“Jesus!” Krista gasped.
“What’s cupuaco?” Zach asked.
“It’s like a blend of banana, pear, passion fruit, pineapple, and chocolate. It’s known as the ‘the pharmacy in a fruit’ because of its many healing properties,” Susan explained.
“Is your husband not calling the only reason you were worried about him?” Zach asked.
“N-no,” Susan replied. “David was worried that someone was trying to do something fishy. He told me that when he got back, that we were going to make some changes to the Kumms Family Trust to protect everything.”
“Could that person have known that you were on to him?” Zach asked. “Is that why — what was that name? — Quinn wanted proof of your death?”
Silent tears poured from Susan’s eyes.
“Quinn is Kumms Corporation’s General Counsel,” Susan said. “He probably knows more about everything from a legal standpoint than anyone, including David. He’s a… we’ve been very concerned lately that he’s become unbalanced. He must have felt it. We were very uncomfortable.”
“Can’t you just fire him?” Krista asked.
“It’s not that easy,” Susan said, smiling wanly. “Quinn is also our son and an equal shareholder in the Kumms Family Trust along with my husband and myself.”
“Oh, shit!” Krista gasped.
“That’s how we were going to deal with him, by voting him out of the Trust, then using that leverage to encourage him to get serious help,” Susan explained.
“So if he kills you, or your husband, there is no majority to vote him out,” Zach said.
“No,” Susan agreed.
“And if he kills both of you, he gets it all, I presume?” Zach asked.
“Yes,” Susan agreed. “Then he could dissolve the trust and sell all of the assets.”
“What sort of money are we talking about here?” Zach asked.
“The Kumms Corporation has investments in insurance, pharmaceuticals, and real estate, with a market cap of approximately $250 billion and 51% of all shares held by and in the Kumms Family Trust,” Susan replied.
“So by killing you and your husband, he’ll walk with $125 billion?” Zach asked.
“Conceivably, yes,” Susan agreed. “Which is why you can’t call the police. They’re easily purchased here.”
“But he knows that you’re here,” Zach said. “That guy who’s arm I mangled can’t go to a hospital without raising suspicion and he didn’t strike me as anything more than hired muscle. He probably doesn’t even know how to contact Quinn to tell him how they screwed up.”
“It would be best if he was unable to contact anyone ever again,” Juliana said.
“Juliana’s right,” Rui said somberly.
“I agree,” Zach said. “If Quinn doesn’t hear from his hit team and you seemingly disappear, he won’t be able to act because he won’t know if they succeeded or not. He’ll need to have things looked into before he can make his next step.”
“Actually, he does have a way,” Susan said. “Any member of the Trust can call for a formal meeting of beneficiaries, though the call must explain the purpose and why. It was set up this way so that everyone would have adequate time to engage counsel if desired. Once the call for a meeting is made, it must occur within 90 days. Failure to show up would mean no ability to vote on any issues.”
“If I were Quinn, I’d make very traceable attempts to contact both you and your husband,” Zach said. “When he doesn’t get any response, then he’ll feel safe enough to call a meeting. We just need to find a way to keep you alive until then.”
“Wha-what do you mean!?” Susan gasped, her eyes wide. “This isn’t your responsibility.”
“No, but he picked a fight with the wrong person when he messed with me,” Krista said, steel in her voice.
“Nobody messed with you,” Zach said. “And one thing I’ve been wondering; how did you happen to stab that guy…”
“Vincent Abbrazzo,” Susan said. “They called him Vinny.”
“… in the back?” Zach asked.
“I-I saw him step out of the shadow with his gun,” Krista replied. “He didn’t see me; he was focused on Susan. The knife was on the ground next to them. When I saw him raise his arm like he was going to shoot, I just grabbed the knife and stabbed at him. I didn’t mean to kill him.”
“You probably saved Zach’s life,” Rui said. “Nobody misses from that close up. You must have stabbed him just before he pulled the trigger.”
“Do you have anyone else that you trust that can help you?” Zach asked.
“Only to a degree,” Susan said. “I have a contact in the finance department. She helped me set up a secret account in the Caymans back when we first started having doubts about Quinn.”
“They’ll be able to trace you if you use any accounts that they’re aware of,” Zach said.
“I also have someone in Quinn’s office, his executive assistant,” Susan said. “I’m not sure how much he really knows or how much Quinn keeps from him, but he’s been very helpful. Other than that, nobody.”
“I suppose your passport and stuff is gone now?” Zach asked.
“No, I left everything back at the hotel,” Susan replied, “the Hotel Villa Amazonia. I just had some money in case I got hungry and my photos of David to show people.”
“Then you have no choice but to go back there,” Zach said. “And we have to assume that they’ll have someone watching the hotel for you. That means that once you go there, you need to leave Manaus, or even Brazil, as fast as you can.”
“There aren’t so many flights from Manaus,” Rui said. “It’ll be easy for someone to keep an eye on the airport. As soon as you get on a plane, they’ll know where you’re going.”
“Not a private jet,” Zach said.
“Private jets have to file flight plans, too,” Rui said. “And they’re expensive.”
“Yes, but a private jet pilot can be induced to change those plans en route and someone would have to have an incredible web of tentacles to keep up with something like that,” Zach said.
“So, what’s the plan?” Krista asked.
“I don’t think Susan should show her face outdoors until we’re ready to go to her hotel,” Zach said. “You should call the hotel, though, and tell them not to worry, that you’re just taking a side excursion, that you still want to keep the room, etc. Is your passport and stuff in your room?”
“No, I left it with the desk to keep in their safe,” Susan replied, yawning, the adrenalin rush from all of the excitement finally wearing off.
“We should go and let you get some sleep,” Rui said. “We’re not going to solve anything tonight anyway. Let’s see how things look in the morning. I’ll put these frozen peas back in the freezer,” he said, Susan blushing when she saw him staring at her pussy when she rolled onto her back before she could pull a sheet up over herself.
“I can stay with you if you like,” Juliana said. “You might need some help.”
“Not the kind of help that you want to give them,” Rui said with a laugh.
“I’ll come in the morning after our run, then,” Juliana said. “I can bring breakfast.”
“Don’t open the door to anyone but us,” Rui warned Krista when she walked them to the door. “And call me for any reason. You should take this whole thing seriously.”
“It’s hard to comprehend,” Krista said, shaking her head. “How could a son want to kill his parents just for money?”
“More people are killed for money than just about anything else, I’d imagine,” Rui said. “With the numbers she was talking about, well, I can imagine it twisting someone’s mind enough to try.”
“I’ve never seen such a crazy day,” Krista said when she went back to the bedroom after making sure that the door was securely locked after Rui and Juliana left, quickly stripping.
“I can sleep on the sofa,” Susan said. “I’ve been enough trouble. I don’t want to…”
“Don’t be silly,” Krista said. “You’re hurt, too. Besides, we never mind sharing our bed with someone, though it’s usually a lot more interesting.”
“I just feel like I’ve already imposed upon you enough,” Susan said.
“I need to pee,” Zach said with a sigh.
“I’ll help you get up,” Krista said. “Slowly. Carefully,” she admonished, helping him to swing his legs over the side of the bed, then taking both of his hands and helping to pull him upright.
“You’ve been wonderful to me,” Susan said when Zach limped painfully to the bathroom. “I-I’d probably be dead if it weren’t for you. You’re so fortunate to have a man like Zach.”