The Club

Judith Posner was the descendant of a wealthy family from the Hamptons who made their money from biotechnology. Her husband, Brant, invented the first synthetic heart universally accepted by the human body. His invention brought fame, fortune and continued pressure to appear in public to promote one of the biotech companies owned by The Club. This emphasis on promotion took Brant away from what he liked most, research.

The Posner’s son, David, had always been a rebel. Even though he could have attended any of the Ivy League schools, he opted to attend a college in New Mexico. He wanted to get as far away as possible from the high society his parents were a part of. He even spent the summers in New Mexico working as a computer programmer for the Los Alamos Labs. He decided early in life he would do anything to stay away from the stuffy New England environment. David did not want any part of his parents’ money, their friends or the way of life his sister, Courtney, was so immersed in.

Courtney, on the other hand, loved the things her parents’ money offered her. She relished the summers at the Vineyard, the parties, the pretty people and the complete lack of concern about anything other than being late for social events. She had attended Wellesley College and graduated fairly high in her class. She dated men who were pre-selected for her by their social ranking and connections. Some day she would marry one of them and fit into the mold she was predestined to fill.

David and Courtney’s father, Brant, died just two years prior to Judith’s death. Brant never seemed to fit into the "new found money" group like Judith. He hated social events tied to people of wealth. Brant and Judith’s relationship to begin to break up several years prior to his death. Their formal divorce took place two years prior to his death. All Brant Posner ever wanted to do was research. After Brant became famous, the company he worked for wanted him to spend his time on public relations.

One summer day, Brant simply walked away from his job. He didn’t formally resign. He just left for work at his usual 7:00 AM, but went instead to his camp at Astin Lake. Astin Lake was his refuge from the outside world. It was also where they later found his lifeless body.

Approximately two years after his father’s death a bus hit and killed David’s mother. Judith was sixty-five when she died. She was walking along the highway when, for no apparent reason, she walked into the path of an oncoming Greyhound bus. She was killed instantly. Judith’s will had originally been set up to divide her estate equally between David and Courtney. Then, just before her death, Judith changed her will. She dropped David out of her will after a great deal of encouragement from her lawyer, Thomas Stinson. He convinced her to divide her estate between Courtney and the World Help Fund.

The coroner declared Judith Posner’s death an accident. It was devastating for Courtney. David was still upset about the way his mother handled his father’s death, so he didn’t come back to attend her service. He simply sent flowers and a note to Courtney saying if she ever needed him, he would be there for her.

When Judith Posner’s will was read, Courtney was surprised to discover that only she had inherited any money. Courtney was to receive one half of the estate, and the other half was to be donated to The World Help Fund. She could not believe David’s money had been given to some organization she had never heard her mother talk about before. Courtney knew nothing about The World Help Fund. She reconciled it, however, by thinking it was what her mother wanted. Courtney had not talked to David since her father’s service, so she assumed her mother had talked with David about the changes in her will. Courtney was very glad to discover she would be receiving five million dollars. She knew it would come in handy as she continued her way of life