This story contains descriptions of graphic sex between males. If that kind of thing does not appeal to you, stop reading now.
This story is pure fiction. If this resembles something that happened to you, it must have been an incredible experience. But it's simply a coincidence.
All comments are welcome: djwarner1984@hotmail.com Please donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/
-DJ
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The Inheritance Clause - 14
As the boys entered the dining room, Niven was placing the muffins on the service table. They each draped their jackets on the backs of their chairs.
"I made banana nut. I know it's your favorite," Niven said, speaking to Dawson.
"Thank you, Niven," Dawson said with sincerity.
Niven pursed her lips, nodded, turned, and left the room.
"I guess she's no worse for wear," Adam said, smiling to himself as he remembered Niven's drunken swearing from the night before.
Dawson was smiling in response to Adam when Krantz came in. He quietly went and poured their coffees.
"Juice?" Krantz asked as he placed their coffees.
"Yes, please," the boys said in unison.
Dawson went to get a muffin. Adam fixed his coffee. Krantz placed their juices at their places and left the room. Dawson returned to his seat with two muffins and began eating. Adam got up, got an orange and a muffin and sat back down. The boys ate in silence. Clearly, the looming inquiry had everyone in a pensive mood. After a while, Niven and Krantz appeared. The boys both looked up.
"We have your task for today," Krantz said quietly.
Dawson sat back in his chair. He scratched his cheek.
"I forgot all about that," Dawson said as he looked at them, "what do we have to do?"
"The directive is to select one storage closet and go through it. Keep what you want, donate anything worth donating, and discard the rest," Krantz said.
The boys looked relieved. It wasn't a hard task and the inquiry wouldn't interfere with it. Both boys looked up at the clock. It was almost 7:20.
"Well, we'll have to deal with that later," Adam said as he peeled his orange.
"Also," Krantz added, "the cement mixer and cement materials for the fence will be arriving this afternoon. After today's inquiry, you can decide when you want to go out and take care of that."
"Assuming things go our way today, we'll want to do that tomorrow," Adam said.
Krantz nodded.
"We have some things to take care of before the judge and her people arrive. Will you two need anything else?" Niven said.
"No," Dawson replied after swallowing a bite of muffin, "we should be good. We'll get to the library before 8:00."
Niven pursed her lips. Krantz nodded. They both turned and left. The boys were quiet. Dawson watched Adam eat an orange wedge then he reached his hand out and touched Adam's arm.
"You nervous?" Dawson asked.
"Mostly about seeing Vickie. If I get the chance to talk to her, I don't know what I'll say," Adam lamented.
"If the moment comes, you'll know," was all Dawson said as he patted Adam's arm.
Adam finished his orange. Dawson finished his first muffin.
"I was hoping to go out onto the terrace for a bit before we have to go to the library," Dawson said quietly.
"That's a good idea," Adam said as he looked up at the clock.
Adam got up and refreshed his coffee. He then went to the table and added cream and sugar. Dawson stood up. He grabbed his juice and his second muffin. Adam grabbed his muffin. They left their suit jackets on their chairs and headed for the terrace.
The boys went outside. There was a bit of a chill in the air. Spring was resisting its transition to summer. They went to the terrace railing. The tree, which was hit by lightning, was still standing. The branch, which was struck, was gone and the boys could see where the workers had treated the break.
After the boys finished their muffins, they leaned against the railing. Their hands found each other on the railing and they touched between them. They looked out over the lake. They were both quiet as they contemplated what might happen during the inquiry.
Shortly before 8:00 they looked at each other and smiled. They put their arms around each other's waists and went back into the house. They returned their cups to the dining room, grabbed their suit jackets, and headed for the library.
As they entered the library, they could hear vehicles approaching in the cul de sac. They went in and shut the door. Niven had set out a couple baskets. One with water bottles and one with granola bars and little packages of snack foods. Dawson sat on the settee. All they could hear was the ticking of the grandfather clock, which stood grandly against the wall.
Adam began to pace a bit with nervous energy. He felt a bit like he was caged because the library was one of only a few rooms in the house which didn't have a window. He kept thinking about how his father and Vickie had 'ruined' the time he was getting to spend with Dawson. It put him in an agitated state.
"It's hard to believe it was only four days ago when all this craziness started," Dawson said.
"Mmm," Adam uttered, not really paying attention to what Dawson said.
Dawson realized that Adam needed some quiet time, so he stopped talking and left him alone. Shortly afterward, Niven came in and quietly shut the door. Almost immediately, the grandfather clock began to strike eight o'clock. The boys both looked at the clock. It sounded louder than usual because everyone was so tense. They began to hear muffled voices and movement outside the room.
Niven took the closest seat facing the door. She sat down, straightened her back, and placed her hands on her lap. It looked to Dawson as if she were preparing to leap out at Judge Lynch if she came into the room.
"Do you want to sit?" Dawson said to Adam.
"No," Adam said tersely as he paced slowly back and forth.
About five minutes later, the door opened. They could see a court officer had opened the door. There was a second court officer standing guard. Krantz came in and the court officer closed the door. Krantz stood there and looked at the three of them.
"The judge is here. So is Ms. Castillo. There are court officers stationed outside this room, the pool room, the ballroom, the front door and on the terrace. And when we move from room to room, we'll be escorted by one of them," Krantz reported.
Dawson watched Adam's face tighten and his breathing accelerate with Krantz' news, as he continued to pace.
