Chapter 11 a cup of herbal tea

The heavy rain was still pouring down, and the road became more and more muddy. While driving carefully up the mountain, Herbert Jenkins kept complaining to himself: "What am I doing? The rain is so heavy that the road It’s so hard to walk, is it worth running so hard towards the monastery on the top of the mountain? If I had known the weather was like this, I wouldn’t have to suffer.” After a while, the rain gradually lightened, but the sun was still tightly covered by thick clouds, and Jenkins' car was still struggling on the road. "What a fool I was to accept that old woman's invitation in this ghostly weather. If the water level in the river rises a little higher, it will be difficult to cross the old wooden bridge when I come back, maybe I have to go around and run dozens of miles. Alas, talking to that old woman will only be some boring chat, and I will waste an afternoon in vain. Besides, there are so many people in the law firm. The case file has not been processed." Thinking of this, Jenkins was very annoyed.

However, complaints are complaints, but Jenkins still knows very well that this visit is a matter of time.The old crone was out of suit now, and the only thing she could rely on was Sam Cowdray, a young man just out of law school.Compared with Sam Cowdray, he can do a lot for the old woman!At least so far, nothing has happened that has worried him or attracted the attention of the court. "No matter what, I will try my best to do her own work this time, even if I give her a few more shares, because if a lawsuit is really filed, not only will the lengthy legal proceedings be too time-consuming and energy-consuming, but it will also cause trouble. It's not worth the fuss." Jenkins thought silently while driving.

The old woman Herbert Jenkins was referring to was Esther Bowen, the widow of Paul Bowen. Paul Bowen was a man of some renown in his lifetime.He himself claimed to be a chemist, but he was actually a completely self-taught inventor.He has devoted himself to research and research all his life, but he has never made a name for himself. It was not until he was in his sixties that he came up with a formula for a soft drink, which was put on the local market by Brett Juss. It was such a hit with consumers that Brett Juss & Co. saw him and his soft drink recipes as a rich gold mine, tapping into its potential, not for long, of course.Later, due to Bowen's overconfidence and untimely blind expansion, the operating results went from bad to worse.At this time, not only the bank began to put pressure on him, refusing to give him any more loans, but also said that it would be troublesome to find guarantors. As for those guarantors, they were naturally overwhelmed and came to him one after another, which made Bowen very troubled.What's more serious is that those competitors took advantage of the opportunity and simply cut off his sales.This is really: one wrong move, and the whole game is lost.At that time, in anyone's eyes, Bowen was hopeless, and he must go bankrupt in the end.

It was at this time that Herbert Jenkins, a lawyer, stepped in.He was very shrewd. First, he conducted a careful study of Bowen's situation, and then, as usual, he made a comprehensive plan according to his own vision: the first step was to avoid Bowen and get in touch with the Southeast Beverage Company first. , try to persuade them to agree to take over Bright-Jose Company.Of course, the result was unexpectedly smooth. With his sharp tongue, it took less than a meal, and he let the other party accept it.Of course, he played some tricks during this period. At the beginning, he lied a little, saying that he was an investor in this project, but in fact he didn't even own half of the shares at that time; A verbal agreement between them has not yet entered into force, and they started a direct dialogue with Bowen, or to put it bluntly, launched an offensive.

"Mr. Bowen, I have carefully studied your situation. With all due respect, there are only two roads ahead of you now." He said straight to the point.Next, he made a comprehensive analysis of the situation, and then said to the haggard man with the drooping head sitting across from him: "I think you're either going to declare bankruptcy or sell everything you have. Only in this way will you not lose all your interests." Looking at the helpless eyes of the other party, he took advantage of the opportunity to launch his plan, "This is how I think about it, I will buy the mortgage of the main guarantor, As the new controlling shareholder, you will retain the lowest shareholding, and you will still serve as the chairman of the board." Speaking of this, Jenkins couldn't help laughing in his heart, but he knew very well that the laurels of the chairman of the board are in vain, but only for the time being. It's just to satisfy the old man's vanity.

