish, or as they preferred to describe it, business jargon . However, if there was one thing studying for a PhD taught you, it was the discipline to read and read and read. Jessica switched from sitting in the armchair, to lying on the sofa, and back to sitting in the armchair, this time with her legs dangling over the side. Beside her, she kept a small notebook, jotting down questions and observations. As she finished, she discarded the papers onto the floor.
‘Cyclone Jessica,’ Brodie said when he walked back in.
She swung her legs off the side of the chair and looked around. ‘They’ll all need shredding.’ How else did one deal with commercial in confidence papers? She remembered years ago, in winter, Pops had burned them in his fireplace. Then toasted marshmallows.
‘So a few footprints won’t hurt?’ Paper crackled as
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