Chapter 474: Paoli's Pants Full of Yellow Mud
"Hello, may I ask if Ms. Maria Michela Quirino lives here?" the American lawyer asked, first in English, then repeating in French.
"Oh, that's me," Madame Paoli nodded. "It's Maria Michela Paoli now; I'm married. And you are?"
The man quickly handed over his business card. "My name is James Denton. I'm your grandaunt's lawyer."
"My grandaunt?"
The lawyer nodded. "Yes, Madame Giovanna Massimo. Do you remember her?"
Madame Paoli shook her head. "I'm sorry, I really don't remember. Oh, please, come in and sit down."
Attorney Denton entered the house and politely said, "First, I need to confirm that you are from the Quirino family of Ajaccio, Padano Town, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then Madame Massimo's heir should be you," the lawyer declared, taking a stack of documents from his satchel. "She was your maternal grandmother's sister's second son's cousin's..."
Upon hearing that figure, Madame Paoli instantly felt a burst of sunshine and birdsong in her mind. Grandaunt Giovanna's face and voice seemed to materialize before her.
10,000 US dollars—that amounted to 50,000 Livres! Enough to buy a sizable estate in Corsica!
She nodded immediately. Then, remembering something, a look of sorrow crossed her face. "My grandaunt, when did she pass away? Oh, my God, she was such a wonderful person, how could she..."
"Madame Massimo passed away from illness three months ago," Attorney Denton stated. "She said that when she corresponded with you many years ago, she learned you were in London. Luckily, you haven't moved."
Madame Paoli tried hard to recall corresponding with her American relatives. After Corsica was occupied by France, many of her relatives had indeed gone to America to make a living.
That 10,000 US dollars quickly helped her construct a complete set of memories.
"Oh, yes, I think I did write letters to my grandaunt," she said.
"Then, please proceed to the Bank of Amsterdam as soon as possible to receive the inheritance. Of course, you can also go to Philadelphia; I'd be more than happy to assist you there."
Paoli, who was on the second floor directing servants to clean up the fire damage, heard the commotion and came downstairs to the living room. After his wife told him about the inheritance, he frowned slightly. "You have to go to Amsterdam? Can't it be done in London?"
After all, he was involved in matters of splitting France, and there were people everywhere who wanted him dead. He had to remain vigilant at all times.
"I'm sorry, sir. Madame Massimo's assets are all in America. As you know, there's currently no direct banking between America and Britain, and the closest exchange bank is in the Netherlands."
After verifying Madame Paoli's identity, Attorney Denton handed her the will and other documents, set a time for processing the inheritance, and then took his leave.
Paoli looked at the documents with suspicion and asked his wife, "Do you have any recollection of this grandaunt?"
"Yes, dear, I remember she used to take me to town when I was little."
In reality, there was no such person as Madame Massimo.
Fouché had his agents discover that Madame Paoli had relatives in America, and so fabricated this character.
No one would doubt an inheritance of real money and assets. Madame Paoli quickly convinced herself through self-suggestion, attributing other vague memories to this "grandaunt" and firmly believed she had such a relative.
"So you're going to the Netherlands?" Paoli asked, looking at the documents. "This might be a scam."
His wife nodded. "I'll go with Monsieur Pietro, nothing will happen. At worst, it'll just be a trip to the Netherlands. Actually, I've wanted to visit there for a long time."
She knew Paoli would certainly not leave Britain; if he left, the French might kill him. But she had never been involved in politics, so there would certainly be no danger for her.
Paoli deliberated repeatedly and finally agreed. After all, 10,000 US dollars was no small sum.
Less than half a month after his wife departed for the Netherlands, accompanied by their housekeeper, Paoli received a letter from her.
The letter was filled with excitement, telling him that the inheritance was real. She had received a 10,000 US dollar money order from America and had already cashed it. Furthermore, her grandaunt's inheritance was far more than just this cash; it also included numerous properties and land, though their exact value was unclear. Perhaps she would have to visit America someday.
Paoli was also very happy. After dedicating himself to the Restoration Organization, all his income came from external funding, and his life hadn't been particularly affluent. Now, with his wife's inheritance, they could finally enjoy a comfortable life.
Not long after Madame Paoli received her "grandaunt's" inheritance, a high-level organizational meeting was convened once more at the Restoration Organization's secret stronghold in Ajaccio, Corsica.
The group quickly finalized the details of a riot to be held next month in Cargèse and sent the plan to their leader, Paoli.
During the noon recess, Councilor Girolamo casually mentioned his wife's unexpected encounter with Madame Paoli in Amsterdam.
"What was Madame Paoli doing in the Netherlands?" Giuseppe asked casually, sipping his coffee.
"Apparently, to inherit an estate," Girolamo replied. "She mentioned a few things to my wife about a distant American relative who left her a large sum of money."
Seeing that no one seemed to pay much attention, he continued, "It could be tens of thousands of US dollars, plus properties and such. Quite a windfall, wouldn't you say?"
Of course, Madame Paoli had never actually met his wife, much less said anything to her. But the Director of the Intelligence Bureau had personally given him instructions, so he had to say this. As for the truth, no one was likely to specifically travel to London to ask Madame Paoli whether she had told Madame Girolamo about the inheritance.
Yes, Girolamo had been turned by the French government a long time ago. But because his position within the organization was not high, he hadn't been of much use beyond providing some peripheral intelligence.
His deliberate emphasis on "a large sum of money" and "a windfall" finally made Bartolommeo, who was nearby, frown. "This is a little too coincidental," he remarked. "The money Monsieur Chalmers funded was just burned, and Madame Paoli unexpectedly received a large inheritance?"
"What are you saying?" Giuseppe immediately reprimanded. "Are you suspecting Monsieur Paoli?"
"Oh, no, I was just making a joke."
Girolamo quickly waved his hands but exchanged glances with the other two who had accompanied him to London that time.
After the meeting adjourned, the three men immediately went to Girolamo's home.
"Are you suspecting that the 25,000 Pound Sterling wasn't actually burned?"
"Yes, what burned might have just been waste paper. I don't want to suspect Monsieur Paoli, but with such a large sum of money, no one can guarantee they wouldn't be tempted."
What he didn't say was that money was originally meant to be distributed among themselves, so no one else should even think of getting their hands on it!
"So what are your plans?"
"Send people to the Netherlands and America to investigate!"
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