"I really made a good deal. It seems that the old man Bowen still insists on the title of chairman of the board of directors, and I made a concession after fighting for reason. However, whether this old man can enter the gate of the board of directors depends entirely on It depends on the directors, although I didn't say it explicitly, but what I should say is also implied." Jenkins secretly laughed. Jenkins looks back on it now with complacency.He still clearly remembered that at that time Bowen's eyes were filled with tears, his heart was hurting, his hands were shaking, and he couldn't dare to look at the signature pen on the table.Time passed minute by minute, and finally Bowen had to grit his teeth, pick up a pen and sign the agreement.Jenkins clearly saw that when Bowen slightly put down the signature pen, he still seemed hesitant.It is not difficult to see that the old man is in extreme pain and helplessness, and it is difficult for him to let go of what he has entrusted with his life's painstaking efforts and hopes.Although his signature was crooked and full of childishness, it fulfilled the dream of the lawyer with ulterior motives for several months, which the old man could never have imagined.

As soon as Jenkins got the agreement signed by Bowen, he immediately resold the soft drink formula to Southeast Beverage Company, which allowed him not only to recover all the upfront investment, but also to earn a lot of money. What does this show?It is nothing more than the extent to which a person can do if he understands the nature of man.There are a lot of people in this world who are fools, and it's easy to play with them if you know how to handle them.At this time, Jenkins is such a person. "It's just the old woman, but she's easy to deal with. I guess she's still grieving the loss of her husband," Jenkins thought.

It turned out that a few days after Jenkins' plot succeeded, Bowen committed suicide. His body was found in the garage. , there is a suicide note beside him, there are only a few lines of scribbled words on it, or the crooked childish style of writing, to the effect that he has failed in this life, and the only way to get rid of this world is to leave this world, and beg The poor wife was able to forgive and forgive him without mentioning Jenkins at all. Bowen's suicide caused quite a stir in the town, and there were many speculations. Of course, most of them still believed that he was caused by the bankruptcy of his business.

But for Jenkins, this was a good thing that people wished for. He secretly thought: "Now, I can not only be completely relieved and avoid a lot of troubles, but also don't have to worry about Bowen going back on his word. If he really If I repent and take this matter to the court, it will be the biggest trouble in the world. At that time, the false oral agreement between me and Southeast Beverage Company will be exposed, and I will give excuses to my opponents. Well, it will also threaten my bar. Now that Bowen is dead, it's called dead without a case, and I don't have to worry about anything."

In fact, Bowen had doubts about the signed agreement later, and he did have the intention of going back on his word. The car continued to climb to the top of the mountain. Jenkins thought: "The old woman who stays at home all day must know nothing about this. Even if she thinks that her husband is cheated, she can't do anything about it. Maybe she will talk to Sam Cowdray. , but what good tricks will that fledgling young man have? But I am different. Not only can I give her some psychological comfort, maybe I will also generously give up the shares under my name according to the situation. One or two, what a temptation it must be for her! Now and then, I have to persuade the old woman to see the situation clearly."

