Granger's Threat. Teresa Pijoan

the envelope. “Thank you, for your consideration, Sir.”

      Goldfarb nodded back, “You need to sign this legal document stating you have received your inheritance. I will notarize your signatures. Please sign here and here.” A white document was unfolded and the two men signed. Mr. Goldfarb pulled a leather case from his top drawer to press a seal onto the paper. The taller man nodded to Mr. Goldfarb and then walked over to Sophia.

      Both men had the facial features of the Pino family. They both had inherited their father’s Mediterranean nose and warm brown eyes that radiated with a smile. “Ma’am, my name is Stuart Pino. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am a contract lawyer and would like to offer you my card. Both of us have followed your work and are very proud indeed of your accomplishments.”

      The man next to him put out his hand to Geoffrey, “I am Giorgio Pino from Georgia. I am a violinist with the Atlantic Philharmonic Orchestra and a retired veterinarian.” Giorgio’s smile filled his whole face, “Glad that I haven’t met that shark before this,” he jutted his thumb toward Granger, “and hope to forget about him promptly. Good luck with his ruthlessness and his mother’s deviousness is beyond words.”

      Giorgio turned to Sophia, “Dr. Sophia Pino, what an honor to finally meet you. My brother and my family have been most proud of your work. We have been following your career. We coerced the Smithsonian to sell us your group film on the development of languages during the transitions of the Middle Ages. My children loved it as did my wife and I. What a thrill it must to have been—to be able to decipher those languages. Hope we meet again.”

      Abruptly Margaret wrenched her neck around to yell out, “Sophia never made a movie and she has not published articles! That is all a farce! Granger is going to write a book, aren’t you dear? He will be the author of the family and as far as her being a doctor, well, we all know what a lie that is, don’t we!”

      Giorgio and Stuart shook their heads at Margaret but gave a nod to Geoffrey and to Sophia. As they departed the room Giorgio turned and waved to Mr. Goldfarb.

      Another white envelope was pulled from the brown folder. “Mr. Voltaire, here is the check for your wife. I am sure this is a thankful welcome with all the expenses you have. Thank you for coming all this way on such short notice.”

      The tall man with the goatee and ascot hurried to the front desk. He took the envelope with a slight bow and then stuck his hand out to the lawyer. “Thank you so much, this should help save Cynthia’s life.”

      Goldfarb nodded, “At least it will make her life a bit more comfortable. The numbers to her accounts and the final tally are also in the envelope. Again, I apologize for the expense of coming all this way.” Mr. Voltaire turned away from the audience to fleetingly disappear out the door. A soft wind blew through the room as the front door closed behind him.

      “Thank God that is over!” Margaret stroked the arm rests on the Queen Anne chair. “What right does Mr. Voltaire have to Walter’s money and what was he doing here? I have a right to know as the deceased’s widow.”

      The lawyer sank into his executive chair. His face reflected his sixty plus years. His eyes hardened as he answered Margaret, “Cynthia has terminal cancer and is in a special hospital in Montreal. He is her husband. They have a four year old son. Please leave them alone.”

      Margaret laughed, “Serves her right taking our money. Now let us inform Geoffrey and Sophia about the property of Rocoso.”

      Geoffrey walked up to Mr. Goldfarb’s desk, “Yes, what the devil is going on with the ownership? Walter and I had a written personal agreement just between the two of us?”

      Mr. Goldfarb focused on a spot on his desk, “Evidently, Mrs. Pino here and her lovely son Granger went to another lawyer a Mr. Costa in Santa Fe. They had all of the ownership of property, stocks, and mutual funds, which were in Dr. and Mrs. Pino’s names transferred to Granger as executor.” He nodded to Granger who was busy rearranging legal books on the back shelves, “They had Dr. Pino confirmed incompetent two years ago.”

      Granger turned, dropping a book, “No, when he tried to kill himself with his revolver that’s when we got the order.” He waved a black leather book at Goldfarb, “My mother took photos of him trying to shoot himself, but I’d already removed the bullets from the gun. This was sufficient evidence to acknowledge he was not in his right mind or able to retain control over his responsibilities.” Spittle ran down Granger’s chin.

      “Come here, Granger, come here.” Margaret waved her hand at him. She took a linen napkin from the tea tray and wiped his chin. She finished the thought for him, “We had no choice for we couldn’t trust Papa anymore, now could we? He was going to leave poor Mom destitute.”

      Sophia sat stunned. Geoffrey pulled his keys from his denim jacket pocket and walked out of the room. He would go off and mull this over. They had paid all but six months of their loan to her father regarding their home and now they were no closer to owning it than the first day they had signed the agreement. Sophia looked around her, she wanted to leave the building, but her legs wouldn’t hold her. Margaret and Granger were quietly whispering to one another as Mr. Goldfarb was stacking legal papers together. He glanced up at Sophia who tried to smile, but tears fell down her cheeks.

      Granger was busy helping Margaret with her coat and her gloves. He appeared pleased with the situation. Sophia found a tissue in her leather purse. Mr. Goldfarb fell back in his chair to watch Margaret put her arm through Granger’s as they departed the room. Mr. Goldfarb cleared his throat, “Is there something I can do for you, young lady?”

      Words did not come for she felt cold and unable to speak. Mr. Goldfarb moved to sit down next to Sophia and took her hand, “I know you’re in shock. Please know this is not what your father wanted for the two of you. He loved you very much and was very proud of you and Geoffrey.”

      Sophia studied his black polished shoes with short laces. Mr. Goldfarb continued, “I wanted to call you and warn you a hundred times about what Granger and Margaret were doing, but legally I couldn’t.”

      Mr. Goldfarb reached to turn Sophia’s face towards his, “If I were you, I would be ever so careful with the two of them, ever so careful. They are greedy, wanting to take the goodness from your father and turn it into their own benefit. If I can help you, I will. Although right now I know financially you don’t have the means. You could ask your half-brother Stuart for help?”

      “No, he shouldn’t get pulled into this mess.” Sophia pulled herself to sit straight in the chair, “There shouldn’t be anyone else who has to suffer through this. Mr. Goldfarb, what did Granger mean when he said that as long as I am married to Geoffrey the house would belong to him?”

      “Well, it is complicated, but the short of it is as a family member and as part of the agreement with the property, Granger holds the title. If you and Geoffrey get divorced then the property will reverse back to Geoffrey through lack of family ownership.”

      Mr. Goldfarb moved to the bookcase where Granger had rearranged his books. The black leather bindings on the books with gold script appeared to be heavy. “This was what they wanted. In order to control you and your daughters, the legal agreement was for you to remain under Granger’s control. If you decided to divorce Geoffrey then Granger will give the Rocoso property to Geoffrey free and clear. In the legal world we refer to this as the ‘Spider’s Web Syndrome.’“

      The tissue in Sophia’s hand fell to her lap, “He wants me to remain within the Pino family as a trapped fly?”

      “To put it indelicately ‘yes’ he wants to have full control over you and your finances, which he considers part of his estate.”

      Two of the black leather books were heaved out from where Granger had placed them and put in their proper order, “For some reason Granger believes that he is owed the full amount of his family’s estate. He is an angry demanding man who will not rest until he has all the money he can get from everyone in the family. God help the two half-brothers. I am sure they are his next target.”

      Mr. Goldfarb sat down behind his