"Adam," Dawson said softly.
"What?!?!" Adam snapped at him.
"I think you'll feel better if you sit," Dawson said as calmly as he could.
"I'm fine," Adam said with frustration.
Dawson wanted to go to him, but he knew that would be a mistake.
"Ok," Dawson said in reply as he looked down at the floor.
Krantz and Niven looked at each other. A few minutes passed in silence. Suddenly there were three sharp knocks on the door and it immediately opened. The court officer let Carmen enter the library and then he closed the door. Carmen had a large leather satchel strapped over her shoulder. She put the bag down on the floor and looked at the four of them.
"You," Carmen barked as she pointed to Adam, "Sit down."
She pointed at the empty seat next to Dawson.
"And you," she pointed at Krantz, "Wait over there. I'll get to you next."
Adam moved to the settee and sat down sheepishly. Krantz moved to stand next to Niven. Carmen turned toward Adam and Dawson.
"Did you really think you were going to get away with it?" Carmen practically yelled at the two boys. She pointed her finger toward them, "You two cooked this up from the very beginning, didn't you? How did you do it? How did you get Clayton to give you his inheritance?"
The four of them erupted all at once.
"Now, wait just a minute!" Adam yelled as he jumped up and confronted her angrily.
"Carmen, how can you say that?!?!" Dawson said as he leaned forward with a shocked look on his face.
"Ms. Castillo, you've got it all wrong," Krantz started to say.
"What in the name of Sam Hill are you talking about?" Niven griped as she stood up.
Carmen stood still for a moment. She made a sour face and shook her head.
"Judge Lynch is going to eat your lunch if you react like that when she confronts you. You can't let emotions get the better of you. This judge is not a pushover. She will try to get you to lose your cool and then she will get you to say things you shouldn't be saying," Carmen said with an edge.
The four of them realized what she had done. Dawson sighed. Adam hung his head and dropped his shoulders. Niven and Krantz just stood there, not knowing what to say.
"Have a seat, Adam. I need to go over a few things," Carmen said calmly.
Adam sat down. Niven did too as she pursed her lips in frustration.
"We don't have much time, so I'll try to keep this simple. Only answer yes or no questions with 'yes' or 'no'. Do not volunteer additional information. Only answer what is asked for. Do not get emotional. And for heaven's sake, tell the truth," Carmen said, "Does everyone understand?"
Niven and Krantz nodded. Adam softly said yes. Dawson just looked at Carmen. She settled on him and stared, waiting for his acknowledgment.
"Carmen, there's something you should know," Dawson said with a gloomy tone.
Carmen raised her eyebrows as she waited for Dawson to explain.
"Adam and I are in love," Dawson simply said.
"And when did this happen?" Carmen asked, without any outward sign of surprise.
"Believe it or not, it began the day of the will reading," Dawson said.
Adam looked up at Carmen and nodded his head.
"You want me to believe that you fell in love four days ago?" Carmen asked.
"I don't care if you believe it. It's the truth," Adam said, his frustration bursting out.
"That," Carmen said as she pointed at Adam accusingly, "is a great answer."
There was quiet as Carmen thought for a minute.
"I thought there was something there, but I wasn't quite sure. When you two were sitting here during the reading of clause C..." Carmen said and then paused. "It shouldn't matter. Just tell the truth. And keep saying things like that," Carmen said as she gestured toward Adam.
"Why? What's the plan?" Adam asked.
"I just told you the plan. Stick to yes or no, nothing more. Don't lose your cool. Tell the truth. Leave the rest to me," Carmen said.
"There was something in that manilla envelope, wasn't there?" Dawson said with a hopeful look.
"You know, you should seriously look into becoming a detective," Carmen said, "Yes, I have an ace in the hole. But it's better for all of you if I don't say anything more," Carmen said.
Dawson and Adam looked a bit relieved with that news. Carmen talked to them about the judge and some of the tactics she liked to use. The four of them began to feel better about what was about to happen. They only had a few minutes left.
"Carmen," Dawson said, "I'm sorry you got roped into this."
"Seriously? You're the one who's in it up to his eyeballs. I'm just the executor of the will," Carmen said.
She realized that sounded harsh. She stepped toward Dawson.
"Look, don't worry about me. As for the four of you, just stick to what I said, you'll do fine," Carmen said.
As if on cue, there was a sharp rapping on the door and one of the court officers opened it.
"Mr. Stewart... Mr. Jameson... Please come with me," he said.
The boys looked at the other three.
"Remember what I said," Carmen said.
The boys left the library and followed the court officer down the hallway to the door of the pool room. There was another court officer standing on the left side of the door.
"Wait here," the court officer who escorted them said and then he took a position, standing on the right side of the door.
There was no place to sit, so the boys just stood there and looked at the floor, trying to avoid looking at each other. At 9:00, they heard a voice.
"Send them in," the boys heard the judge call from inside the pool room.
The court officer opened the door. The boys went in. Judge Lynch was sitting at one of the high round tables along the wall in the back of the pool room writing on some papers. She got down from the stool and moved to stand at the near corner of the pool table. She was about 5' 6" tall and looked like she was in her early forties. She had long brunette hair that was put up in a tight bun on her head. She was wearing her judge's robe and you could see the set of pearls she wore around her neck. She had matching pearl earrings and wore a little bit of makeup.
Judge Lynch reached out her hand to Dawson.
