Sycamore Row - John Grisham

the picnic table. An hour earlier, Lettie, in anticipation, had cracked a bathroom
window. She now sat on the edge of the bathtub and could hear better than ever.
Mr. Lewis McGwyre popped open his heavy briefcase and removed a file. He passed
around three copies of a multipage document and began: “Our firm prepared this for
your father over a year ago. There’s a lot of boilerplate in there, sorry, but that’s always
required.” Ramona, nervous and still red-eyed, said, “I’ll read it later. Please, just tell us
what’s in the will.”
“Very well,” Mr. McGwyre said. “To skin it all down, each of you, Herschel and
Ramona, gets 40 percent of the estate. Some of it’s outright, some of it’s tied up in
trusts, but the bottom line is that you will inherit 80 percent of Mr. Hubbard’s estate.”
“And the other 20?” Ian demanded.
“Fifteen percent goes into trusts for the grandchildren, and 5 percent is an outright
gift to the Irish Road Christian Church.”
“What’s in the estate?” Herschel asked.
Stillman Rush calmly replied, “The assets are substantial.”
When Lettie emerged half an hour later with a pot of fresh coffee, the mood had
changed in startling ways. Gone was the nervousness, the anticipation, the initial round
of gloom and loss, all replaced by a giddiness that only instant and unearned wealth
can create. They had just won the lottery; now their only concern was how to collect it.
With so much money floating around, the six clammed up immediately when Lettie
appeared. Not a word was spoken as she poured the coffee. When the kitchen door
closed behind her, all six began chattering away again.
Lettie was listening and growing more confused by the minute.
The will on the table named Lewis McGwyre as the executor of the estate, so not only
did he prepare the will, but he also bore the principal responsibility for its probate and
administration. The third lawyer, Mr. Sam Larkin, had been the principal business
adviser to Seth and seemed quick to take credit for his incredible success. Larkin waxed
on about one deal after another, regaling his audience with Seth’s fearless exploits when
borrowing reckless amounts of money, or so it seemed. Turns out, Seth was smarter than
them all. Only Ian tired of this narrative.
Mr. McGwyre explained that, since they were already in Ford County, they planned to
run by the courthouse and file the necessary paperwork to initiate the probate
proceedings. A notice to creditors would run in the county newspaper for ninety days
and invite claims from anyone Seth might owe. Frankly, Mr. McGwyre said, he doubted
if there were unknown creditors out there. Seth was aware of his impending death. The
two had spoken less than a month earlier.
Stillman Rush said, “All in all, we see this as a fairly routine probate, but it will take
time.”
More fees, thought Ian.
“In a few months we’ll submit to the court an accounting and inventory of all your