Chereads / Two Knives Altiari / Chapter 3 - A test of integrity

Chapter 3 - A test of integrity

Barrister Oxlade, took a deep breath, adjusted his spectacles over his eyes and began to speak again.

" Well My children. Your dad wasn't one to part with his money for the sake of an unprofitable charity. I'm rather surprised that he had chosen to donate thirty percent of his total fortune to the orphanage home where he had grown up as a child." Said Barrister Oxlade, who was quick to be interrupted by Cathedral.

" What the hell are you talking about sir. What bloody charity. We don't even have so much to support our lifestyles. We can't let some kids in the orphanage enjoy our fathers wealth while we rot in penury. I mean it's out wealth now." She said and took of her designers glasses. Barrister Oxlade was at sea for a while before he flipped through the papers and began to speak again.

" Mehitabel. I'm afraid this is really your fathers will. Look at it, it's written in his hands." Barrister Oxlade muttered, addressing my sister by her maiden name.

"How much is the total money left." I asked him, keeping my calm like the fine gentlemen I was. I couldn't join my sister in crucifying him. At least, not yet.

" Well. As you two all know. A greater percentage of your fathers wealth has been exhausted trying to curtail his ailment. What is left is really not much …"

" Just say!" My sister groaned as she bent over the desk as if to take out the words from his mouth.

" One million, six hundred and forty thousand pounds. And then a farm house in the state of Leeds. That's all there is to his wealth."

The words of Barrister Oxlade was as shocking as it was as surprising to me. Before the meeting, I thought we had as much as three million pounds. I had overestimated. It weighed down on my consciousness that we weren't elites any more.

" Is that really all we got. Just a little above a million pound? And You still want to give thirty percent to charity from such a token. We can't stand for this Mister Oxlade. Williams say something!" She said, failing to get hold of her emotions, therein, giving into the seductive grip of her tantrums.

" Barrister Oxlade. My sister is right. We can't go with this will. I don't doubt your integrity. My father once made mention about giving back to his old home. They can't miss what they never had. We can't give a dime to charity." I said to him in an effortless tone of confidence.

" Well you two know who I am. My integrity is top notch. I don't swindle wills. I won't start today. Your father and I shared a great friendship which was built on trust. The least we can all do is to respect the will of the dead." Said Barrister Oxlade and sighed softly, feeling rather insulted by my gesture.

" We could find a way around it can't we?" Said My sister now choosing the carrot approach to solve the issue.

" I'm sorry Mehitabel, the only way is to respect the will of your late father. Please that's all we must do. I would like you two, to show me some respect." Barrister Oxlade said and frowned his face to show his disapproval of our notion. There was no time to waste. Dialogue with a man like Oxlade was never going to work out in my favor. There was no way I was going to let some kids in the orphanage get a hold of my money. No way.

" Cathedral." I called out to my sister, looking straight at barrister Oxlade with a haunting beam in my gaze.

" Yes Williams." Cathedral said, maintaining her stern gaze at the barrister.

" While coming, I saw some kid selling lemonade at the junction. Take a walk there and get me a cup of lemonade." I said to my sister in an indifferent tone.

" Holy Crap! What Lemonade are you talking about William." She exclaimed in disgust.

" Get up and fetch me the lemonade now." I said to her, turning my chilling gaze at her. She gasped in fear from the stern look of my eyes.

" Okay. Sure." She stuttered and hurriedly stood up to leave the office.

" You forget your bag." I added, in my usual cool and charming tenor. She wasted no time in picking it up and leaving the office as quick as she could. She knew me for who I was, the finest angel from heaven when I was not angry and the devil himself when I was. Perhaps, the look in my eyes had catapulted her back to dark day when I almost killed that dude at Noble Heights. I could hear the breathing the barrister get tense as Cathedral left the office, leaving me alone with him.

" Well Mister Oxlade. Some sensitive matters are better kept away from the presence of kids. The lemonade tent isn't so far away. Cathedral would soon be back and the major aim of excusing her might not be met. You have fifty seconds to take that orphanage off my father's will. It's still the fifty seconds I have to test the strength of your will to live." I said to him and pulled out a pistol from the side of my coat. He could see clearly that a silencer was attached to it. For the better part of the fifty seconds, Barrister Oxlade sat staring blankly at the will. From what I could deduct, he was fighting a silent battle between proving his integrity to me and keep keeping his life. He knew of all carnage I had committed in the past and knew I was innately dangerous. With less than ten seconds for him to loose his life, he picked up his pen and crossed out a portion of my fathers handwriting before stamping on it with his official stamp. He then signed and sighed deeply in frustration.

" It's all done Mister Oxlade. Nothing is going to the orphanage anymore." Said Barrister Oxlade and handed the documents to me.

" Good job sir. It's time to change the signatories to my father's account. I am his next of kin." I said to him and gently shoved the pistol back where I had picked it up from.

" Okay." He said without an iota of hesitation to his tone. He had just finished up the change of signatory when my sister arrived, holding a glass of lemonade in her hands.

" William. I thought you are allergic to lemons." She asked, keeping the glass to herself, in fear of my safety.

" Yes I do. The order is for Mister Oxlade. Place it on his table and let's get out of here. We have some money to share." I said and left the office, while my sister stood looking quite shock at the twist of events.