"Judge Lynch," she said as she shook Dawson's hand.
"I'm Dawson Stewart," he said.
"So you must be Adam Jameson then," she said as she turned to him with her hand out.
"Yes, ma'am," Adam said as he shook her hand.
"Call me 'your honor', please," she said.
"Sorry, your honor," Adam said.
"No need to apologize," she said, "My condolences on the death of your grandfather."
"Thank you," Adam said.
"Have a seat," Judge Lynch said as she gestured toward the settee.
The boys sat down. The judge picked up the eight ball from the pool table. She leaned her butt against the corner of the table. She was directly facing the boys. She began passing the ball back and forth between her hands.
"I wanted to spend a few minutes with the two of you. I can sometimes come across as intimidating. So I thought we might talk a bit, get to know each other a little better before we get into the formal setting of the inquiry," she said.
She kept looking back and forth between the boys as she spoke. The boys looked at her but didn't respond or give anything away on their faces.
"There are no stenographers; we're not being recorded; it's just the three of us, having a little chat," the judge said.
She was trying to put them at ease. The boys could see through her facade. Carmen had warned them that this was one of her tactics. They both knew this wasn't just a little chat. They didn't offer anything, like Carmen had advised them. They just kept looking at her.
"Mr. Stewart, what did you think when you were named a beneficiary?" Judge Lynch asked, jumping right into her questioning.
"I was shocked," Dawson said, trying to stick to simple answers.
"Shocked? Why?" asked the judge.
"I didn't expect to be named in his will at all," Dawson said.
"No? Really? After all the professional and private time you spent with him... You didn't expect him to leave you something?" she asked, continuing to juggle the eight ball between her hands.
"No," Dawson simply said.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because he was a client," Dawson said.
"Did you cry when you found out he died?" she asked.
"Of course," Dawson said.
"Of course? Do you cry for all the clients of Cotton, Putnam, and Shaw when they die?" the judge asked incredulously.
"No," Dawson said, feeling himself wanting to get defensive.
"Then why did you cry when Clayton Jameson died?" she asked.
"Because he was a good man. And I had some good memories of the time I spent with him," Dawson said.
"Mr. Jameson, what did you think when you first heard about Mr. Stewart's inheritance?" the judge shifted to questioning Adam without warning.
"I was happy," said Adam without any hesitation.
"You were happy?" the judge said with surprise, as she stopped passing the eight ball and held it in her hand.
"Yes," Adam said, remembering to answer yes or no.
"Why?" the judge asked.
"Because I knew my dad wanted all of it. And if Dawson was getting even one thing, my dad was going to be angry," Adam explained.
"So you didn't want your dad to get anything from your grandfather?" she asked.
"No," Adam said.
She already knew about the strained relationship between Adam and his father. She was feigning ignorance to try to draw Adam out. The judge smiled slightly and began tossing the ball back and forth in her hands again. She realized the two of them had been coached well.
"Why not?" the judge said.
Adam paused. He was frustrated by only responding yes or no. He decided he would just tell the full truth as concisely as he could.
"My grandad and I felt the same way about my father," Adam said, "neither one of us got along with him."
Dawson winced as he looked at the floor, realizing that Adam was going off the plan.
"I knew my dad wouldn't be happy if he didn't get everything," Adam continued, "When I heard Dawson was getting the pool table that made me happy."
"Interesting..." she said as she stopped passing the eight ball.
She held the eight ball in her hand and moved it up and down a couple times as she turned away from the boys. She rolled the eight ball onto the pool table. She turned to face them, leaned her butt against the table, and crossed her arms in front of herself.
"So, let me tell you what I think. You didn't want your dad to get any money, so you got Mr. Stewart here, to modify the will. Then you split the money between the two of you, as payment to your accomplice," she said, then paused to see their reactions, "But you got what you wanted. You screwed over your father, while at the same time, you both made out like bandits."
She watched them intently for any reaction. Both boys knew they shouldn't respond. Dawson was worried that Adam might. And Adam was worried that Dawson might. Their focus on what the other might do was the main reason neither responded. They simply sat still and looked at the judge.
"So my question to you, Mr. Stewart, is this; how did you do it?" the judge said, "How did you get Clayton Jameson to change his will?"
"We didn't," Dawson said calmly, fighting the urge to erupt at her.
"Mr. Jameson?" she turned and said to him.
"Hhmm?" Adam uttered.
"How did you do it?" the judge asked again.
"Do what?" Adam said, pretending that he didn't know the question, making the judge work for answers.
"How did you get your grandfather to change his will?" the judge repeated, her voice a bit pinched with frustration.
"Oh, that," Adam said with an attitude, "Yeah, that didn't happen. My granddad's will says what he wanted it to say."
She looked at the two of them for a good long minute. She was hoping they would fill the uncomfortable void by talking. Neither of them said anything. She moved to the door and opened it. She went over to Dawson.
"Mr. Stewart, please wait outside," she said to him as she gestured toward the door.
Dawson got up, fought off the urge to look at Adam, and walked out of the room. The court officer shut the door. Dawson stood there, in the hallway. He figured the judge wanted to isolate Adam because he was more willing to talk. He wondered what the judge was asking him. And he wondered if Adam would keep his emotions in check. Dawson kept randomly glancing back and forth between the two court officers as he worried about what was happening in the pool room. After about ten minutes, the door opened.