In the drizzle, Jenkins' car finally arrived.In front of me is a two-storey Victorian building. If placed many years ago, this building should be very spectacular and magnificent, but after years of erosion, it now looks very desolate and dilapidated in the rain. Jenkins got out of the car, pulled up the collar of his raincoat, ran up the steps, and rang the doorbell. "Oh, it's Mr. Jenkins. It's great that you can come here in the rainy day. Come in!" It was Mrs. Bowen who appeared at the door—Esther Bowen, who An old woman with a thin body, white hair, and a slightly hunched back. "Mrs. Bowen, hello! Because of the weather, I'm sorry to keep you waiting!" He greeted politely. Following the old woman's stumbling steps, he entered the room and looked around. He saw a fire in the living room, which was warm; there was a door to the dining room, but it was closed; The curtains seem to be blocking the sun, but today is a rainy day, and the sun does not exist; there is a very old carpet in front of the sofa in the living room, and a dim light is on next to it; there is also a picture of Bowen and his wife hanging on the wall In the photo taken when they were young, the two cuddled tightly, with bright smiles on their faces, and Jenkins quickly looked away. "Mrs. Bowen, are you okay?" He sat down and asked enthusiastically while warming himself by the fire. "Oh, it's recovered pretty well! As a human being, one should be content, but for me, my husband's death is indeed a bolt from the blue." "Yes, it's human nature, I can understand. I think your living environment is pretty good." "My life is fine, but the way he died is unacceptable," Mrs. Bowen said.After a pause, she continued: "He usually has a critical attitude towards those who commit suicide, but how could he do such a terrible thing now? I can't believe it. Tell me, why did he do that? What to do?" "Yeah, why exactly? Mrs. Bowen, I think he must be sick, but the matter has come to this point, I advise you not to indulge too much, it is more important to take care of your health." Jenkins avoided the old woman's staring eyes, concerned say. "He must be heartbroken, Mr. Jenkins. Think about it, he has devoted his entire life to this cause, and he lost it so suddenly, as if he had been betrayed." She said solemnly shook his head and said. "In business, anything can happen, and I see that fact as normal. Sometimes something goes wrong and it happens, but it's not your husband's fault," Jenkins said slowly. "Oh, you sit down, I'll go and see the fire." Saying that, Mrs. Bowen stood up, went to the fireplace and poked the fire. "Mr. Jenkins, to tell you the truth, I have also learned a lot from this incident during this time. You may not know that Bowen told me some circumstances before his death. From those circumstances, I think it is not Simply 'it just happened', it's true that his company was in trouble, but he was lured into a situation where he had no choice but to put his life's work into making it happen. This is not his original intention, nor is it the inevitable way out for the company." When she said this, her face was flushed, and her body was trembling slightly. I don't know if it was because of the fire or emotional agitation. . Jenkins still sat there very calmly. "I think you are the biggest beneficiary!" Mrs. Bowen turned around suddenly, facing him and said loudly. "Mrs. Bowen, you can't say that. Business is business. You don't have to take it as a personal grievance between me and Bowen. Besides, don't you also hold the shares of Southeast Beverage Company?" ? You will also get the corresponding dividends when you pay dividends." He said with a smile. "Really? That's just a little bit, and I'm getting more and more unable to make ends meet." Mrs. Bowen said unhurriedly. "It seems that this old woman is not easy to deal with." He tried to change the subject, "I heard that you have a very beautiful garden. I wanted to visit it, but the weather today is too bad." "Yes, my garden is indeed something to be proud of. I will show you there when the weather clears. However, I recently found that there are moles in the garden shaving roots, and some flowers are withered. It's a pity. The gardener and I think Use mousetrap to catch them, but there are so many moles, we have to find a new way." Mrs. Bowen seemed to follow Jenkins to change the subject. "Oh, mole? I heard from a friend that a good way to get rid of moles is to bury empty bottles in the garden ground with the top up so the wind will make the bottle whine." The sound, the mole will drill in when it hears it." Jenkins introduced in detail. "I've heard from gardeners that there's an easier way to get rid of them," Mrs. Bowen said. "Really?" Jenkins asked with interest. "Just poison them! Does that sound horrible? I'm a guy who doesn't like to kill animals, but what about my garden? I have to do it to keep the garden, and the gardener puts the poison on Sunday I bought it back and put it in the storage room now." Mrs. Bowen looked at Jenkins and said this with a relaxed face. "Oh, that's right." "The gardener said that the ground is too wet now to use the medicine. He will prepare the medicine when the weather clears and the ground dries to a certain extent. Of course, you can also try the method of burying the bottle you just mentioned. Mr. Jenkins, for some reason, the method you mentioned gave me a particularly strange feeling." At this moment, she suddenly patted herself with a wrinkled hand as if remembering something "Oh, look at me! Why did my master forget to pour you a cup of tea?" "Oh, that's all right. It would be nice to have a cup of tea, though," he said. "Mr. Jenkins, you probably haven't tasted the tea I made with herbs. It's not too strong, but a little bitter. Some people prefer this taste. I think you will like it after drinking it." she says. "Herbal tea? That must be good." He really wanted to taste it. Mrs. Bowen turned and went to the kitchen to make tea. Jenkins was sitting in the living room waiting for her. At this time, he couldn't help but wondered: "Why didn't she ask me how I felt about this house? Did she think that seeing her poor situation had aroused me?" Your sympathy? It might be getting late, I have to find an excuse to end this visit." He looked down at his watch, it was already three o'clock. "Before I leave, I have to ask about Sam Cowdray's situation. How should I ask then?" When he was thinking about it, he saw Mrs. Bowen walking in pushing a small wheeled cart. The things on it really surprised him, because in addition to teapots and teacups, there were also exquisite and decorated Food items such as marbled cakes and cookies.He quickly stood up and said, "Come on, let me help you." When they all sat down, Mrs. Bowen said: "I'm getting old, and my strength is failing. We used to have a servant when life was easy, but since Bowen's business failed... well, let's not talk about that." People who are alive must continue to live. When people are old, they always like to think back to the past. How happy and happy Mr. Bowen and I were at that time. We thought we would have a happy old age, but... But I didn’t expect him Will let go and leave me alone, struggling to survive, alas!" "Cough, cough..." Jenkins felt a biscuit crumb stuck in his throat, cleared his throat and said, "Mrs. Bowen, I was thinking that the arrangement I made with Mr. Bowen is to make your life better." Well, I wonder if you have any questions or requests now? If you have any, please tell me. There is no need to seek other people's opinions. You know, there are some young lawyers who talk about it and say it well, but in fact they have a lot of experience. few." "Oh," she said, smiling slightly, "I've got a lawyer, Mr. Cowdray, who has given me all the help I need. I think there's something he needs to talk to you about." "Really?" He was a little uneasy in his heart, but he quickly regained his composure, "Yes, if it's a company matter, then it can be arranged at any time. But as far as I know, everything is normal, please believe me .” "That's good. Mr. Jenkins, I don't know much about the legal provisions, but I know that if I can prove that my husband was under some kind of duress, I believe the court will declare the agreement invalid." Mrs. Bowen There are needles hidden in the cotton. "What, coercion?" Jenkins felt as if the food in his throat was stuck again, "Don't be kidding, how could such a thing happen! Let me tell you this, Mr. Bowen was very concerned about every detail of the agreement at that time." After reading it, he made the decision completely independently, so why talk about the word 'coercion'? You must not be deceived by anyone, otherwise there will be no good results." His tone was also aggressive. "Yes, Mr. Cowdray is younger, but he is very clever." "Mrs. Bowen, don't you like the feeling that litigation is exhausting and unpleasant?" "In any case, I think there's always a better solution." Mrs. Bowen and Jenkins expressed their opinions and seemed to be implying something. "A better way? What does she mean by that?" Jenkins took another sip of tea, and at this moment, he seemed to realize something. "Yes, and I know that litigation takes time and pain. But I remember Mr. Bowen saying that if you want to settle any unpleasant matter, you try to settle it in the quickest and cheapest way possible. That's true." She also took a sip of the tea in the cup and said.Then she smiled again and said, "Mr. Jenkins, is my tea nice?" "Oh, it's delicious, it's really good." He was a little puzzled by the old woman in front of him, "What does she mean by saying this? Is it implying something?" Mrs. Bowen didn't pay attention to these, she still said slowly: "Our family has an old dog named Rolf. Once he was very sick and was obviously going to die. Although Mr. Bowen liked him very much, he still without hesitation……" "What's wrong with him?" Jenkins asked nervously. "Nothing, he just fed it some poison, probably pentavalent arsenic," said Mrs. Bowen. "Oh," Jenkins nodded imperceptibly, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Bowen, the wind seems to be getting stronger outside, I should go." He said a little hastily. "The wind is stronger than before. In my garden, the wind always has a destructive effect, blowing off the petals and breaking the branches. Not only that, but the moles have come to make trouble this summer, but the gardener has assured me that the moles It won't last a few days, the toxicity of pentavalent arsenic is strong enough, and the medicine is also very fast, just wait and see!" At this time, there was a brief silence in the living room, only the clock on the wall was ticking, ticking.Mrs. Bowen seemed completely engrossed in the subject of pentavalent arsenic, while he drained the last sip of his tea in a swish. "Mr. Jenkins, do you know what I was thinking just now? I was thinking that it might take longer for my husband to die, so there would be no pain, but if he was poisoned, he would suffer." Bao