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55
There were two bedrooms in the cabin. One had been turned into a makeshift office, with a laptop and printer.
Koffitz brought up a document on his laptop and printed out a copy. “The only problem, of course, was that he didn’t get to sign the papers. So it’s worthless in court. BUT… he fully intended to sign it the following day.”
I looked through the papers. I didn’t understand some of the legalese, but even to me it seemed clear that Mrs. Templeton and Vincent split every physical asset and bank account, but Connor got control over the company itself.
“This makes no sense,” I said. “Mr. Templeton had dinner with us once. That was it. He wasn’t going to sign over everything he’d worked decades for just because of that one dinner. Even if he was trying to mend the relationship, he wouldn’t have done that.”
“You’re thinking Augustus wouldn’t have given Connor control because of whatever bad blood existed between them. But the truth was, he immensely respected Connor. Connor was the one who set out on his own and built a multi-billion-dollar empire out of nothing. Connor was the one who never let anything stop him. Connor was the one who – ”
“But Mr. Templeton tried to blackmail him!” I cried out.
“Yes, but that was purely out of self-preservation. Augustus only did it because he felt his back was against the wall – that Connor would destroy the Templeton Group, given enough time. And yet Connor turned the whole episode into a positive. He used the media attention to publicize his solar company, introducing it to tens of millions of Americans who never would have cared otherwise – and he got their support.”
I still wasn’t buying it. I had been on the receiving end of the blackmail attempt, and I remembered it very differently from the way Koffitz was portraying it. “Great – so he respected Connor. Why would he screw over his wife and other son, then?”
“The choice was never between Connor on one side, and Lenora and Vincent on the other. The choice was between Connor or Miranda. Augustus knew that when he died, Miranda would take over. There was no way it could be avoided, short of having her killed – which is where he drew the line. And so he chose to give control to Connor instead. At least that way, he could ensure his legacy would outlive him. Perhaps in an altered fashion, but it would survive.”
“His company and legacy would have survived if Miranda was in control,” I argued.
Koffitz shook his head. “Augustus wouldn’t tell me, but I got the sense that he knew something about Miranda. Some sort of secret that ruled out putting the company in her hands.”
“What, that Miranda tried to kill Connor?”
“I think that started his change of heart. But he didn’t ask me to draw up the new will until two months ago, so I think he found out something worse.”
“What could she have done worse than try to kill his son?”
Koffitz shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is that he didn’t approach me about the new will until two months ago.”
“He sure did tell you a lot,” I said, my voice betraying my suspicion.
“We were friends for nearly thirty years.”
“Why aren’t you his lawyer, then?”
“I was – for the first twenty.”
“What happened?”
“I lost a case ten years ago. A very expensive case.”
“And he fired you?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you were friends?”
Koffitz chuckled. “Augustus Templeton didn’t like to lose.”
That much I could believe. “But you stayed friends?”
“No, not really. I was angry for years. We eventually came to better terms, though we were never as close as before. But when he came calling a few months ago, I couldn’t turn him away.”
“He wanted you to draw up a new will?”
“Yes.”