"Take them to the ballroom," the judge ordered.
Adam came out and raised his eyebrows as he looked at Dawson. They followed the first court officer who took them down the hallway. When they got to the entrance to the ballroom, Niven and Krantz were there waiting with another court officer. With court officers so close, no one dared to say anything. After a few minutes, the judge came from the pool room. She paused when she got to the four of them.
"You are not to speak to anyone, unless I tell you to. Is that clear?" Judge Lynch said to all of them.
"Yes," they all answered.
"Take them in," she ordered.
One of the court officers opened the door to the ballroom. The four of them were escorted in. At the front of the room was a raised judge's platform. On the left side of the room, all of the members of the ruling panel were seated at a long table. Except Carmen. She was seated at a table, by herself, next to them. On the right side of the room, facing the ruling panel, was Vickie, seated at a table with a woman. Next to her was another table with Adam's mother and father, and another man. Over to the side of the judge's platform, at the front of the room, was a wheeled cart with a large flat screen TV on it.
"Adam!" Vickie called out as they entered.
Adam looked at the floor, trying to avoid interacting with Vickie, as they were led to a table in the center of the ballroom, facing the judge's platform. When they got to the table, Dawson could see a court officer on one side of the judge's platform and a stenographer on the other. Next to the stenographer was a guy seated at the same table as her.
"All rise. The inquiry into the will of Clayton Arthur Jameson IV will now commence. The honorable Judge Brenda Lynch presiding," the court officer at the front of the room announced.
Everyone stood. Judge Lynch appeared. She was holding a folder filled with papers as she walked quickly into the room. She went onto the judge's platform and sat down.
"Good morning, please be seated," the judge said.
The sound of chairs moving was heard as everyone sat down.
"Let's get to it, then," Judge Lynch said, "I have a few ground rules. When answering my questions, you will stand. I will be addressed as 'your honor'. You will speak only when I ask you a question. I will not tolerate any outbursts. If you are out of order, I will give you one warning. After that, you will be fined. Persist, and you will be charged with contempt."
She paused and looked around the room.
"As for your rights... The fifth amendment is a constitutional right that you all have. Namely, that you cannot give evidence that incriminates yourself. This is not a trial where I will be deciding guilt or innocence. But you still have rights. If you do not wish to answer a question, for any reason, you can simply state, 'I do not wish to answer'," the judge continued.
She paused again and scanned the people in the room.
"Now, the will has stipulations that Mr. Stewart and Mr. Jameson are to remain here, at this lake house, for 6 months without direct contact with others. Unless and until I rule otherwise, we will maintain the spirit of Mr. Clayton Jameson's wishes. There will be no direct interaction with the two of them unless I allow it," Judge Lynch said.
She paused again. There were no sounds as everyone looked at her.
"This matter before the court is still sealed. The court will issue no public statements about Mr. Clayton Jameson's will until it has been disposed of by the probate court. That also means that all of you present today are ordered not to speak publicly about this matter. This will stay in effect until all of the clauses of the will have been satisfied," the judge said, "Anyone who disobeys this order will be charged with contempt of court, fined $10,000, and taken into custody for a period of 60 days."
The judge looked out across the room to ensure everyone was paying attention.
"Each of the complainants have brought counsel. This is not a trial, it's an inquiry. I do not want to hear from your counsel at all. You may quietly get advice from your counsel, but that is all. I will not allow counsel to make any motions or speak to me during this inquiry. If any of those rules are violated, I will hold the complainants, that's you, Miss Cartwright, and you, Mr. Arthur Jameson, responsible," the judge said and then looked back and forth between Vickie and Artie.
Vickie and Artie both nodded.
"One last piece of business before we get into it... Simpson?" the judge said.
The court officer, who was on the side of the judge's panel, stood.
"All attendants rise and raise your right hand," Simpson said, as he raised his right hand.
Everyone in the room stood except for the stenographer and the judge.
"Do you swear that all testimony you give during this inquiry shall be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" Simpson said.
"I do," was the response from everyone standing.
"I can confirm, your honor, that all attendants replied in the affirmative," Simpson informed the judge.
"Thank you, Simpson. You may all be seated," the judge said.
The judge looked down, shifted some papers on the desk, and then looked up.
"Miss Cartwright. I've read the brief of your claim. But tell me in your own words why you have filed your complaint," Judge Lynch said.
The fingers of Adam's hands were interlaced and resting on his lap. He concentrated on looking down at his hands, so he wouldn't be tempted to look at Vickie.
Vickie remained sitting, brushed her hair back, and looked up at the judge.
"Well..." Vickie started.
"Stand when you address me," the judge interrupted.
Vickie looked a bit put off that she was interrupted. She stood up and began again.
"Well, my fiance is Adam Jameson, the rightful heir to his grandfather's fortune. He should be getting all the money. This other person, Dawson Stewart... he's not even related to Adam's grandfather. So he shouldn't get anything," Vickie said with confidence and then sat down.
Adam kept looking down and tried not to show any reaction.
"Stand up. I'm not finished with my questions," Judge Lynch said.
Vickie stood up. She tilted her head forward with indignation.
"Are you related to Mr. Clayton Jameson?" the judge asked.
"Well, technically, no," Vickie said.
"Technically, no," the judge repeated, "Do you..." the judge started to ask.
"But I am Adam's fiance," Vickie retorted.