said Mrs. En.Then, she said with a little apology: "Look at me, I only talked about these poisons, didn't it spoil your interest?" "Oh, no, no," he responded. Mrs. Bowen put down the teacup in her hand, moved her chair forward, and said, "There is something that no one knows except me and Mr. Bowen. This is a secret that Mr. Bowen has kept for a lifetime. Related, I'll tell you now, he... Mr. Jenkins, what's wrong? What's wrong with you?" She stood up. Indeed, Jenkins just noticed that something was wrong, and his exhaustive mind didn't react until this moment: herbal tea-strange smell-storage room-pentavalent arsenic. "She shouldn't do that!" A terrible thought even came to his mind. "She must have done that! It turned out that she had planned it carefully." He confirmed this. too terrifying!He clamped his neck violently with his hands, and there was a terrible whimpering sound in his throat. He wanted to stand up, but just as soon as he left the seat, he sat back down again. He wanted to speak, but it was squeezed out of his throat. But it was a miserable cry. Seeing his state, Mrs. Bowen said coldly: "Don't be nervous, the biscuit crumbs must have fallen into your windpipe. Try to relax and take a deep breath." He was still flustered and nervous, "Five... pentavalent arsenic!" He was obviously shouting, but it sounded like a whisper, as if "Help, help!" Mrs. Bowen still sat back in her chair, fiddling with her teacup, as if she didn't hear anything. "Oh, I haven't told you the secret just now. As I said, Mr. Bowen didn't go to any school. He was a war orphan. He had to go out to make a living at a very young age..." She was talking there, but Jenkins didn't hear anything at all, because he was still gripped by the great fear, the burning pain in his stomach, and the dim lamp on the old carpet. The light also became dimmer in his eyes, "My God! Am I going to die?" He was terrified to the extreme, but she could still sit there steadily, talk calmly, or Savoring the joy of revenge?Or is it waiting for his death?The old woman must be crazy! Jenkins exhausted all his strength and stood up leaning on the back of the chair, "Please, Mrs. Bowen, please call the doctor and call an ambulance, or it will be too late!" He begged in a weak voice. "Too late? Isn't it?" There was a sneer in the corner of her mouth, "But have you ever wondered if it was really too late when poor Bowen collapsed in the moving car! " "No! He committed suicide! It's not my fault!" "Then I ask you, did you take advantage of him inappropriately? Did you deceive him and take advantage of his negligence? Would you admit to that?" said Mrs. Bowen indignantly. "I, yes, yes! However, I can... I can compensate you! I will give you all my shares in Southeast Beverage Company! Please don't waste any more time, I am dying, please help me! " Looking at Jenkins' begging eyes, she stood up slowly, still holding the empty teacup in her hand, and approached him, her pale face showing no pity. "Let me tell you, the suicide note found by the police was actually written by you. You imitated his handwriting and his signature, and then you killed him. Am I wrong?" "No! Ah, yes... yes! I struck him down with iron because... because he suspected me and threatened me, I... I had to. I confess everything, and I beg you to save me." Save me, before it's too late!" In order to survive, Jenkins had to tell everything. Only the two of them were present at the time. If he survived, he could have denied it afterwards, because she had no witnesses. "Now, Mr. Jenkins, stand up and look at you, how stupid! To tell you the truth, I didn't put anything in your tea, and you won't be poisoned." "What? What did you say?" He tried it out and stood up. "Wow, how dare you tease me!" He roared, obviously the anger of being teased had replaced the pressure of great fear just now. "I didn't admit anything, no! I can overturn everything I said, no one will believe you, even if you do, you have no evidence!" His face turned blue, and he seemed extremely annoyed. "Mr. Jenkins, don't get mad. Bowen's signature. Those are the only words he can read and write. He never went to school." "Impossible! How can he run a business if he can't read?" he said, staring at her. "I helped him," said Mrs. Bowen. "Don't you think I don't know anything. If Bowen had followed my advice, I tried to warn him not to take it. Your suggestion. So, when the police handed me that suicide note that day, I knew in my heart that he was murdered. I didn't tell anyone about him being illiterate because I swore Keep it a secret for him. Then who will profit from his death? Only you!" Jenkins was much calmer now, and he began to think again in his heart: "Anyway, no one will see me here, as long as I take a step, I can reach out and grab her skinny neck, yes, no Do it endlessly, just do it!" While thinking, he moved towards her. "Actually, I don't care whether Bowen is literate or not. The most important thing is that we love each other. Mr. Jenkins, I don't think you will understand this, because you have never loved anyone except yourself." He moved towards her again, and was about to... Suddenly, the door leading to the dining room opened, so that he almost fainted. It turned out that Sam Cowdray and Sheriff Bennett flashed out from inside and walked straight to him, all four standing. There, quietly, motionless, for a long time, as if listening to the sound of the wind sweeping the eaves and the rain knocking on the window outside the house.