I Am Chosen

Jackpot

Valerie Griffin sat at the kitchen table of the main house at the Coolidge Estate, a host of paperwork spread before her, taking another sip of water and hoping the two Tylenol would kick in soon. There was another migraine on the way and it was sure to be a doozy. With half the estate's staff out with the flu and the water damage in the west hall, she was seriously considering breaking out one of the vintage cabernets from the cellar.

Sometimes being an estate manager really sucked. With both Walter Coolidge and now Declan Crowe gone, Valerie assumed it wouldn't be too long before she was out of a job. Which was all find and dandy, since a retired millionaire video game CEO-who lived in Hawaii!!-had just put an offer on the table for her services.

As Valerie downed the last of her water, the cell phone on the table buzzed.

"Valerie Griffin," she answered.

"Hi Valerie, yes this is Pam Dawson, assistant to Carter O'Shaunessy, probate lawyer for Mister Declan Crowe."

So, the sharks were circling again. "How can I help you?"

"I'm confirming for our four o'clock appointment."

"What appointment?" Valerie asked.

"You should have gotten a phone call. With the passing of Mister Crowe I've been tasked with gathering an inventory of Mister Coolidge's assets, so all the appropriate documents can be notified. I mean, notarized. And executed. Forthwith."

This assistant sounded pretty wet behind the ears.

"I'll need to verify this with Mister Valente."

"Valente..."

"Yes, Valente. Mister Coolidge's estate lawyer."

"Oh, right! His office was supposed to have made the appointment. The four o'clock."

"I haven't-" just then a beep alerted Valerie that she had another call. "Hold just a second." She hit the answer button. "Valerie Griffin."

"Yes, Miss Griffin," an older-sounding man said. "This is Bradley Cooper, calling on behalf of Mister Valente. This is so embarrassing I was supposed to call yesterday regarding a visit by a Pam Dawson-"

"She's on the phone now," Valerie said.

"She is? I've been so swamped here... would it be possible to squeeze her into your schedule? You'd really be saving me."

"Yes of course. I'll let her know," Valerie said and ended the call, switching back over to Pam. "That was Mister Valente's office calling about your appointment. I'll meet you at the gate at four o'clock."

"Wonderful, thank you so much!" Pam said. Valerie ended the call, set her phone down, drew in a long breath and exhaled. What a circus. Well, the sooner these lawyers jumped through all their necessary hoops the better.

Valerie leaned back, massaging her temples and imagined herself sitting at a pristine beach sipping a blue Hawaii.

Kacey hit the end call button on her phone. She was in her apartment, seated at her dining room table across from Hollis. Hollis's phone was sitting on the tabletop. He was wearing a dark gray pinstriped suit.

"'Forthwith?'" Hollis said, "seriously? There's no way she went for it. If that was me, I'd be calling the cops right now."

"Dude, first off, I'm not the one dressed like Al Capone. And second, 'Bradley Cooper'? Could you have come up with a name that wasn't a multiple-Oscar winning celebrity?"