"You are out of order. This is your last warning, Miss Cartwright. Speak without my permission again, and you'll be fined," Judge Lynch raised her voice.
Vickie clenched her jaw and exhaled loudly through her nose. Adam fought every urge to look at Vickie and kept looking at his hands.
"Being Adam Jameson's fiance is only of importance to Adam Jameson. It is not a legally binding relationship. It is not relevant in this matter," the judge said, "Do you have any reason to believe you, yourself, should be named as a beneficiary?" the judge asked.
Vickie turned to her counselor. She bent down to whisper back and forth with her. Her lawyer kept shaking her head and Vickie began to get frustrated. Finally, Vickie stood up straight and faced the judge. Her counselor sat back exasperated. Vickie brushed her hair back.
"No," Vickie said, tersely.
"So you have no legal relationship to the deceased and you don't have any claim to be a beneficiary. Do you have any other arguments or evidence to show that Mr. Adam Jameson should inherit all of the assets?" the judge said.
Vickie crossed her arms and gritted her teeth. Adam couldn't resist. For the first time since coming into the room, he looked at Vickie.
Vickie and her counselor began whispering back and forth again. They finished and Vickie stood up straight. She brushed her hair back. Her counselor was shaking her head slowly as she looked down.
"Well, Adam is related to Mr. Jameson. Dawson is not. He shouldn't get any of his money," Vickie said calmly, although everyone in the room could see she was fuming.
"That is not evidence. It's a wish and a prayer. You have no standing. Even if you did, you have no evidence to support your claim. I'm dismissing your complaint. You have no further reason to be here, so you and your counselor can leave," the judge said and then she produced a gavel and banged it once on the podium.
"That's not fair!" Vickie exclaimed.
"Bang!" came the gavel.
"You are out of order. I warned you. You are fined $500," Judge Lynch ruled.
"But your honor..." Vickie pleaded.
"Bang!" came the gavel again.
"You are out of order again. Another $500 fine. I suggest you collect your things and leave before I charge you with contempt," the judge said in a loud and firm voice.
Adam hadn't taken his eyes off Vickie. She turned and looked at Adam pleadingly. Adam felt a wave of sympathy sweep over him as their eyes met.
"Adam, do something!" Vickie whined as she stomped her foot once and looked at him.
Adam just stared at her and slowly shook his head. His eyes began to water.
"Bang!" the judge banged the gavel louder.
"Another $500. One more time Miss Cartwright and in addition to the fines, I'll charge you with contempt," the judge said angrily, waving the gavel toward Vickie.
Vickie closed her eyes and made fists with her hands. She relaxed her fists and opened her eyes. She looked at Adam. They made eye contact for a few moments. Then Adam darted his eyes away and looked down at the floor.
"Hhhh!" Vickie exhorted in exasperation.
She picked up the papers on the table. She grabbed her pocketbook. She walked to the end of the table and then stopped. She turned and slammed her pocketbook and the papers down on the table. Adam looked up at the loud bang and watched Vickie. Her counselor started to move toward her to calm her. She started to take her engagement ring off.
"How can you sit there and let her talk to me like that?!?!?" Vickie screamed at Adam.
The judge began banging her gavel. Vickie yelled louder to be heard over the banging gavel.
"We're finished, Adam!!!!" she yelled.
She threw her engagement ring toward Adam. Adam didn't move. The ring pinged off of the table, right in front of where Adam was seated, and it skipped across the ballroom floor. The judge stood up and addressed Vickie, waving the gavel toward her.
"Miss Cartwright, you have $2000 in fines and you are now charged with contempt. I don't want to hear another sound out of you. If you don't leave this proceeding right now, I will have you taken into custody," the judge said as she pointed the gavel at Vickie.
Vickie brushed her hair back. She picked up her papers and her pocketbook. She calmly turned and determinedly walked out of the ballroom. Her counselor followed her.
Dawson sat there the whole time, watching this unfold. He so desperately wanted to reach out to Adam. Niven and Krantz made sure they were sitting between the boys when they sat down, so there was no chance of that happening. Adam sat there. His head drooped, looking at the floor. He felt a tear roll down his cheek. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself, so he just sat there without moving.
Judge Lynch remained standing until she was sure Vickie had left the ballroom. As soon as the door closed, she sat down. She didn't waste any time. She immediately continued with the inquiry.
"Mr. Arthur Jameson, I've read your filing. Tell me in your own words what your complaint is," the judge said.
Artie licked his lips and stood up. Adam looked up and watched his father. His emotions were already raw from what just happened with Vickie. He was barely holding himself together. There was a chance that whatever Artie said could send him over the edge.
"Your honor, my father and I may have had a rocky relationship. But despite what may have been written in his supposed will, he always intended to pass everything on to me," Artie said.
Adam fumed. The muscles in his face clenched. He wanted to jump up and call him a liar. Krantz, who was sitting next to him, very subtly put his hand on Adam's thigh and pressed down. This kept Adam quiet. He sat there and looked at his father, trying to hide his emotions.
"Mr. Jameson, tell me about your relationship... with your son," the judge said.
"Well..." Artie started and paused.
It appeared that he hadn't anticipated this kind of question.
"We are like oil and water. We butt heads a lot. But we love each other," Artie said.
Adam kept looking at his father without showing any emotion. Krantz's hand pressing on his thigh was keeping him in his seat even though he was on the verge of erupting with anger.
