Sycamore Row - John Grisham

father’s assets and liabilities. To do so, we’ll be required to hire a CPA firm, and we
know several, to track down the assets. All real estate must be appraised. All personal
property listed. It’s a process.”
“How long?” Ramona asked.
The three lawyers squirmed in unison, the usual reaction when an effort is made to
solicit exact information. Lewis McGwyre, the most senior, shrugged and offered a
noncommittal “I’d say twelve to eighteen months.”
Ian grimaced as he absorbed this and thought of all the loans coming due in the next
six months. Herschel frowned while trying not to, while trying to act as though his bank
accounts were stuffed and there was no pressure. Ramona shook her head angrily and
asked, “Why so long?”
Mr. McGwyre replied, “Fair question.”
“Oh thank you.”
“Twelve months is not really a long time in these matters. A lot of groundwork has to
be laid. Fortunately, your father had significant assets. Few estates do. If he’d died with
nothing, then his probate could be complete in ninety days.”
“In Florida the average probate takes thirty months,” Mr. Larkin said.
“This ain’t Florida,” Ian said with a cold stare.
Stillman Rush added quickly, “And there is a provision in the law for partial
distributions; that is, you might be allowed to take some of your share along the way,
before the actual closing of the estate.”
“I like the sound of that,” Ramona said.
“Can we talk about taxes?” Ian insisted. “What’s the ballpark figure?”
Mr. McGwyre leaned back and confidently crossed his legs. Smiling and nodding, he
said, “With an estate of this size, with no surviving spouse, the taxes would be brutal,
slightly more than 50 percent. But, because of Mr. Hubbard’s foresight, and our
expertise, we were able to arrive at a plan”—he lifted a copy of the will—“and by the
use of some trusts and other devices we have reduced the effective tax rate to about 30
percent.”
Ian, the number cruncher, did not need a calculator. Twenty million and change in
the net estate, minus 30 percent would knock it down to about $14 mill. Forty percent
of that for his dear wife and their share would be around $5.6 million, give or take. And
clean, no taxes since all of those nasties, state and federal, would be slapped onto the
estate. At that moment, Ian and his various partners and companies owed a plethora of
banks in excess of $4 million, about half of which was past due.
As Herschel’s internal calculator stuttered along, he caught himself humming under his
breath. Seconds later, he too arrived at something around $5.5 million. He was so sick of
living with his mother. And his kids—no more worries about tuition.
Ramona turned evil and cast a vicious smile at her husband. She said, “Twenty
million, Ian, not too bad for, what did you like to call him, an uneducated logger.”
Herschel closed his eyes and exhaled while Ian said, “Come on, Ramona.” The lawyers
were suddenly interested in their shoes.
She pressed on, “You won’t make twenty million in your entire life, and Daddy did it