Page 101 of Jackson
“Jackson, it’s good to meet you finally, Perri often talks about you,” hesaid.
Mark, it transpired, was the family solicitor and judging by the way Perri continued to smile at him, afriendaswell.
“We have some documents that need to be dealt with, when you’re ready,” hesaid.
“Summer and I will be heading back to California in a day or so,” Isaid.
“If tomorrow is not too soon for you, perhaps we can meetthen?”
We made arrangements before climbing back into thecar.
“Is there a wake?” Summerasked.
“No, my father wouldn’t have wanted people celebrating on his money,” Perri answered with achuckle.
Instead, we drove back to the apartment. The day had been a little surreal, Brett Walker, a powerful banker in the city, a very disliked man, had died, and there was no celebration of life, no outpouring of emotion or tears. I started tolaugh.
“I hope he’s looking down now. I hope he can see that most of those there today were like me, just wanting confirmation he was fucking dead andgone.”
“What happens now?” Summerasked.
“The house will go up for sale, once all the legal stuff is taken care of. Neither of us wants it; it holds too many unpleasant memories. I’m also going to sell my shares, Jack. It’s time for me to move on as well,” Perrisaid.
“What will you do?” I asked,surprised.
“Tell me about this drop-in centre, maybe I can be of usethere.”
We chatted about the centre, Dexter and D-J, our plans for the future; the more we spoke, the more excited we became. If Perri could pass the bar in the U.S., we could really do some good for those that needed help yet couldn’t affordit.
* * *
The following day,we sat in a plush office in the heart of Mayfair with Mark and two of his colleagues. A boardroom desk was covered in documents that needed our signatures. It took all morning to go through each one. Perri was the only beneficiary of my father’s will, but my trust fund was now legally mine. Although she had transferred it to another bank, we were surprised to find out a secondary trust had been hidden. My mother had left her estate to be divided between us, which had neverhappened.
“So what is this all worth?” I asked, as I signed the lastdocument.
“Once the sale of the property is complete, Perri wants that money divided equally, and your mother’s estate is released, your net worth will be approximately fifty million pounds,” Marksaid.
I stood, in stunned silence. “Fifty millionpounds?”
“Yes, and I advise that you speak with a colleague of mine in America as to where that money is best placed orinvested.”
“Fuck.”
“Fuck, indeed,” he said, as he took the last of the documents fromme.
“Of course, Perri’s net worth is considerably higher, bearing in mind your father left everything toher.”
“Guess I can buy a decent car then,” Isaid.
