Chapter 17 - The Offer
The settlement offer arrived before dawn on a Monday.
It gave me the marital house, a significant share of the investment accounts and a full release from Preston's claims.
At first glance, it resembled the resolution I had requested months earlier.
Then I reached paragraph nineteen.
I would have to withdraw all objections to the guaranty and make no further statements about the disputed transactions.
The apparent generosity was built around the same demand as Arthur's first offer.
They still wanted me to certify a fiction.
I marked the paragraph and returned the document.
Preston asked for a formal settlement meeting.
This time his counsel and a neutral mediator were present.
He looked exhausted.
"My father says the company collapses if this continues," he said.
"That may be a consequence of how the company was operated."
"Employees will lose their jobs."
"Then the company owes them honest records, not a false signature from me."
He rubbed both hands over his face.
"I thought you would just sign."
The sentence landed harder than any insult.
"You thought I would accept a debt that could follow me for the rest of my life?"
"I thought you would want peace."
"I did want peace."
I held his gaze.
"You used that against me."
Preston began to cry quietly, but tears did not undo his admissions.
He acknowledged that he had seen the disputed signature before closing and had not questioned it because Arthur said the matter was settled.
He also admitted he had concealed the transfer accounts from me.
His counsel advised him not to say more without careful consideration of his rights.
The meeting ended without agreement.
On my way out, Preston said, "There is one more account."
"Tell the neutral accountant."
"It isn't in my name."
He looked toward the corridor, where Arthur's driver waited.
"It's in yours," he whispered.
May you like
Then he left before I could ask what he meant.
