Chương 8
“What if she’s trying to tell the truth?”
“She can tell it to counsel.”
“She doesn’t have my counsel.”
“She can get one.”
“That’s very lawyerly.”
“Yes.”
I rubbed my thumb over the edge of my phone.
“What if she’s scared?”
Harrison was quiet for a moment.
“Then that matters.”
“But?”
“But frightened people can still manipulate other people.”
I looked at the photo again.
The forged signature sat there with insulting confidence.
“I’m calling her.”
“No.”
“You’re not my father.”
“Correct.”
“And you said I’m not under investigation.”
“Correct.”
“Then I’m calling her.”
“Sarah.”
“I won’t discuss the bank accounts.”
“That’s not enough.”
“I won’t discuss the education fund, the lender, or what you found.”
“Sarah.”
“I need to know why she has this document.”
He exhaled slowly.
“If you insist on speaking with her, do not accuse anyone, do not agree to anything, do not tell her what evidence you have, and do not promise confidentiality.”
“Fine.”
“And put me on another phone if possible.”
“I only have one phone.”
“Then record notes immediately afterward.”
“I can do that.”
“I strongly advise against the call.”
“I heard you.”
“That is not the same as listening.”
“No.”
His dry laugh was nearly inaudible.
“At least we agree on that.”
I ended the call.
Then I stood there for ten seconds doing nothing.
My hands were shaking now.
Not badly.
Enough.
Connor walked over.
“You said it was a work call.”
“It is.”
“You look sick.”
“I’m not sick.”
“That’s not what I said.”
I looked at him.
Sometimes Bradley accused Connor of talking back when all the boy had done was notice something accurately.
“I’m dealing with something difficult,” I said.
“Is it Dad?”
“Partly.”
Connor shoved his hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt.
“Are we still getting on the plane?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
He started to turn away.
“Connor.”
He stopped.
“You don’t have to worry about keeping Madison calm.”
His face tightened.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“No, I’m not.”
He looked toward his sister.
She was making the rabbit pretend to eat an apple slice.
“I just know she gets weird when you’re stressed.”
“She’s allowed to get weird.”
“She asks a million questions.”
“She’s seven.”
“That’s why.”
I almost told him he was seven once too.
It would have been exactly the kind of adult sentence that answered nothing.
Instead, I said, “Go sit with her.”
He nodded.
Before he walked away, he said, “You can be stressed.”
Then he returned to his sandwich.
I had to look at the ceiling for a moment.
When I lowered my eyes, I called Tiffany.
She answered before the second ring.
“Sarah?”
Her voice was breathless.
Not elegant.
Not composed.
Nothing like the woman in the real estate photographs.
“Yes.”
“Oh my God.”
“Where are you?”
“At the clinic.”
“Is Bradley with you?”
“No.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
There was noise behind her.
A door opening.
Someone speaking softly.
Then Tiffany said, “I locked myself in a consultation room.”
“Why?”
“Because his mother is outside.”
That made sense faster than I wanted it to.
“Are you safe?”
“Yes.”
She hesitated.
“I think.”
“What does that mean?”
“She isn’t going to hit me or anything.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I’m safe.”
Her voice cracked.
I waited.
She inhaled.
“Bradley left.”
“When?”
“Maybe fifteen minutes ago.”
“Where did he go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he say?”
“No.”
I glanced at the boarding screen.
Still on time.
“What happened with the ultrasound?”
Tiffany went silent.
I could hear her breathing.
“The doctor asked questions.”
“About the dates.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“And Bradley freaked out.”
“Did the doctor say he isn’t the father?”
“No.”
The answer came quickly.
“Did anyone?”
“No.”
“Then why is everyone acting like paternity was decided in that room?”
“Because Bradley asked me if there was someone else.”
I waited.
Tiffany started crying.
Not loudly.
Just enough that the next words came unevenly.
“There was.”
My grip tightened around the phone.
“Lucas?”
Silence.
Then, “How do you know Lucas?”
I closed my eyes.
I had already violated Harrison’s advice in less than two minutes.
“I heard the name.”
“From who?”
“That isn’t important.”
“It is to me.”
“Tiffany.”
She stopped.
“Was Lucas your boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“While you were with Bradley?”
Her breathing became uneven again.
“For part of it.”
I said nothing.
“Sarah, please don’t hang up.”
“I’m not.”
“You probably think I’m disgusting.”
“I don’t know you well enough to think much of anything.”
That seemed to hurt her more than an insult would have.
“I didn’t plan this,” she said.
“What exactly didn’t you plan?”
“Any of it.”
“Bradley?”
“No.”
“The pregnancy?”
“No.”
“Lucas?”
“No.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“You’re going to have to be more specific.”
She gave a broken little laugh.
“I know.”
A muffled knock came through the phone.
“Tiffany?”
Margaret.
Even distorted by a door, her voice was unmistakable.
“Open this door.”
Tiffany whispered, “She won’t leave.”
“Call clinic security.”
“They’re already here.”
“Then let them handle her.”
“She keeps saying I destroyed her son’s life.”
I almost said Bradley had managed quite a bit of that himself.
I stopped.
“What does the document have to do with me?” I asked.
Tiffany lowered her voice.
“Bradley gave it to me.”
“When?”
“Months ago.”
“Why?”
“He said you had agreed to be involved in the company.”
“What company?”
“Harbor Meridian.”
My fingers tightened.
“Involved how?”
“He said you were helping structure it because you understood financial compliance.”
A laugh escaped me.
It sounded ugly.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Sarah, he said the company was part of your separation arrangement.”
“We weren’t separated then.”
“I know that now.”
“When did he tell you this?”
“Last summer.”
I looked through the terminal windows at the bright white fuselage of a plane being loaded with catering carts.
Last summer, Bradley and I had taken the children to Cape Cod.
May you like
He had spent half the trip answering emails on the rental house deck.
He told me a client was being difficult.
