CHAPTER 39: REVELATION KNOWLEDGE

Gene Hoffman marched into the hospital as a man on a mission, his briefcase gripped tightly in his hand. When he’d received the call from Melanie Marcus, at first he was more than a little surprised. Although they were well acquainted from school and their chosen profession, the woman was now being regarded as one of the most premiere attorneys in the state, as well as the entire country, based on her last two most notable cases. Both were based on correcting some serious miscarriages of justice for a young man and his partner, who had done nothing except live their lives by their own edicts instead of those set out for them. The fact that they were high-profile and involved more money than he'd ever seen in his lifetime was many an attorney’s dream, and she was living it. 

So what could she possibly want with him? 

As he listened to all of the information she imparted during the phone call, he knew this situation was what he’d been groomed for during most of his career. Although just taking over the practice from his Uncle Cecil, he was somewhat familiar with the circumstances regarding the Hammond and Kinney families. There were many times over his life when his father, Seymour, and his uncle had spoken with him about the possibility of Brian Kinney contacting him. At first, he was disbelieving of it, because it was the Brian Kinney- God’s gift to Gay P.A. Straight, gay, or undecided, Gene couldn’t imagine there was anyone within the whole of Pennsylvania who didn’t know who and what Brian Kinney is or was. The man’s popularity was always on the rise in business, but his no bullshit approach to life gained him the most notoriety for so many reasons beyond his sexuality. Love or hate the man, no one could dispute Kinney’s rock-solid integrity and his stalwart posture when faced with any criticism for any personal decision he made. It was no doubt a lesson that idiots such as Howard Bellwether were learning the hard way, even as Gene continued towards his destination within the hospital. 

Upon learning from Melanie of the semi-convoluted family history steadily being revealed, all the stories and innuendos Gene had been privy to over the years began to make sense. If there ever was a riches-to-rags story to be told, hearing about the disinherited Jack Kinney was it. In short, there were two sizable fortunes, consisting of not only property, but vast amounts of money, which named Brian Kinney as the sole heir. The first one seemed pretty straight forward, since Skye Kinney waited for her husband to die before amending her own will so that Brian would inherit what was supposed to originally belong to her son, Jack. To say that Skye was a true matriarch would be an understatement. 

Although she had taken care of everyone in the family, she made sure Jack’s true offspring wasn’t left out, regardless of the machinations of the men around her. Their intent was for both fortunes to be combined, and then for the heir to marry into the Harris- The lion’s share- the shipping empire- was currently being managed by an undisclosed third-party. The will specified that when Brian was ready to inherit, the party would relinquish all rights and cede control to the heir, then be pensioned off but still available to act as an advisor should it be necessary. According to his father, Skye did it that way because of the issues regarding the second will.

Gene pinched the bridge of his nose when he thought about that particular document. Within his briefcase, there were six different versions of Alfred Hammond’s will, and it was almost impossible to decipher which was the correct one. But with the call directly from George Schickle in the company of not only Melanie Marcus, but also Judge Nathan Mathers, it seems that the original had been found. Gene had no delusions that Virginia Hammond would probably try to contest the will, stating that it was illegally obtained. The woman was a chronic complainer, amongst many other unflattering things. However, with the heir apparent present during the reading of the document, there wasn’t anything she could do to stop the completion of it. 

As he stepped off the elevator, he couldn’t help but smile at the woman greeting him. 

“So, Seymour finally decided it was time to let you spread your wings, huh?” Melanie asked.

“Yes, although I think it was more Aunt Vera’s influence than him just being tired of dealing with the Elite for all these years. After almost fifty years, I can’t say I blame him.”

“Well one thing’s for sure, he’s earned the right to enjoy the rest of his days drama free. I imagine he and Cecil spent years preparing you for this particular shit storm,” Mel said, shaking her head.

“Yeah, they did. How are you holding up?” He asked, knowing of the former animosity between Brian Kinney and Melanie Marcus, even without ever meeting Brian. 

Within local law circles, there were many whispers in the wind regarding Melanie’s partner and her unrequited love for Brian Kinney. Though, by all accounts, it was more likely unrequited greed that afflicted Lindsay Peterson. He could just about imagine the shock to both of them to discover they were actually siblings separated at birth. For his part, he would do whatever he could to make all of this easier on all parties involved.

