“Pickering is a barrister; he wouldn’t do wills; a solicitor would have to do that.”
“Who is James’s solicitor?”
“I have no idea . . . Wait a minute, yes I do; I was introduced to him at a party a couple of weeks ago.”
“Do Pickering and the solicitor know each other?”
“I don’t know; I suppose it’s possible.”
“Could they work out of the same law firm?”
“Solicitors and barristers are in different firms.”
“Have you heard from the solicitor?”
“No.”
“I expect you will shortly, if there’s any truth to all this.”
“Tell me exactly what Pickering told you.”
“He said you were now the largest independent importer of wines in Britain and that you now owned a lot of wine shops and pubs.”
“Hold on a minute; someone is rapping on my door.” She put the phone down and returned after a moment. “It’s a letter from James’s solicitor,” she said. “Hand delivered.”
“What does it say?”
“I haven’t opened it.”
“Open it.”
“Oh, Stone, this is so crazy.”
“Open the letter and read it to me.” He heard the ripping and rustle of paper.
“ ‘Dear blah, blah, blah, condolences, etcetera. It is my duty to inform you that, shortly before his death, Mr. Cutler made a will, in which you are an important beneficiary. I would be grateful if you would call at this office at your convenience so that we may discuss this matter. Yours very sincerely.’ It says ‘important beneficiary.’ That doesn’t sound like I inherit everything.”
“Maybe it’s British understatement.”
“Oh, God, I can’t deal with this now; I have to arrange a funeral for James in London; he didn’t have any family to speak of—both his parents are dead, and he had no brothers or sisters, so it all falls to me.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Stone, will you go and see this solicitor and find out about this?”
“I think it might be better if you had your own solicitor go.”
“I don’t have one, and I hate Daddy’s. Just go and talk to him; I’ll tell him you’re coming.”
“All right. Is there anything else?”
“Let me give you his phone number and address.”
Stone wrote it all down, and Sarah’s London number as well.
“I’m coming up to London tomorrow, and
I’ll call you then.”