thirteen

                                    

                                          
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࿐˚✧˖*.
The whole family assembled in the library. Marta stood in the back with Blanc, Elliott, and Wagner. Alan sat at a table with papers in front of him with his assistant Sally beside him. Raven sat next to Roy, both sat in front of Ransom, and she swore she could feel him breathing down her neck. 
"Well, thank you all for getting together like this," Alan greeted. "It isn't legally necessary but I thought because you're all in town and some of you are leaving soon - "
"Excuse me," Blanc interrupted. "Uh - I'm sorry. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to gently request that you all stay in town until the investigation is completed."
"Well, he's gently requesting, but I'm gonna have to make that an order," Elliot interrupted. "No one move until we all figure this out."
"Can we ask why? Has something changed?" asked Joni. 
"No," Blanc answered. 
"No, it hasn't changed or no we can't ask?"
"Mr. Stevens, you may continue," said Blanc. 
Alan nodded. "Right. Well, the other reason I thought this gathering would be - uh - beneficial is because Harlan altered his will a week before he died. He sealed it. He asked me not to submit it to the courts for probate until after his death. So if anyone is confused about anything, we're all together. We can talk. Although, I don't imagine any of it is going to be that complicated." He opened the file. "Harlan's assists included - um - "
"The house," Sally whispered. 
" -  the house which he owned outright. Um - " 
"Sixty million," whispered Sally. 
" - sixty million in various cash accounts and investments, and of course, the real assets - sole ownership of Blood Like Wine, his publishing company. He also wrote up a statement when he was making the recent changes, and he wanted that read first, so 'Dearest Linda, Walter, and Joni, some of you may be surprised by the choice I've made here. No pleasure was taken in the exclusion and its purpose was not to SOV greater discord in the family, quite the opposite. Please accept it with grace and without bitterness, but do accept it. It's for the best, Dad,' " he read, opening the will and flipping it to see the backside. "Wow, yeah, not complex at all. This'll be quick. 'I Harlan Thrombey, being of sound mind and body' - yada yada yada - 'I hereby direct that all my assets both liquid and otherwise, I leave in their entirety to Marta Cabrera. My entire ownership of Blood Like Wine publishing I leave in its entirety to Marta Cabrera. The copyright of its catalog likewise I leave in its entirety to Marta Cabrera.' "
The whole family looked at Marta, and Ransom grinned. 
Chaos erupted. Ransom began laughing, while everyone accused Marta of something. She looked like a deer stuck in headlights, frozen with fear. Raven was frozen as well. Roy was well off, sure, but that didn't make her feel better. Having Harlan's money around was a sure absolute way that she would never go bankrupt anymore. Marta was technically Roy's boss now. She was always nice to Raven and vice-versa, but now Raven felt like someone stabbed her repeatedly. Ransom left the room laughing. No one believed that Harlan wrote that will. 
Raven fainted, and Roy caught before her head could smash into a desk. She was completely unresponsive no matter how many times he gently shook her around. The other family members didn't spare a glance at her, pushing against Blanc who shielded Marta from them. 
"I think heads have to cool a little, and in the meanwhile I'd maybe run," Blanc advised to Marta. 
Marta stumbled out of the house in a daze. Behind her, the entirety of the family - excluding Meg who stayed with Roy to call an ambulance - flooded out after her, shouting reassurances and questions and accusations and a general din of confusion. 
"I - I have no idea why he - I just need to think - I ' ll call you or have him call me or do something I don ' t know - "
She got into her car and breathed heavily, but they were surrounding her, shouting and blabbering on. Her car engine wouldn't start no matter how many times she tried. Ransom drove by in his car, stopping next to her, honking his horn, beckoning her to get in with him. She opened her car door and got into his car instead. 
Ransom drove away, window rolled down. "I think this could be the best thing to happen to all of you!" he exclaimed.
"What does he mean by that?" Richard asked.
"Richard, why didn't you stop her?" Linda asked. 
"What am I supposed to do, grab the bumper with my teeth?" 
As Ramson drove away from the mansion, an ambulance drove past him.