“Honestly, I’m not sure how we are. There’s been so much that has happened these last few days, and that’s just in reference to the now. Having our identities rocked in such a way neither of us could have foreseen has been tough, but I think me and Brian are coming to several understandings.

“What do you mean?” Gene was genuinely curious.

Mel laughed lightly. “He’s not the Antichrist, and apparently, I’m not Rosemary’s Baby.”

Gene laughed aloud at that. He was one of the few who told her to never let the opinions and actions of others cloud her judgment as to the true identity of a person, or their motives. It was a lesson she’d learned well during their college years, but due to the influence of the shrew she was involved with for many years, the advice was applied to everyone else except to the one person it should have been. But better late than never, as far as he was concerned, especially since Brian and Melanie were going to need to be as transparent as glass with each other from this point on.

“We have so many questions, Gene. On the surface, everything seems cut and dry but…”

Gene stopped their progress just outside of the room they needed to enter. “I have to tell you that after the late night phone call from you last night, I couldn’t sleep, and decided to do some further digging into the situation. Melanie, I won’t lie to you, this is as convoluted a case as I’ve seen in my entire career.”

“But you have a theory, don’t you?” Melanie asked, and Gene nodded.

“I do, but I also have six different versions of the Hammond will. The troubling thing about them is that they all contain the wax seal, and ironically the same date.”

“What? Why?”

“That’s what I spent all night trying to figure out. When looking at it in comparison to Skye Kinney’s last will and testament, it reads as if she was hellbent on preventing something from happening.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t be sure, but…”

“You know what, let’s go in. If nothing else. the people within that room should be able to help unravel the mystery.”

Gene entered the room behind Melanie, astounded at the festive atmosphere. Everyone was gathered around as they looked upon an older lady and younger man holding two bundles swaddled in pink. While one of the babies lounged peacefully in the arms of who Gene presumed was her father, the other little girl was wide awake. In all his years, this was the closest Gene had been to children that small. He was awed at the love flowing from each person, centered on the two little ones. Melanie began to fill him in on all the events, leading up to the very happy occasion he was witnessing. But the most important impression he received upon entering the room was that he was in the presence of not only the cream of Elite society, within their little corner of the world, but a family which would fight to the death for each other. 

 “Mr. Hoffman, it’s nice of you to join us,” a young blond man approached him, with his hand extended. “I’m Justin Taylor. My partner will be back in just a moment. He just took the boys to get something to drink.”

Gene clasped the young man’s hand. He was careful not to apply too much pressure on his right hand. Since he followed the case, he was aware that Justin still had difficulty with the extremity, although from what he could feel, he was obviously regaining some of its former strength. “Mr. Taylor, it's a pleasure to meet you. And let me be one of the many who would like to congratulate you on your wins in court.”

“Call me Justin, and thank you. That’s really down to the woman next to you and her staff. Without Brian and Mel, I don’t think I would have had the courage or skill to fight the system on my own. They, along with Charles, Shavonne, and Lawrence, really stood tall on my behalf.”

“Bullshit, Baby. You stood tall all by yourself,” Melanie said, crossing over to him and hugging him briefly.

He smiled, and to Gene, it was as if the room physically brightened. He meant what he’d said to Justin. In his profession, he’d seen many cases which should have been cut and dry, but because of money and influence, were ruled wrongly. There was always such a disparity between the haves and the have nots in everyday life, but in Gene’s opinion, the law should always be an equal playing field. Perhaps that’s what really made the difference in Justin’s case, since by all accounts, Justin’s family was even higher up in the country club sect than all the perpetrators of injustice involved. But regardless of whatever circumstances concerning finances, Justin received the justice he was denied the first time around, and to Gene, that was really what mattered in the end.

“Sunshine, stop smiling before you mesmerize the poor man more than you already have.” The raspy tenor voice behind Gene almost startled the poor attorney out of his skin, much to the amusement of Justin and Melanie. “That charm you have can be lethal on the unsuspecting.”