"What did you think when your father gave your son half of his fortune?" Judge Lynch asked.
"I was not happy when I found out that this Stewart boy had somehow changed my father's will to give him half of..." Artie started to say.
"Sir, I'm asking about your son," the judge cut him off, "Your son was named as beneficiary to inherit half of your father's assets valued at approximately $800 million dollars. What did you think when you heard that?"
"Well, I was surprised. My father and I had many conversations about how he was going to leave everything to me. So I was quite surprised," Artie lied.
Adam started to move. He was going to say something. Krantz dug his fingers into Adam's leg. Adam kept his head facing his father but turned his eyes to the side to look at Krantz. Krantz cleared his throat softly. Adam stayed where he was.
"Mr. Jameson, there are two pillars to validating your claim. One, that your father's will, as filed with the court, was not valid. And two, that he had intended to make you his beneficiary. Do you have any tangible evidence to back up either of these pillars?" the judge asked.
Artie leaned down and whispered with his lawyer. They went back and forth several times and it got a bit heated. Finally, the lawyer stopped and sat back in his chair. Artie adjusted his tie and pulled down on his suit jacket. He turned to face the judge.
"Other than my testimony that my father told me he intended to leave everything to me, no, your honor," Artie said trying to put on a believable face.
The judge paused and watched Artie for a moment.
"You may sit down now," the judge said.
"Counselor Castillo, you came into possession of some materials that are relevant to this matter. Is that correct?" the judge asked.
Adam turned his head and looked at Carmen. Dawson sat up straighter and got a hopeful look on his face. Niven and Krantz also moved slightly, indicating they were intrigued as well.
Carmen stood slowly. She held her reading glasses in her hand.
"That is correct, your honor," Carmen said proudly.
"Can you describe the contents of the manilla envelope you brought to me?" the judge asked.
Carmen put on her reading glasses. She picked up a piece of paper.
"In the envelope was the first draft of Clayton Jameson's will, 17 revisions, and the final copy, for a total of 19 documents. There was also a flash drive in the envelope," Carmen said.
Adam raised his eyebrows. Dawson's mouth opened slightly.
"Ms. Castillo, when and how did you come into possession of this envelope?" asked Judge Lynch.
"Mr. Krantz contacted me two days ago and told me they had found the envelope. He shipped it to me using a secure delivery service," Carmen said.
"Who is 'they'?" the judge asked.
Dawson noticed Carmen get a concerned look on her face.
"Mr. Krantz, Mrs. Niven, Mr. Jameson, and Mr. Stewart," Carmen said.
"Thank you. We'll get to the contents of the envelope in a minute. You can be seated for now," Judge Lynch said.
Carmen sat down.
"Mr. Krantz, how did you come into possession of this envelope?" the judge asked.
Krantz rose and stood rigidly.
"It was in Mr. Jameson's safe, your honor," Krantz said with confidence.
"Did you open the safe?" the judge asked.
"No, your honor," Krantz said.
"Who opened the safe, then?" the judge asked.
"Mr. Stewart opened the safe, your honor," Krantz said.
Carmen shot a glance of concern toward Dawson.
"Ah... so, Mr. Stewart opened the safe, which happened to contain potential evidence to back up his claim as beneficiary to half of Mr. Clayton Jameson's assets. Is that correct?" the judge asked.
Dawson tried not to react. Adam, however, developed a concerned look on his face. Krantz didn't want to agree with the judge's assessment of Dawson's motives and he also wanted to stick to the plan of not offering any information.
"Mr. Stewart opened the safe, your honor," Krantz simply repeated what he said before.
Dawson could see Carmen getting concerned.
"Thank you, Mr. Krantz, you may be seated," the judge said, "Mr. Stewart..."
Dawson stood up and looked at the judge.
"Did you open the safe?" the judge asked.
"Yes, your honor," Dawson said with confidence.
"How did you know the combination to the safe?" she asked.
"I found out the combination right before I opened it, your honor" Dawson said.
The judge paused and looked down at her notes. It appeared as if the judge didn't know this detail.
"How did you find out the combination?" Judge Lynch asked with a curious look on her face.
"Krantz guessed what it was. I tried it and the safe opened," Dawson replied.
"And you removed the manilla envelope from the safe?" the judge asked.
"No, your honor," Dawson said.
"Who removed it then," the judge asked.
"Krantz did, your honor," Dawson said.
"Ok, be seated," Judge Lunch said.
"Mr. Krantz, is this true? You told Mr. Stewart the combination?" the judge asked.
"Yes, your honor," Krantz replied as he stood up.
"So you knew the combination to the safe the whole time?" Judge Lynch asked.
"No, your honor. I guessed the combination," Krantz said.
"You guessed the combination, Mr. Krantz? How could you possibly guess and be right?" the judge asked with skepticism.
"The combination was Sarah Jameson's birthday, your honor," Krantz explained, "I knew Mr. Jameson's wife was constantly on his mind, so it was an educated guess."
Artie looked very uncomfortable hearing Krantz refer to his mother. The judge continued to target Krantz with her questions.
"So what could have prevented you, Mr. Krantz, from manipulating the contents of the envelope and putting it in the safe?" the judge asked.
"The room was locked. From the day I started working here, it was always locked, your honor. And neither Niven nor I had the key," Krantz explained.
"Is this true, Mrs. Niven?" the judge asked.
Niven rose and stood next to Krantz.
"Yes, it's true, your honor," Niven said.
