Ben, being the perceptive being he was, hadn't missed the combat-ready clothing that Conner wore, nor the surly expression on his face - he just chalked it up to Conner's being Conner. He'd always thought the other vampire didn't operate on the same social scale as everyone else, and even though it was intimidating, Ben still found him oddly approachable. There was something refreshing about the fact Conner didn't try to hide his anger from people - it had worked for him in a way that it hadn't worked for Ben, though he supposed mild contempt was less acceptable than blunt rage. It had been an eye-opener.
He'd figured his news would stun Conner, but he'd also correctly assumed Conner was very busy, and knew the trip out here was a long one and took him away from his offices. It showed Ben that he had some sway already, because Conner hadn't known the extent of the funding. And now he did. The question posed him was valid.
"Kerr was a multi-billionaire, and he left everything to me. The fifteen million is coming out of various cash accounts, so I'm not liquidating anything, if that's what you're asking."
Damn, it felt good to confess this stuff, and to talk about it reasonably with someone who wasn't hyperventilating or fainting or doing some other overtly emotional response. Hell, even Ben had been in some shock at the announcement, but he'd got over it and was thinking practically fairly quickly.
"The way it's setup though, you're to forward all relevant bills to my lawyers and they'll pay them. So you won't be able to get that Ferrari you've always wanted," he joked, though it was humourless. "But that's not the catch." He waited until Conner said something or indicated that he should continue before he outlined it. "Obviously I'm going to be able to sit in on any classes I like once it's set up, and I want the same for Ichabod. He's Kerr's fledge too, but the invitation for him to do so should come from you, not me. I'm not his favourite person right now. Also," he added, now launching into the thing that he thought Conner might have a problem with. "I want you to hire Murphy in some way. Either for the Ward or for the Academy, I don't care. He's an investigative reporter, I'm sure he has skills you can utilise."
He'd spoken quickly, and now took a big drink out of his glass, and was pleased that it was still very hot.