Chương 11
“I am not hiding anything.”
“You hide things professionally.”
“I compartmentalize professionally.”
“That is the rich-person version of hiding.”
He took a drink.
“You’re irritable.”
“I might lose eighteen months of work.”
“You’re allowed.”
“I don’t want to be allowed.”
“I know.”
I pushed the laptop away.
“What if Dad knew?”
Alexander stopped.
I watched his face carefully.
“You considered that.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I had no evidence.”
“That has not historically prevented you from offering theories.”
“That is cruel and accurate.”
“Alexander.”
He set down the mug.
“I considered whether Richard’s bid was influenced by your connection to Horizon.”
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Influenced how?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he mention me in any meetings?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Did his proposal reference Bellweather?”
“All proposals reference the design team where relevant.”
“That isn’t what I mean.”
“I know.”
I stood.
“Can you check?”
“No.”
The answer was immediate.
I stared at him.
“Why not?”
“Because I just recused myself.”
“You can still ask what happened before the recusal.”
“I can.”
“Then ask.”
“No.”
Anger flared.
“Why?”
“Because you are asking me to use access you specifically told your father I would not use.”
“This is different.”
“How?”
“Because this could affect my job.”
“Exactly.”
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
Alexander’s voice softened.
“If there is an issue, compliance will review it.”
“And if Dad lied?”
“Then there will be records.”
“What if there aren’t?”
“Then we do not invent them.”
I turned away.
The rationality of it felt unbearable.
“I hate being powerless.”
“I know.”
“Stop saying that.”
“Sorry.”
I paced to the window.
Below us, traffic moved along the avenue.
A cyclist shouted at a delivery truck.
A dog in a red coat refused to cross the street.
The city continued being itself.
“My whole life,” I said, “something happens with Dad, and everyone else has to adjust.”
Alexander stayed quiet.
“He takes a risk, and I lose tuition.”
I folded my arms.
“He expands too quickly, and Logan secretly gives him eighty thousand dollars.”
Alexander’s head lifted.
“What?”
I turned.
I had not meant to tell him.
“Logan invested in Whitmore.”
“When?”
“Last spring.”
“Personal funds?”
“I assume.”
“How much?”
“Eighty thousand.”
Alexander’s expression sharpened.
“And Richard asked for another fifty this week?”
I stared at him.
“How did you know that?”
“You said eighty thousand and looked furious.”
I hated that he could do that.
“Yes.”
“Did Logan give it to him?”
“Not yet.”
“Does his wife know?”
“No.”
Alexander rubbed his jaw.
“That is a problem.”
“It is Logan’s problem.”
“Yes.”
His agreement irritated me.
I sat down again.
“What?”
“You said that like you don’t believe it.”
“I believe it should be Logan’s problem.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“No.”
He came around the island and sat across from me.
“You are already planning how to protect him.”
“I told him to ask for the books.”
“That is reasonable.”
“I’m not giving him money.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“I’m not calling Dad.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“I’m not fixing it.”
Alexander watched me.
The silence became unbearable.
“Say something.”
“You are doing very well not fixing it.”
“You’re mocking me.”
“A little.”
I almost kicked him under the table.
Then my phone rang.
Vanessa.
I answered.
“Hi.”
She did not say hello.
“Dad called Logan at six this morning.”
I sat straighter.
“What happened?”
“He wants him to come over.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did Logan tell you?”
“No, Melissa did.”
My stomach tightened.
“Melissa knows?”
“She knows now.”
In the background, I heard a child complaining about pancakes.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“Apparently Logan told her everything last night.”
“Good.”
“She is furious.”
“That is also good.”
“I don’t think Logan agrees.”
“He’ll survive.”
“Maybe.”
Vanessa hesitated.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“Dad asked Mark for money in October.”
I closed my eyes.
“How much?”
“Two hundred thousand.”
The room seemed to tilt.
“Did Mark give it to him?”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know.”
Her voice went brittle.
“Mark told me this morning.”
I stood again.
Alexander watched my face.
“Why did he keep it from you?”
“Because Dad asked him not to upset me.”
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then Vanessa laughed once.
It was not a happy sound.
“Apparently we are all twelve years old and Dad is still deciding what information we can handle.”
I thought of the study.
Your mother would panic.
She knows enough.
“Vanessa.”
“I know.”
“No, listen to me.”
“I’m listening.”
“Do not give him money.”
Silence.
Then she said, “He’s our father.”
My chest tightened.
“I know.”
“What if people lose their jobs?”
“I know.”
“What if the company collapses?”
“I know.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because I do.”
I pressed my free hand against the counter.
“But none of us know what we’re actually saving.”
Vanessa went quiet.
I continued.
“We don’t know the debt.”
“We don’t know the contracts.”
“We don’t know what he owns, what he owes, or whether another two hundred thousand changes anything.”
“You sound like Caroline.”
“Thank you.”
“That was not a compliment.”
“It should be.”
She sighed.
“What do we do?”
The old answer rose immediately.
I’ll handle it.
I almost said it.
Alexander was watching me.
Not warning me.
Not rescuing me.
Just watching.
“We ask Dad for the truth,” I said.
Vanessa was silent.
“All of it?”
“Yes.”
“He won’t like that.”
“No.”
“He may refuse.”
“Then we don’t give him anything.”
Another pause.
“I hate this.”
“So do I.”
“Are you coming over?”
I looked at Alexander.
He did not move.
“Yes,” I said.
“But I’m not going there to save him.”
Vanessa exhaled.
“Okay.”
I ended the call.
Alexander picked up his coffee.
“That sounded dangerously like a boundary.”
“Don’t ruin it.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
I grabbed my coat from the back of a chair.
He stood.
“I’m coming.”
May you like
“No.”
He stopped.
