Kent Conwell - Tony Boudreaux 04 - Vicksburg Read Online Free Page A

nothing you
can do about it.”

    WR shook his head and looked at me, his eyes revealing
his frustration. His jowls flopped when he shook his head
and spoke to Jack. “I don’t understand it. John said nothing
to me or Stewart. And he always did.” He crossed the room
to the cherrywood sideboard between the two French doors
on the outside wall. He grabbed a fifth of Jim Beam bourbon
from the several bottles of liquor and splashed some into a
glass. He downed it in one gulp and poured another. He
glared over his shoulder at Annebelle. “How’d you know he
made a new will?”
    A smug grin ticked up one side of her lips. “None of your
business, but for your information, he called me on the
twenty-fourth just after lunch. He was going to meet with his
attorney.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t understand none of this.”
    Her voice laced with sarcasm, she sneered, “Obviously,
he didn’t tell you everything, WR. That’s probably one of
the reasons he made Goggins executor instead of one of us.”
    He stared fiercely at her. “So you say.”
    She snarled at him. “Yeah, so I do say. Did he tell you he
was leaving us that property south of town?” Before WR
could reply, Annebelle answered her own question. “No, he
didn’t. You and Stewart were as surprised as me when
Goggins read that provision in the will. You can’t deny that”
    He shot Jack a fleeting glance, at the same time as running
his tongue between his bottom lip and gums, the same nervous habit as Jack. He sneered. “That swampland? It’s practically worthless. John had a chance to unload it on some
sucker several years ago and didn’t do it.”-
    Don’t ask how I knew, but WR was lying, maybe not
about the fact JW didn’t unload it on some sucker, but that
the land was worthless. I would have bet my life savings that
he was lying, all $683 1 had in the bank.
    At that moment, Stewart slammed the door open. His
round face was dark with anger. Beads of water glistened on
his bald head. Cursing, he strode directly to the sideboard
and downed several gulps directly from a bottle of Johnny Walker Red scotch, spilling some on the pink silk shirt
stretched over his ample belly.

    He glared at Annebelle. “I don’t know how you did it,
you-” He spit out a few words that my grandfather would
have taken a club to me if I’d said them to a woman. “But, I
can tell you one thing, I’m not taking this lying down. I’ll
drag you to court if I have to”
    With a smirk on her face, Annebelle plopped down in one
of the richly upholstered wingbacks with the ornate rose
wood trim. It groaned under her weight. “Take your best shot”
    Stewart sputtered and stammered. He looked at WR.
“Well, aren’t you going to say something?”
    The older brother barked. “What do you want me to say?”
He glared at Annebelle. “You want me to say she outfoxed
us? Okay, she outfoxed us. I don’t know how, but she did.”
    “I didn’t outfox anyone. John just came to his senses,
that’s all.”
    Jack spoke up. “Listen to me, all of you” Before any of
the three could object, he continued. “First, I’ll admit I don’t
deserve a full share like the rest of you”
    Stewart pointed at his sister. “She sure don’t deserve a full
share.”
    Jack waved his hand. “Hold on, hold on. I’m not arguing
any of that. All I’m saying is that bashing each other won’t
help. We’re family. We’re all that’s left now. Let’s talk about
this sensibly. I haven’t been around much, but-”
    WR sneered. “You finally said something right”
    Ignoring his older brother’s sarcasm, Jack continued.
“But, if you don’t think I deserve what John left me, tell me
what you think I deserve”
    His last remark silenced his brothers.
    I was impressed with Jack’s plea, his sincerity, although I
did have to suppress a smile as I watched him standing there
with his arm awkwardly fixed in a cast at shoulder level.
    Annebelle