In turning around, Gene now understood why Justin had referred to Brian Kinney as ‘The Face of God'. The two young boys accompanying him laughed aloud while the older man displayed just a hint of a smile. Taller than himself, Gene couldn’t stop his eyes from taking in the picture of Brian as a whole. Although he was a confirmed and confident hetero, Gene had no problem acknowledging beauty when he saw it, regardless of the gender. And Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor were beautiful men- opposite in every way, but stunning when put together. He felt his face flame, even as he realized he was being regarded the same way by Brian as Gene was looking at the two of them.

Justin laughed, and tapped lightly on Brian’s midsection as he pressed himself into Brian’s side. “Brian, behave,” 

“I am.” Brian’s left arm lifted automatically to make room for him, even as Justin made the official introductions to the other occupants of the room. Gene couldn’t help but be awed at their comfortability with each other. It was as natural as breathing for them to be so close. Brian cleared his throat. “So now that you know everyone, what can you tell us about this situation?”

Gene pulled himself out of his feelings of overwhelm before crossing the private waiting room to where a large table sat. Motioning for Brian and Melanie to join him, he was surprised when everyone followed, with the exception of the new father and his Aunt Lula. “Um, I thought we should speak privately…”

“This is as private as it gets, but if it makes you feel better, John could you close the door?” Brian asked, and the young boy went to do it without hesitation. Brian addressed Gene again. “I don’t know how much you were told, although I suspect Mel was very thorough in the explanation of what we need to know and why. But everyone in this room is our immediate circle, and some need the information just as much as Mel and I do.”

“Brian’s right,” Nathan said. “Currently, Joan Kinney is upstairs in a hospital bed of her own, and although Brian has managed to delegate the responsibility of her care to Melanie and Justin, if there is a way to untangle himself from her in the future, we need to know it immediately.”

Gene cleared his throat, already hoping that his question wouldn’t ruffle any of the high-powered feathers within the room. But he really needed to know which way the wind was blowing in reference to the judge’s associations. “Isn’t this a bit of a conflict of interest for you, Judge Mathers?”

Nathan looked genuinely puzzled until it became clear what Gene was tactfully referring to. He smiled unoffended, which surprised the hell out of Gene, before answering the attorney. “Not at all, since those associations are now at an end. In the last day or so, I’ve learned a lot more about my father and the women who surrounded him than I care to. And now, with the addition of my half-sister’s foolishness, I need all the ammunition I can get to protect myself, while also helping to guard Brian and Justin’s interests.”

“So there’s no way you’re going to be tempted to share any of the information you’re about to hear?”

“No. In fact, unless Clara, Virginia, and Hammond have found someone stupid enough to bail them out, they are all currently sitting in a jail cell for unlawful entry into the Schickle mansion.”

Gene nodded. It was the assurance he needed. The last thing any of them needed was the information concerning the wills to be leaked before they had a chance to not only verify the validity of the documents, but they also had to make sure there was no way the will could be contested from the Hammond faction.

“So that’s two of your problems solved for the moment. But what of the others?” Gene asked.

Ronald Peterson cleared his throat then. “I would imagine Nancy and Lindsay are somewhere plotting, with or without Gardner Vance.”

“Vance? What’s he got to do with this?”

“It’s a long story, but suffice it to say, if you would have any issues regarding the will now that it’s out of Virginia’s immediate reach, it will most assuredly come from Nancy’s involvement and the fact that she’s convinced Brian and Lindsay have to marry in order for him to inherit. The other thing you should be aware of is that Joan and Virginia are half-siblings through Alfred.”

“That’s right,” George fills in. “Joan is the last surviving member of Alfred Hammond’s family with his first wife, while Virginia was the heiress from his second marriage.”

“How was she able to inherit at all?” Melanie asked. “It’s no secret that back then everything was to go to the firstborn male, and if there wasn’t one, it was to go to the husband’s family.”

George smiled. “And that’s part of the reason why Virginia and I ended our acrimonious association. The other was because after Frankie was born I saw no need to sleep with the bitch ever again. While I allowed her to keep the business, and all monies made from it after our marriage ended, all finances prior to that joyous day belonged to me, and it was written in the prenup agreement, so she couldn’t sue me.”

