Chapter 4 - The packet was mostly real
Avery Cross spread the intact copy across my conference table the day after the birthday.
Not every page was fake.
That was what made it dangerous.
Page one:
Real Continuity and Buy-Sell Agreement.
Certified copy.
Page two:
Real 2018 governance schedule.
Outdated, but authentic.
Page three:
A “Family Stewardship Designation.”
Felix Locke named:
first contingent family stewardship designee.
That page was disputed.
Page four:
A legal opinion from Adrian Locke’s firm stating that, upon a qualifying control event, Felix’s branch held first family succession preference.
Also disputed.
Page five:
A declaration signed by Genevieve:
Packet is complete and reflects all operative family succession instruments known to declarant.
That sentence would become important.
Then what was missing?
The 2022 Continuity Restatement.
The document Genevieve herself signed.
It superseded any family preference language.
Why omit it?
Genevieve’s lawyers claimed:
It did not supersede the separate Stewardship Designation.
Could that be true?
Maybe.
Documents interact.
Courts decide.
Then the Stewardship Designation.
Original?
Adrian’s firm had produced one.
Date:
December 2019.
My father Dominic was alive then.
Signature:
Dominic Ravelle.
Witness:
Adrian.
Another witness:
Family-office controller Marjorie Bell.
Marjorie denied signing that document.
Her signature looked real.
That was concerning.
Dominic’s signature also looked real.
No conclusion yet.
Avery said:
“Do not call it forged.”
“I haven’t.”
“You will want to.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t.”
Then my father’s drafting attorney, Harold Stein, located a 2019 draft titled:
Family stewardship memorandum.
It contained:
Felix as oldest grandchild then living.
My daughter had not been born yet? Primrose six now and 2019 maybe around birth. Let's set: Primrose born 2020. So in 2019 Felix was only grandchild.
The draft said:
Felix Locke may be considered for future family leadership training if appropriate.
No automatic succession.
No signature.
Then Primrose was born.
Dominic died eight months later.
The allegedly signed designation converted “may be considered” into “first contingent family stewardship designee.”
Small wording change.
Huge consequence.
Then 2022.
Genevieve signed restatement eliminating family preference.
Why would she later claim the 2019 designation survived?
That was her argument:
The 2022 document governed corporate voting procedures.
The 2019 designation governed family branch priority.
Maybe.
But if the 2019 designation itself was invalid, none of it mattered.
Then Avery said:
“Adrian confessed to more than document preparation.”
“What?”
“He told special counsel Genevieve used Felix’s custodial account to finance the succession campaign.”
I looked up.
May you like
“What account?”
Avery’s face told me this was the part I had not known existed.