The judge paused and looked at the two of them standing there.
"Then how did you get into the office in the first place?" Judge Lynch asked with a bewildered look on her face.
At that point, Dawson stood up. He produced the hippo figurine from his pocket. He held it up for the judge and everyone else in the room to see.
"May I answer, your honor?" Dawson said.
Judge Lynch looked at Dawson with surprise.
"Mr. Stewart, this is your final warning. Do not speak without my permission again. You've already seen in my dealings with Miss Cartwright that I'm not fooling around," the judge said in a reprimanding tone.
Dawson simply stood there, holding up the hippo figurine. He suspected she would be intrigued enough to let him speak. He was right.
"Explain, Mr. Stewart," Judge Lynch said with a frustrated look on her face.
Dawson explained the series of events that led up to him figuring out the office had a magnetic lock and that the hippo was the key. When he finished, everyone was looking at him in amazement. Adam had a look of pride on his face.
Judge Lynch paused as she contemplated what she'd just heard. It looked like the judge was disappointed, as if she thought she had a thread of controversy that she could exploit, but it turned out to be a dead end. She determined there wasn't enough there, so she decided to move on.
"Mr. Krantz, what did you do with the envelope after you removed it from the safe?" the judge asked.
"I shipped it by secure courier to Ms. Castillo," Krantz said.
"At any time before it was picked up, did you open it?" the judge asked.
"No, your honor," Krantz replied.
"Did anyone else have access to it before it was picked up by the courier?" Judge Lynch asked.
"No, your honor," Krantz said, "It didn't leave my sight until it was picked up."
"Thank you, Mr. Krantz, you can all be seated," she said as she waved her hand toward Niven, Krantz, and Dawson.
The three of them took their seats. Adam couldn't resist trying to look at Dawson. Dawson could feel Adam looking at him, but he knew he shouldn't look back. So Dawson kept looking forward.
"Ms. Castillo, was the envelope still unopened when you received it from the courier service?"
"Yes, your honor," Carmen said as she stood again.
Carmen began to look relieved.
"Ms. Castillo, what was on the flash drive?" the judge asked.
Carmen had a more determined look on her face now.
"There were electronic copies of each of the 19 printed versions of the will. And a video, your honor," Carmen said.
With the announcement that there was a video, everyone in the room visibly perked up.
"Let's watch the video," the judge said.
Carmen sat down. Two of the court officers wheeled the cart with the flat screen TV to a space in the ballroom where everyone could see the screen.
While the court officers set up the video, there was relative quiet in the room. Dawson crossed his legs away from Adam's direction, which caused his body to turn away from him. Dawson stared off to the side, so he wouldn't be tempted to try to look at him. Adam lightly patted Krantz's hand in appreciation for Krantz helping him remain calm while Artie was being questioned. He kept looking toward the floor. He desperately wanted to look at Dawson but fought off the urge.
The court officers finished and they stepped back. One of them pointed the remote control toward the screen and clicked it. The video began to play. Clayton appeared on the screen. You could tell that he was holding the camera pointed at himself. It looked like he was in the hallway, outside his office. Adam's mouth opened. He grabbed the table and leaned forward. Dawson brought his hand up and covered his mouth.
"I'm Clayton Jameson. It's September 18, 2012. I'm making this video to confirm my wishes in the event that my will is challenged. I'm about to go downstairs for my monthly meeting with Dawson Stewart and Carmen Castillo. After that, my legal team will be meeting with me to finalize updates to my will so it can be filed with the court." Clayton said.
At that moment, there was a subtle stutter in the video, almost barely noticeable. Dawson and one of the panel members were the only ones who picked up on it.
"I am giving my pool table to Dawson Stewart because I find him to be a most compelling young man. I thoroughly enjoy our pool games together," Clayton continued.
Dawson felt himself welling up. He tried to hold it in.
"I know he doesn't have room in his apartment for a pool table. But I have a solution for that. I'm giving him half of my inheritance. That should give him the money to buy a place big enough for a pool table," Clayton continued.
Dawson began crying softly.
"Oh... Here he comes," Clayton said.
There was another subtle stutter in the video again. This time, it was more prominent. Everyone in the room saw it. Carmen got a look of real concern in her face as she sat forward in her chair and watched the video more intently.
In the video, Clayton moved to the window and turned the camera around. There was an aerial view of Dawson getting out of his car. Clayton turned the camera back toward himself.
"The other half of my inheritance I'm giving to my grandson, Adam. I love that boy so much. I only want good things for him," Clayton said in the video.
Adam began sobbing loudly. Dawson was sniffling.
"The character of these two young men is stellar. It's beyond reproach. That is why they will be getting my inheritance. Now... I am going to force the two of them, Dawson and Adam, to work for their inheritance. It may seem strange what I'm going to do, but I can assure you, it's for a good reason. By the end of the six months, they will both know why I did it this way," Clayton continued.
Dawson slowly shook his head as his watery eyes watched Clayton on the screen. Adam kept watching as his sobbing began to dissipate.
There was another stutter in the video. This one was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible. Dawson was the only one who noticed the third stutter.
"One last thing. I want to be explicit here. About my son..." Clayton said as he got a pained look on his face, "Sometimes you can't control how your kids are going to turn out. I tried so hard with Artie. I always wondered. If Sarah had lived, might Artie have turned out differently?"
Clayton paused and his eyes began to water.