“So basically, in comparison to you, she’s cash-poor?” Brian asked.

“Exactly. Which is why she keeps sending her pet, Hammond, to Frankie for money. And now with the added expenses of having the Hobbs family, and possibly Joan Kinney, needing to be taken care of, depending on if Joan does what we suspect or not, whatever she makes monthly is being drained fast. The money the Hobbs machine had to pay out to Justin too, drained just about all of their ready cash, especially considering the amount of people Senior had been paying off down through the years. And with the financial hit Hobbs Construction is taking because of the attack on Justin and subsequent rulings, I would imagine we’ll hear very soon that their house has been put on the market.”

“I have no doubt that it’s just a matter of time before we can add Nancy and Lindsay to her mix made in hell. That six grand is only going to go so far, and Lindsay no longer has access to Melanie’s account, nor Gus's, so I expect to hear even louder complaints about the unfairness of it all coming soon,” Lynette adds, just to paint the complete picture of the dire straits the Circle of Cuntery are facing.

“At this rate, I doubt Hobbs Senior is going to be able to afford Palmer’s fee to represent him in his next trial,” Melanie mused aloud. 

“And all because he just couldn’t leave me to live my own life,” Justin stated. “I can’t say I’m sorry about that at all.”

Brian brought him close again, as everyone looked on. “We just keep doing what we’re doing and let the rest take care of itself, okay?”

Instead of answering verbally, Justin hugged Brian a little tighter, letting him know he understood what Brian was saying. They made their bed of hate, so let Satan’s pitchfork keep jabbing them without mercy, while they get back to being the fabulous fags they are. “So where does all this lead?” Justin asked.

Gene cleared his throat of the emotion bubbling up. The devotion each person had for the other was something he never would have imagined amongst the rich and powerful. It was truly an education he wouldn’t forget anytime soon. Between everything he already knew, and now with some of the blanks filled in regarding the familial ties and inner workings of the Hammonds, Gene had a pretty good idea of what he was looking for. “George, I know you said that your daughter was able to obtain the original will left by Alfred Hammond.”

“Yes, she did just this afternoon, but we had some questions about it,” George answered. “The primary one being why it is so important to Virginia and Nancy that Brian marry Lindsay Peterson, and what’s in it for them to see such a union happen?”

Opening his briefcase and taking out ten folders, Gene spread them out in front of him. They were interrupted briefly by the nurse coming to take the two little girls back to the nursery. Gene still chuckled thinking of the nickname the family gave the babies, but he could see how the moniker fit. Emmett Honeycutt just simply radiated happiness, just as Justin Taylor did intelligence. After refocusing his attention on the task at hand, Gene opened the first six folders with packets of information. 

“What you’re seeing are the wills of Alfred Hammond,” he announced to the group at large. 

“What the hell? Was the jackass that indecisive?” Brian asked, a look of disgust clear on his face. “If he was, then it explains so much about Joan.”

“That wasn’t it per se," Gene stated, as he took the original copy of the will that Frankie handed him. “It’s more likely that he was paranoid. At least, that’s what my father said. Although he used Nancy’s father, Duncan Harris, for many years, the fact that he was so opposed to disowning Jack Kinney caused a rift in the relationship to a degree. You see, they were all the best of friends according to Skye, and although prone to disagree loud and often, this is the one that couldn’t be repaired, mainly because of the reason we’re all here.”

“Speaking of which, do you know what my grandmother may have told my father about all of this?” Brian asked.

“He didn’t tell you?”

“No.” Brian shook his head. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about these past few days. I was young the first and last time I ever met her, although I know he had a few more moments with her before she died. But although we made a weird sort of peace before he died a few years ago, he never hinted at any of this. Not even that I had a twin sister. The last time I saw him, Lindsay was there and he’d met Gus, but the last thing he said to me was ‘Slán agat,’ which is safe with you in Gaelic. I found that a little strange because it seemed more like both a warning and a prayer.”

“I suspect it was, Brian,” Justin said. “Considering the company you had that night, there’s no doubt Lindsay would have been paying extra close attention to the interactions between the two of you.”

