The Edge

“Way back when, my grandfather subscribed to his investment newsletter. Whatever Buffett invested in, so did my grandfather, every spare penny he had, and he was notoriously frugal in his personal spending. Over the decades the returns have been quite large — well, enormous, really, far more than any of us knew. When my grandfather died, my father and uncle inherited everything. My uncle retired and went off to Florida, but by father stayed here for a time and built that place. My mother was still alive back then and she was really the force behind it. You have to understand she spent most of her married life in a cramped two-bedroom rancher. When my brother and I came along, things got really tight but my father refused to buy a new house.”

“Two bedrooms? What did you and your brother do as you got older?”

“He slept in the den. I kept the bedroom. I was the oldest.” She smiled. “Anyway, that house was my mother’s revenge, as it were. She lived in it for exactly two years before she got cancer and died.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. She really enjoyed those two years, let me tell you. After that my father moved to Florida to be near my uncle. My brother and I got to live in the house. And we both have trust funds set up.”

“So you really don’t have to work anymore, then?”

She sighed. “Well, that’s the catch.”

“What?”

“My grandfather set up trusts for his sons, and my father did the same thing with the house and his inheritance for me and my brother.”

“Did the same thing? I’m not following.”

“In order to inherit all that wealth my father and uncle had to work at the funeral home until age sixty-five. My father made a similar arrangement for my brother and me, although we only have to work there until age sixty. Until then we get a little money from the trust and we get to live in the house, but we have to work at the business to earn money, and I have my medical practice, of course, which, quite frankly, doesn’t generate a lot of income. And it’s not like there’s a lot of money left over. That house is expensive to keep up.”

“What happens if you leave before then?”

“The child who stays with the business until they turn sixty inherits it all. If we both leave before that then we lose the trust funds, and we can’t live in the house or get the proceeds from selling it. It would all go to charity. If we both stay, we split it.”

“You going for the duration so you can cash in?”

She looked pensive, and conflicted. “I’m not sure I can hang in there. I never had kids. And I’ve actually been thinking about relocating. To Charlotte, North Carolina. I’m tired of the cold. And that house is far too big for two people. And I don’t like the idea of my life decisions being dictated by the sole thought of gaining wealth that I had no hand in creating.”

“And your brother?”

“I think Fred actually likes running the business. So it’s not so much of a hardship for him. And in his leisure time he’s quite the outdoorsman. He likes to hike and rock-climb. And New England has a lot of places to do that. He kayaks and bikes, too.”

“He never married?”

“I think he saw my experience and swore it off.”

“That bad?”

“My ex stole all my money, left me with all his debts, and ran off with someone who I thought was my best friend.”

“Damn, I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago. I dream of running into him one day and... well, I guess I better not elaborate, considering you’re a federal agent. But it is a great deal of money at stake. So for now, I’ll continue to live in a house that is far too big, with my little brother.”

“Sort of like Jocelyn Point and Dak and Alex.”

“I never really thought of that, but you’re right. By the way, Senator Silkwell was very close friends with our family. My grandfather and father supported all of his campaigns, and the Bing name means something in Maine. I had relatives in state government, and one of my great-uncles was a long-serving congressman.”

Devine thought of something. “Was it your family that chartered a jet to bring the senator back from Washington when Alex was attacked fifteen years ago?”

“Yes. I believe it was my uncle or grandfather. How did you know about that?”

He shrugged. “Just putting two and two together.”

“We couldn’t believe that someone would attack Alex.”

“Were you here when it happened?”

“No, I was still doing my medical residency out of state.”

“Okay. Can you email me your report on Earl, with a set of pictures of the body?”

“Of course. You’ll have it straightaway.”

“I hear Charlotte is really nice. Might be worth it to give up the bucks and live your life on your own terms and not someone else’s.”

“Yes,” she said dully. “It certainly might.”

He left her there staring down at a dead body.

Chapter 45

On the way out he bumped into Fred Bing, who was looking upset.

When Devine commented on this, Bing said, “Small business ownership is not all it’s cracked up to be. I had two people call in sick and a delivery I really needed did not come in.”

“Your sister told me about the unusual trust arrangement with your father.”