Chương 8
“You are.”
“My family is.”
“You see a difference?”
He met her eyes.
“Yes.”
At least he did not lie about that.
He stood, walked to a water cooler, and filled a paper cup.
Elena noticed his hand shake when he lifted it.
He saw her notice.
Neither mentioned it.
“Daniel says Mom called him at ten thirty-five,” Adrian said.
“Seven minutes before Cal disabled the cameras.”
“Yes.”
“She told him to stay away.”
“That’s what he says.”
“But if she knew he was coming anyway—”
“She may have warned Cal.”
Adrian crushed the paper cup slightly.
“Or they planned something.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know.”
Elena watched him.
He looked frightened now.
Not of Daniel.
Of his mother.
“Adrian.”
He looked at her.
“Why did your father want Daniel off the board?”
“I thought it was a bad acquisition.”
“Daniel said it was because he helped your mother.”
“He may be telling the truth.”
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
“Can’t you check?”
Adrian hesitated.
That interested her.
“What?”
“There’s an internal investigation.”
“Into Daniel?”
“Into a series of payments.”
“What payments?”
“Legal retainers. Consulting fees. About four hundred thousand dollars over six months.”
Elena stared.
“Daniel said he helped your mother open accounts.”
“I know.”
“You think he stole money.”
“I think my father thought he did.”
“Did he?”
“I don’t know.”
He rubbed his forehead.
“The payments were approved by Daniel through a subsidiary. The vendors are legitimate firms, but some of the invoices are vague.”
“Your mother’s lawyer?”
“One of them appears to be.”
“So your father found the payments.”
“Yes.”
“And assumed Daniel was stealing.”
“Or knew what they were.”
Elena leaned back.
“And decided to destroy him.”
Adrian looked toward the blank office wall.
“That would also sound like him.”
The door opened.
A receptionist stepped in.
“Mr. Cole? There’s someone asking for you.”
“Who?”
She looked uncomfortable.
“Your mother.”
Evelyn entered before he could answer.
She wore a black wool dress and the same white pearls from the funeral.
Elena noticed that first.
It irritated her.
She did not know why.
Perhaps because some things should have changed.
Evelyn stopped when she saw Elena.
“Of course.”
Adrian stood.
“Mom.”
“I’ve been calling you.”
“I know.”
“Your office said you were here.”
“You called my office?”
“Yes, Adrian. That remains a thing mothers are permitted to do.”
He rubbed his jaw.
Evelyn looked at Elena.
“You’ve caused extraordinary damage.”
Adrian said, “Don’t.”
Elena answered anyway.
“I removed a piece of metal.”
“You humiliated this family at Richard’s funeral.”
“Cal hid evidence in a coffin.”
“You don’t know why.”
“No. That’s why people are investigating.”
Evelyn’s eyes hardened.
“You have always enjoyed being closer to this family than your position justified.”
The sentence landed with frightening precision.
Elena felt heat climb her neck.
Adrian said, “Mom.”
“No, she should hear it.”
Elena stood.
Evelyn continued.
“We trusted you. We brought you into private rooms. We paid you well. We supported your family when your mother was ill.”
“My mother had surgery. I took unpaid leave.”
“We kept your benefits active.”
“Because it was legally required.”
Evelyn blinked.
Elena had not known whether it was legally required until Maria looked it up the previous night.
It felt good to say anyway.
Maybe too good.
Evelyn took one step closer.
“You have no idea what happens to ordinary people when families like ours are publicly destroyed.”
Elena almost laughed.
“Ordinary people?”
“Employees.”
“That’s what you meant.”
“Yes.”
“You should have said employees.”
Evelyn’s nostrils flared.
Adrian stepped between them slightly.
“Mom, why were the cameras disabled?”
Evelyn went still.
“Ask Cal.”
“I’m asking you.”
“I don’t manage security.”
“You called Daniel seven minutes before Cal disabled them.”
Her eyes moved to Elena.
“Did she tell you that?”
“The police did.”
Elena watched the lie choices pass across Evelyn’s face.
Not the lies themselves.
The choices.
Finally she said, “I called Daniel because Richard was furious.”
“About the money?”
“Yes.”
“What money?”
Evelyn looked away.
“Mine.”
Adrian swallowed.
“So it’s true.”
“I was preparing to leave your father.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She laughed softly.
“Because you would have tried to fix it.”
“I could have helped.”
“That is what you call fixing.”
He looked stung.
Evelyn touched her pearls.
“I needed one thing in my life not handled by Cole Meridian.”
“Daniel helped you.”
“Yes.”
“And Dad found out.”
“Yes.”
“Why did Cal shut off the cameras?”
“I don’t know.”
“Mom.”
“I don’t know.”
Adrian’s voice lowered.
“What happened after Daniel left?”
Evelyn looked at him.
Elena could hear the office ventilation humming.
A phone rang somewhere beyond the door.
Evelyn sat down.
“He was angry.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Richard was always angry.”
“What happened?”
Her fingers touched the pearls again.
“He tried to stand after Daniel left.”
Elena watched her.
“He said he was fine. Elena brought ice.”
Adrian looked toward Elena.
She nodded.
Evelyn continued.
“He began breathing strangely. Cal came in. Richard refused an ambulance.”
“Why?”
“Because he was Richard.”
Adrian looked away.
That answer he believed.
“So why didn’t you call anyway?”
“I was going to.”
“When?”
“I don’t know.”
“How long did you wait?”
“A minute.”
“Elena says longer.”
Evelyn looked at her.
“Elena was in and out.”
“Three or four minutes,” Elena said.
“It did not feel that long.”
“That doesn’t change the clock.”
Evelyn’s eyes flashed.
“You think I killed my husband because I hesitated?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You keep saying things without saying them.”
“That’s what your family pays lawyers to do.”
“Enough,” Adrian said.
Both women looked at him.
He stood with his hands on his hips, eyes shut.
Then he looked at his mother.
“Did you tell Cal to clean the room?”
“No.”
“Did you tell him to take Daniel’s cufflink?”
“No.”
“Did you tell Daniel to lie?”
Evelyn did not answer.
“Mom.”
“Yes.”
Adrian’s face emptied.
“Why?”
“Because his father was dead.”
May you like
“That makes no sense.”
“It made perfect sense at one twenty in the morning.”
