Caught in the Crossfire ↳ KNIVES OUT

Chapter 6

The whole family had gathered for the will reading of Harlan Thrombey. The family's attorney and his assistant were stationed at the front of the room, Linda and Richard sat next to each other, similarly with Meg and Joni, and Walt and Donna, with Jacob behind them. Marta and Benoit Blanc were stood at the back of the room, so as to not interfere with the reading. Ransom sits in the back corner at a table with a chess board, while Rosie sits opposite him, fiddling with the chess pieces. She didn't really understand what was happening, or why everyone was suddenly so excited, but she wanted to be there for the action anyway.

Alan begins the introduction to the will reading, "Well. Thank you all for getting together like this, it isn't legally necessary, but I thought because you are all in town and some of you are leaving soon, it would be best—"

He is cut off by Mr Blanc, politely interrupting, "Excuse me Mr Stevens, as to that, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to gently request that you all remain in town until the investigation is completed," He says, before adding as an after thought, "It shouldn't be more than two days."

"He's gently requesting, but I am gonna have to make that an order. Nobody move until we figure this thing out." Lieutenant Elliott orders.

Rosie, who was still moving the chess pieces, gasped loudly. The family turn the attention to the youngest among them, "I just moved! Is that bad? You said not to move!" She says, panicked, frantically looking around the room for some form of reassurance that she would be okay.

Looks of relief pass over everyone's faces as they realise Rosie isn't hurt like they had all previously thought.

Ransom decides to step in, as no one seemed to want to explain to the seven year old that the mans previous statement was not literal. "He doesn't mean it like that, pumpkin. You keep playing with the chess pieces." He smiles lightly at his sister, and just as the family are about to continue on with their conversation, Rosie speaks up again.

"What...is chess?" She asks, completely lost as to what was being referred to in the conversation. Ransom sighs heavily.

"Don't worry."

Shaking it off, the family begin to protest to Lieutenant Elliott's previous statement.

"What?" Linda questions, confused.

"Can we ask why? Has something changed?" Joni asks, looking pointedly at Blanc for the answer.

"Ah, no." Blanc said definitively, about to speak again before he is interrupted.

"No it hasn't changed or no we can't ask?" Joni inquires.

"Mr Stevens, please continue." Blanc says, ignoring Joni completely.

"Right well. The other reason I thought this gathering would be, uh, beneficial is that as I told Walt, Harlan altered his will one week ago. He sealed it and asked me not to submit it to the courts for probate until after his death. So I'm case there's any confusion about anything, we are all together, we can talk. I can't imagine any of it will be that complicated. Harlan's assets included, um..." Stevens trails off, reading over the paper in his hands.

"The house." Sally, his assistant, points out.

"The house which he owned outright." Stevens repeats, before pausing again. Linda reaches over and grabs her husbands hand, also looking back at her daughter, seemingly expecting the house to go to them.

"Sixty million." Sally supplies.

"Right in various cash accounts and investments." Joni and Meg look up, expecting this to be theirs. "Yes and of course, the real assets are sole ownership of...um..." He trails off once again.