"But we'll never know that now. What I do know is that Artie is simply an asshole. I don't want that greedy, uncaring, selfish bastard anywhere near my money. That's why he is not getting anything from me. I should be sorry about it. But I'm not," said Clayton.
Artie fidgeted in his seat as he heard his father talk about him that way.
"Well, that's it. Dawson gets the pool table. Adam and Dawson split everything else. And Artie gets nothing. That's what I want. That's what I'm putting in my will. Clayton Jameson. September 18, 2012," concluded Clayton.
There were a few moments of Clayton fumbling to find the off button. Then the screen went black. Adam and Dawson sniffled loudly into the quietness. It was then that the boys both realized the judge wasn't watching the video. She was watching both of them. She gave them no time to recover.
"Ok..." said the judge, "I want to introduce a technical expert, Nathan Insoka. He is a digital forensics analyst for the FBI. Mr. Insoka, did you examine the flash drive and video?"
A wave of nervousness swept over Adam. Dawson got a look of concern on his face. He noticed the stutters in the video. He thought that might be why the judge wanted to question a digital forensics analyst.
"Yes, your honor," said Mr. Insoka.
"What did you examine on the flash drive?" Judge Lynch asked.
"I examined the dates on the flash drive, to see if they aligned with the timeline of events as we know them. I examined if anyone had tampered with the documents on the flash drive. And I examined the video, to determine if anyone had manipulated it," Mr. Insoka said.
"Were you able to verify the authenticity of the flash drive and its contents?" the judge asked.
Everyone leaned in to hear the response.
"My investigation was inconclusive," he said.
A couple of the panel members made a 'tsk' sound. Adam's face dropped. Dawson closed his eyes. Carmen sat back in her chair, her face revealing that she was surprised.
"Mr. Insoka, please explain. What do you mean when you say inconclusive?" the judge asked.
"There were three points in the video where it appeared that the video may have been edited. To determine if these were in fact edits, I attempted to employ standard detection methods. However, the flash drive's file system had some bad sectors. This prevented me from confirming the integrity of the flash drive using standard methods. I enlisted the help of a digital forensic technician in an attempt to repair the bad sectors. Her attempts were unsuccessful. It is impossible to determine if the corruption in the bad sectors caused the anomalies in the video or if in the process of manipulating the video someone caused the corruption in the bad sectors. Therefore, I cannot confirm conclusively that the electronic documents or the video are legitimate," Mr. Insoka said.
Adam leaned back in his seat. Dawson kept his eyes closed. He was replaying the video in his mind, trying to reconcile what he was hearing from Nathan Insoka. As far as Dawson knew, what he heard Clayton say in the video was true. So why, then, Dawson wondered, would there be edits in it?
"What about the documents? Did they match what was on the flash drive?" the judge asked.
"Well, yes," Mr. Insoka replied, "but if the flash drive was manipulated... and I'll state again our analysis was inconclusive... but if it was manipulated, someone could easily have printed documents to match what they had placed on the flash drive."
Adam's shoulders slumped in disappointment. Dawson continued to keep his eyes closed.
"Thank you. You may be seated," the judge said.
Mr. Insoka sat down. Judge Lynch paused for a moment to let the news settle in the room. Dawson opened his eyes and sat up straight. He hadn't come up with anything to reconcile the stutters in the video. He tried to shake off what he had just heard from Nathan Insoka. Adam hung his head. He didn't want to look at the judge. Niven and Krantz maintained a consistent stare at Judge Lynch.
"I don't like it when things are not certain, so here's what I'm going to do. I will reinstate clause C of the will. Mr. Stewart and Mr. Adam Jameson will continue to meet the terms of clause C, remain at the lake house, continue to maintain no contact with the outside world, and follow the provisions as Mrs. Niven and Mr. Krantz direct according to clause D," Judge Lynch said.
Artie folded his arms in frustration. Adam lifted his head and had a hopeful look on his face. Dawson wanted to smile, but he felt like there was going to be more. He was right.
"In addition, I will stay at the lake house for the weekend. As will Mr. Arthur Jameson," she said.
Dawson's jaw dropped. Adam's face went white. He turned and looked at his father. Artie sat up with the news of some hope for his claim. He looked at his wife.
"This will give me the opportunity to observe the parties related to this matter," Judge Lynch said, "We will reconvene on Monday at 9:00am right here, where I will render my decision."
There was quiet in the room. Everyone was looking at each other to confirm if they really heard what they thought the judge had said.
"Mr. Arthur Jameson," the judge said and then paused.
Artie stood up. He adjusted his suit jacket and tie.
"You need to have someone pack a weekend bag for you and bring it this afternoon," the judge said.
"Ok, your honor," Artie said.
"And you'll need to surrender your phone," the judge said.
She reached under her robe and produced her cell phone. She held it out.
"Simpson, please take our phones. Then escort Mr. Jameson and the other four to the library. I will join them in a few minutes," the judge said.
Simpson nodded. He came over and took the judge's phone. He went over to Artie and waited for him to shut down his phone and hand it to him.
"I will remind everyone. You are all ordered not to speak to anyone about this matter. We are recessed until Monday 9:00am," Judge Lynch declared.
The judge banged the gavel, dropped it onto the judge's platform, collected her folder, and hurriedly left the ballroom.
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If you liked this story, tell me: djwarner1984@hotmail.com And then donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/
-DJ