The Testament

The depositions begin in mid-February. The lawyers throw all their time into the case, and the stakes are high. Nate begins with Troy Jr. Josh’s office provided questions, but Nate knows this phase and does it well, pounding Troy with personal questions designed to show him that “the skeletons could be summoned from the closet” (442). Nate hates doing it, but he is also offended by the Phelan children’s arrogance and entitlement. He looks forward to leaving his law career behind. The questioning goes on for two days, touching on Troy’s personal life, drug use, and professional failures, as well as the first psychiatrist’s declaration of Phelan’s sanity.

Nate deposes Rex next, asking him probing questions about the adult entertainment venues he owns, his wife, Amber, his legal troubles, and his professional failures. Nate goes light on Libbigail, relating to her as one person recovering from addiction to another. Unlike the two days that he spent grilling her brothers, he finishes questioning her in two hours and moves on to Mary Ross, focusing on her financial circumstances and avoiding the subject of her husband’s mistress. Ramble does not have much to say, as he has not yet inherited the $5 million that each Phelan child receives on their 21st birthday. The final deposition of the day is Geena, who is financially overstretched and being sued by the owner of a house that Geena promised to purchase for almost $4 million—a contract she signed after Phelan’s death.

Nate feels sorry for the Phelan children, whose father did nothing to develop them and seemed to enjoy watching them fail. However, he is convinced that the children should not receive Phelan’s money and is committed to upholding the validity of his final will. As he passes Father Phil’s church, Nate wishes that he could “ask God to forgive him for the sins of the week” (462).

Nate spends time sitting and chatting with Father Phil, a new experience for “a harried big-city professional” (463). Nate tells him about his plans to go west to see his children and try to make amends. Father Phil encourages him not to beat himself up about the past and to show his children the man he has become. When alone later, Nate writes to Rachel.

Nate deposes the three initial psychiatrists who examined Phelan and were later fired by the Phelan children’s lawyers, and they affirm their belief in Phelan’s testimony, happy to turn the screws on the Phelan children. Snead is deposed next, and despite his lawyers’ careful preparation, Nate catches him off guard and gets him to admit that he has been paid for his testimony. Later, the Phelan family lawyers wonder how Nate knew that Snead was being paid. Hark believes that it must have been Grit. They have all forgotten that Rachel remains unaccounted for.

Nate’s deposition of Nicolette is only a few minutes as he quickly establishes that she is lying about having had sex with Phelan. Nate deposes the new psychiatrists, who predictably claim that Phelan was not of sound mind. The depositions adjourn until March, and Nate begins his cross-country trip to see his children, feeling numb. He realizes that his work had cost him “his decency and shame” (479), rendering him unable to feel guilt or compassion. Now, he is proud that he can feel ashamed and feel pity for Snead and the Phelan children.

His visit with the young children from his second marriage, Angela and Austin, goes well. He spends three days bonding with them and leaves broken-hearted that he sank so low as “to lose such a wonderful family” (483).

Back in Washington, Hark files a motion to dismiss Rachel’s response to the will contest. Her signature has not appeared on any documents in the official file, and the court does not have jurisdiction over her. Though the Phelan children are impatient, the time frame benefits them, since “[t]he lottery winner was not claiming her prize” (485). None of Hark’s witnesses are credible or sympathetic. Their best hope is to settle and avoid a jury trial. Josh admires the motion to dismiss, recognizing it as the perfect move. His and Nate’s maneuvers have run their course.

Nate next plans visits with the two children of his first marriage. First is 23-year-old Daniel, who brings his model girlfriend. He offers his father a beer, which Nate declines. Daniel and his girlfriend both smoke and drink throughout the short, tense meeting. Daniel admits that he dropped out of graduate school, partly because he did not have money. Nate’s attempts to meet with his daughter, Kaitlin, are rebuffed. At first she agrees to meet, but then makes excuses for why she cannot. Nate is tempted to beat himself up and succumb to feelings of self-pity, but instead, he phones Father Phil, Sergio, and Josh, who tells him to come home.

Josh arranges for “peace talks” with the Phelan family lawyers (495). Nate is excluded, partly to avoid appearing to be allied with Josh, whose intention is for Nate to serve as intermediary between the Phelan children and their father’s estate. Josh begins by highlighting the many weaknesses of the Phelan family’s case. He talks about Rachel Lane as if he has met her, claiming that the shock of inheriting her father’s estate has not worn off, and she does not know what she plans to do with the money. Hark is still suspicious about the circumstances around Rachel, but Josh sells his narrative, and the promise of money keeps the other lawyers listening. Josh offers $10 million per heir. The lawyers want 50. Josh suggests that Nate could “convince [Rachel] to settle at twenty million per heir” (501).

Nate is working with Father Phil on the basement when Josh calls to report the news. They will meet with Judge Wycliff later in the week. Josh wants to “wrap it up” (502). Nate plans to leave for Corumbá after that and invites Father Phil to join him, but he cannot leave his parish. Though he knows that it is a long shot, Nate is hoping to convince Rachel to take the money so that the other Phelan children do not get it.

The meeting at Wycliff’s office is “to explore settlement,” which judges should want, though the idea of a “long, nasty, high-profile trial” secretly appeals to Wycliff (505). Nevertheless, he duly informs the Phelan lawyers that their case is weak. The lawyers all know this. Nate is bored but tries to stay focused. Hark speaks on behalf of them all, admitting that the Phelan children are unsympathetic but noting how their father’s neglect and contempt wounded them again and again. His words move Nate, Josh, and Wycliff. On Rachel’s behalf, Nate agrees to Hark’s initial request for $50 million per heir.

Josh has a rough draft of the settlement agreement. Everyone signs, but it will not be binding until Rachel signs. The Phelan Group’s plane will bring Nate to Corumbá. He has set up a trust for Rachel’s inheritance and named Neva Collier as its trustee. If Rachel never wants “to see or touch the money” (511), she will not have to. To proceed, she will have to sign either the trust and settlement documents or a renunciation of Phelan’s gift. Nate wonders if she will be happy to see him.

Ruiz greets Nate at the Corumbá airport. The following morning, a helicopter that is loaded with supplies is waiting to bring Nate into the Pantanal (which is no longer flooded), where Jevy will meet him with a boat and bring him to the Ipicas’ settlement. Jevy and Welly have prepared a place for the helicopter to land. The boat ride to the settlement will be a few hours. Nate wonders how Rachel will react and considers how he can convince her to sign.

As they approach the settlement, a young Ipica person meets them, ordering them to wait. Jevy and Nate discuss his last visit. Jevy is sure that his friend dreamed Rachel’s visit in Corumbá. The leader appears, clearly unhappy to see them. After another wait, he brings them to two graves outside Rachel’s hut: Rachel’s and Lako’s.

She and Lako both died of malaria. The Ipicas blame Jevy and Nate since the malaria appeared after they had visited. Nate knows that Rachel did not fear death and would not want anyone grieving for her. He did not know her well, but he considered her a friend, and he misses her. The leader wants them to leave as soon as possible, but first Nate must see a document that Rachel left for him: a holographic will that she modeled after her father’s, which she drafted, signed, and had notarized in Corumbá back in January. Nate had not dreamed her presence. She had been at the hospital, and she had been led by God to give him a calling. In the will, she does not decline the money but wants it put into a trust to be used by World Tribes missionaries. She appoints Nate its trustee and her executor.

Back on Jevy’s boat, Nate phones Josh with the news. Because Rachel left a will, everything can go forward as Josh planned. Phelan’s estate will be transferred to Rachel’s. Nate decides to remain on the boat with Jevy and Welly for the two-day trip back to Corumbá.