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The author of fiction, cookery books, and poetry anthologies, has recently released a book titled ‘And Everything Will Be Glad To See You.’
In 2018, the legendary Aretha Franklin passed away leaving behind $80 million and, seemingly, no will. However, several months later, her niece discovered a will tucked away in the cushions of Franklin’s sofa. But that wasn’t all, she also found another will hidden in a locked drawer of her desk. Both wills were handwritten, dated two years apart, and distributed her fortune in completely different ways. One favored a specific son, while the other aimed for a fair division.
This situation bears all the elements of a classic detective fiction plot: the absence of a will, the discovery of two wills, both hidden and unwitnessed, and a court case between feuding siblings to determine the final terms. Which will takes precedence, the one hidden in the secret drawer or the one found in the sofa? Does the informal doodled-on document override the more formal but earlier will? Who ultimately inherits the fortune, and will they receive it before it depletes?
Wills, in general, have always fascinated mystery writers because they embody love, money, and power. A missing will not only serves as a treasure hunt but also becomes a tangible expression of intrigue and conflict. Adding to the existing collection of Agatha Christie’s The Case of the Missing Will and Dorothy Sayers’ The Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleager’s Will, we now have another captivating addition, The Lost Testament of The Queen Of Soul.
Lost items tend to capture our imagination more than those we possess. The allure lies in the possibility of finding something valuable or significant. Whether it’s a sunken ship, a stolen painting, or hidden treasure, lost things are fascinating because they are incomplete stories with potential for rediscovery. There’s always hope that they might resurface and favor us in some way.
Who among us doesn’t secretly yearn to stumble upon something that will make us rich or bring us happiness? Whether it’s a stash of ancient coins in a forgotten field, a suitcase filled with cash on a deserted beach, or a lost will favoring us unexpectedly from a distant and estranged relative.
However, would the discovery of Franklin’s will hidden in the sofa be newsworthy if her will hadn’t been lost in the first place? Every day, famous and remarkable individuals pass away, and we rarely concern ourselves with the fate of their assets. It’s only when renowned auction houses step in to handle the sale of Sylvia Plath’s recipe cards, Joan Didion’s hurricane lamps, or Charlie Watts’ rare book collection that we take notice. We become interested when things feel tangible.
Therefore, the recovered will, written with Franklin’s own pen in her personal spiral-bound notebook and hidden beneath her own couch cushions, captivates our attention because it feels authentic. It allows us to finally see the person behind the legal documentation.
In a way, that is the essence of wills. A dying person hastily jots down “All to mother” on a piece of paper, a renowned soul singer doodles instructions to her children, or a couple appoints guardians for their newborn. These last messages from the deceased, signed by hand, full of wishes and instructions, serve as the final clue to deciphering their true intentions.
This is precisely what makes mystery stories so compelling. They bring order to chaos. Lost items have the potential to be found, and when they are, everything falls into place. In the world of Sherlock Holmes, nothing is insignificant; everything is part of a deliberate chain. The will, therefore, becomes the ultimate revelation, an emotionally charged twist. It uncovers that the abducted girl is unknowingly an heiress, the ancient benefactor is secretly penniless, or the duke and valet share an illegitimate father-son relationship.
There’s a continual allure to detective stories because they provide a sense of understanding and resolution. Lost items eventually find their way back, and life begins to make sense once again. This, ultimately, is the antithesis of grief.
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