“Hmm.” Richard stared at the fire. He thought back over his time as Richard and knew that he needed to plan his next switch.
Ideally a less complicated one this time around.
“Sir, shall I continue, or should we break for lunch?” Charles asked the question after several minutes of silence had passed. Richard shook his head from his memories and refocused on the conversation, the one that had sparked him losing his train of thought.
“No, let’s continue. I would like to have this wrapped up.”
“World War I brought in the initial military contracts that boosted your portfolio by 150%. Some of those contracts are still valid in case another war arises.” Charles continued.
“How close are we?” Richard pushed his chair away from the desk and pulled his wheelchair close. Charles watched as he shuffled out of his stationary seat and then wheeled over to look out the window.
“Close to what, sir?”
“The war,” Richard snapped, spittle flying from the confines of his mouth and landing on his chin.
“We are close. I don’t anticipate the United States will get involved thanks to all the anti-war protests happening.” Charles cleared his throat as Richard wheeled over close to where Charles was seated, and Richard outstretched his hand expectantly.
“Well, sir, your portfolio is quite diverse, and if the war actually happens, the contracts you have pending with the government will come to fruition, and you can expect to see another increase of 50% in your account.”
Charles held out the file that had charts and graphs handwritten in meticulous script. Richard looked over the documents and nodded approvingly.
“I want to take a back seat for a while, appoint a trusted replacement to oversee the business in my stead. I don’t want to sell the company.” Richard paused, lost in thought, working out how he would be able to access the fortune he amassed. Charles also paused writing and looked up at him expectantly.
“I want to leave it all to someone,” Richard finally said.
“Of course, sir. The lawyers will be satisfied to finally have it settled.” Charles flipped to a blank page and opened his pen. “Ready when you are, sir. What is the person’s name?”
“I don’t know their name.” Richard turned his attention back to Charles. “I want to leave a secret message, and once I meet theright person who I want to bequeath my estate to, then I will tell them the secret message. Once they provide the correct secret message, they will have access to my estate.”
Charles’s jaw dropped open. “Sir,” he said, once he collected himself. “I don’t know how that is going to be very secure. The chances of it leaking out and people coming to claim it could cause mass hysteria.”
Richard raised his hand to stop Charles. “I understand that this is confusing. Leave the semantics and details to me.” Richard wheeled away from his mahogany desk.
“I’m hungry. Let’s have lunch.”
He had considered making a switch a few times over the last thirty-five years, but instead focused on how to grow the wealth he had already accumulated. He had found that building wealth as a man proved to be easier and quite practical.
Being a man had its positives, but deep down he was a woman, and he missed letting his true identity flow freely: the fashion, the soft skin, being taken care of rather than working all the time. It was exhausting building an empire.
World War II loomed on the horizon, and now that he had acquired wealth beyond his imagination, he wanted to come up with a new plan. In his old age, he knew his days were numbered. It was just a matter of finding the right person and executing a perfectly timed switch.
Richard satin the back of his town car. He enjoyed his afternoon drives through town. Over the years, he had watched as the town grew into a booming metropolis. His factories were key to its success, and he was something of a local legend, a necessary evil to most.
Richard sighed. He watched as families walked together, carrying recent purchases, or strolling hand in hand while going into an ice cream store.
I wish my Lizzie could be here to see this. I would love to stroll carefree with packages in our hands as we shop in the sunshine.His heart ached as thoughts from his former life invaded his mind.
The car turned off Main Street and headed toward the park, the final destination before making the loop back to his mansion by the bay. He loved the park. The tall fir trees provided ample shade on a variety of benches.
He watched as children ran to get their colorful kites in the air. A live band with an array of instruments garnered a large crowd under the shade of the trees.
“Driver, can you please pull over?” I want to enjoy the music in the park.” Richard waited as the car found a spot to park, and the driver brought out his wheelchair.
It had been a few weeks since he had finalized all his end-of-life plans with Charles. Now he waited to find the right person.
Instead of a passcode, he had a key made. It would open the vault, and he would give it to the person who would inherit his fortune.
He had worked out part of his plan, but he needed the final details before he could get out of his old, sickly body. Once he was out of the car and settled in his chair, he pushed himself.