“She there the whole time, wasn't she?” Melanie asked Brian.

“Yeah, she was. And when I tried to get her out, she used Jack’s being there as the excuse to stay. Knowing the tumultuous history between the two of us, it could have looked as if she wanted to make sure we wouldn’t lose our tempers with each other.”

“Or, she could have been on a fishing expedition, considering she was there to stop you from going to New York to meet with Kennedy and Collins. She kept throwing out every reason why you shouldn’t even be entertaining the idea of moving away from Pittsburgh. But now that I think about it all, and knowing Lindsay as I do, any other time she would have excused herself and come home, where her nosy, entitled ass belonged. When I called her to tell her to leave you alone to make your own decision about the job, she just said you had some unexpected company show up, although she never said who, even when she came home later.”

Justin nodded. “Brian, I think when he left that night, he may have thought he would have had more time to tell you everything, but he died three days later.” 

“No doubt Joan would have told Virginia about Jack’s impending death, which meant that left a clear path to get to you,” George said.

“Not a clear path at all,” Brian responded softly, before his voice grew stronger. “Justin was around, and he was the one person I trusted.”

“Even more than Michael and Lindsay,” Mel said. “We all noticed it, although it took some of us a little longer than others. When he spoke seriously, it was like everything he said to you caused you to notice things with a sharper eye, Brian." 

“It still does,” Daphne, who had been silent up until this point said. “That was the one thing Justin always appreciated about you, you know? You never treated him with kid gloves, but gave him the respect he deserved for his intelligence. Even without him telling me everything going on between the two of you at the time, or the fact that I wasn’t around you guys everyday, I could see it whenever I was. So if I could, why would you think your two ex-stalkers wouldn’t have?”

“It’s why they were working so hard to remove Justin from your orbit, because he wasn’t going to bullshit you into thinking things were all peachy keen and hunky dory when they were anything but. You said it yourself, Justin wouldn’t let you live beneath your potential, whereas Lindsay would want you to be her puppet, while Michael would want you to be his savior,” Emmett said, coming over to the table. Looking down at the third packet, he examined it carefully before he picked up the fourth one. “I do believe this is the one you’re looking for, Mr. Hoffman.”

Gene took the packet from the proffered hand. “How can you be so sure?”

“The quality of the paper. Although they all look the same in color, feel the texture of this versus the original. It’s something I learned in college, when studying calligraphy and lettering. The way the ink sits on the paper will announce the quality of the paper. In this case, it’s announcing which one of the replicas is a direct copy of the original last will and testament of Alfred Hammond.”

“Honeycutt, I swear you know the most obscure shit,” Brian said, shaking his head.

Emmett grinned. “Of course I do, Kinney, and don’t call me Honeycutt.”

Brian snickered, before growing serious again. “So now that you know what you’re looking for…”

“It’s just as I thought when Melanie laid out the situation to me last night,” Gene mused aloud.

“What? In plain English if you please, so that we all understand just what the hell you’re looking for,” Brian ordered.

“I’m getting there, Brian. Just give me a moment,” Gene assured him, just as he picked up the last will and testament of Skye Kinney. As he began to read through the main part of the bequeathment concerning Jack Kinney and his offspring, he began to read aloud. “To my son, I leave the knowledge that all of his inheritance will be passed down to his son, Brian Aiden Kinney, to be divided once he finds his sister and his good name restored. At no time should Brian be available to join in matrimony to any descendent- be it male or female- of the Harris family. This was at the request of my husband, Kevin Kinney, and I am glad to honor it as it will once again protect the Kinney bloodline from the Hammond’s usage.”

“Sounds like he realized his mistake of forcing Jack into marrying Joan,” Melanie said.

“He did,” Brian answered. “From what Mendel said, Jack was honorable before Kevin was talked into using his son to cover for Alfred getting Joan pregnant.”

