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Show 16 tomorrow, the tax accountant Tuesday; next week, the district attorney, so that there need not be even the slightest legal question about these events. She thinks ahead for a moment to the appointment with Collings; she knows him well, and knows exactly what he will say. He will sit in the formal chairs in the living room; he will place his briefcase on the small side table, and open it so that the inner pockets fan out; he will wait to say anything at all until she fully explains why it is that she has called him to come. He will hear it all, not interrupting and not reacting in any way, his bland young face entirely impassive, though he may in this case allow himself one cigarette from the dish on the coffee table. In this case, indeed, he will pause much longer after she has finished telling him what she wants, and he may even accede to a glass of soda or a cup of tea. When he has summoned himself he will finally speak, and address himself only to the question. "If your husband predeceases you, the insurance benefits will go half to you, and half jointly to your two surviving children, and the daughter of the child who is deceased. When you die your half of the insurance will form part of your estate, and be taxable at the usual inheritance rates. If, on the other hand, your husband predeceases you, the ..." "We want it to be simultaneous," she will say. The young man will stiffen almost imperceptibly, sit forward on his chair, crush the cigarette out in the ashtray. "I see," he will answer, "in that case, the various insurance benefits will . . ." Annis already knows about the insurance; she has studied the small print of each policy they've bought, and has been careful in the ones they've bought. |