Gene continued reading, eyes widening as he did so. “As an additional precaution, should Brian fail to honor all tenets within this document, he shall be passed over to his own firstborn- be it male or female- so that the original wealth of my family- the Dunleavys- and that accumulated and added to through my marriage into the Kinney Empire, will generationally be stewarded. Furthermore, this document will satisfy the desire of Kevin Kinney and Alfred Hammond that their houses be joined, just not the way they were intended. As sole heir at this time to both the Hammond fortune, and the joint-heir to the Kinney Empire, a mistake on the part of Kevin Kinney shall be satisfied. To my grandson, Brian, I beseech you to use wisdom, gain knowledge, and see that this gift is multiplied and passed down from generation to generation. Contact Mendel and Frayda Marcus at your earliest convenience. They should be able to point you in the direction of where to find your sister. All my love, Ceann Beag!” 

“Ceann Beag?” Emmett asked.

Brian cleared his throat before answering. “Little One. It’s what she called me when I met her. So that satisfies the questions of what Jack was supposed to tell me before he died. Does Alfred’s read the same?”

As Gene perused the document, getting to the bequeathment, he almost whooped in victory. “There isn’t any stipulation that you have to be married in order to inherit. Furthermore, it just mentions that you have to be the firstborn Kinney male after Jack. It keeps the line of inheritance clear, even though he wasn't able to, which I suspect had more to do with his alcoholism at that point than it did just being married to Joan. It does say, upon inheriting, that you are to sign over Joan’s house to her with a monthly stipend of three thousand dollars for the first two years after Jack Kinney’s death, which you can do in a lump sum yearly and to set aside one thousand per month as an emergency fund. But the total amount she’s to receive is not to exceed forty thousand per year. It was his hope that Joan would have remarried, or died off.”

“Cold, but considering the woman herself, I can’t fault him,” Nathan said, shaking his head. “Does it say anything about him being expected to care for Joan? I need to know that information because of her medical proxy and P.O.A. Could Brian legally revert the authority back to her should he choose to do so?”

“It doesn’t mention that you have to be responsible for her care should she be considered incapacitated at all, which they were trying to make you believe. But it does specify that should you marry, his only request is that it’s not a descendent from Duncan Harris. The goal was to keep the Hammond and Kinney houses joined by way of any male heirs. Since Virginia received her bequeathment while he was living, specifically when she married George Schickle, there is nothing left for her in the document except continued good wishes. He finishes by stating that any male offspring from his granddaughter, Claire, is to be half of what you inherited, Brian, and then split among them equally, but you’re to control it until such time as they reach their majority. This joins the Kinney and Hammond houses."

"That means there's no one able to contest the will, regardless that the end isn't what they would have wanted. It also explains why Virginia was so hellbent on getting to the document hidden within her room. Without the original she had, this situation could have left in limbo indefinitely,” Ronald pointed out.

“So what exactly has Brian inherited?” George asked.

“Brian and Melanie have inherited a Shipping empire, which not only handles freight and the like, but has now expanded into all kinds of cruise lines, along with various stocks and bonds, including those Kevin Kinney had bought when Alfred started to expand Hammonds Meats and Produce. As one of the premiere sources here in the U.S. and abroad, the return should yield about forty grand monthly, giving the pair of you an additional two-hundred and forty grand yearly individually and before taxes. He also invested in various high-end restaurants, which use Hammond’s products. There are other investments, including various bed and breakfast establishments, hotel chains and resorts, whose dividends payout quarterly. So the total inheritance for both of you is one-hundred and forty billion, which I suspect will keep growing year-to-year. 

“From the Hammond side of things, he liquidated just about everything except the business and the house Virginia currently resides in before he died. So congratulations, Brian and mini-Mel, you all are the heirs of a one-hundred and forty billion dollar fortune.”

“Cash?” Melanie asked, shock written clearly across her face.

“Welcome to the Elite, Melanie. I think we all really will need those umbrellas now,” Brian said. 

“Umbrellas?” Gene asked, puzzled at how calmly Brian said that and the ghostly look on Melanie’s face.

“I’m thinking umbrellas and ear plugs of cement when the Circle of Cuntery and their supporters find out,” Justin laughed. Then caught Melanie just in time before she hit the floor next to him. “Brian, what is it with you and your sister and fainting?”

“Must be hereditary,” Brian said, wryly, much to the amusement of everyone in the room, including Gene.