Chương 12
Richard said from the stairs, "Absolutely."
I looked at him.
He raised both hands.
"I know my place."
"You don't."
"No."
Naomi drove.
That was her decision, not mine.
She said arriving separately created opportunities for people to isolate me before we entered.
I suspected she also didn't trust Richard's driver to remain neutral if my father started issuing instructions.
The Grand Pinnacle Gala occupied three floors of a luxury hotel in Beverly Hills, with photographers outside and black cars crawling toward the entrance.
When we stopped at valet, Naomi looked at me.
"Last chance."
"I'm going in."
"Fine."
"No lecture?"
"I already invoiced for the lecture."
We stepped out.
The first camera flash went off before I reached the carpet.
Then another.
My name moved through the press line in fragments.
"Gwen."
"Mrs. Albright."
"This way."
"Over here."
I hadn't expected anyone to care.
Apparently absence from the Albright arrivals had already been noticed.
Naomi stayed one pace behind me.
A reporter called, "Where's Spencer?"
I kept walking.
Another asked, "Are the rumors about Albright financing true?"
That stopped me internally.
Not externally.
Naomi touched two fingers lightly against my elbow.
Keep moving.
Inside the lobby, the air smelled like flowers and expensive perfume.
The event signage showed the Albright Foundation and Grand Pinnacle Partners as co-hosts.
A massive digital display behind registration read Building Tomorrow Together.
I nearly laughed.
An event coordinator approached with a fixed smile.
"Mrs. Albright, Mr. Albright has been looking for you."
"I assumed."
She glanced at Naomi.
"And your guest?"
"My attorney."
The smile lost several degrees of warmth.
"Of course."
That was the first useful effect Naomi had on the evening.
We entered the ballroom.
Hundreds of people were already seated or circulating between cocktail tables.
Investors, executives, donors, spouses, journalists, board members, and people whose entire profession seemed to be knowing whichever person currently held the room.
For six years, I had been introduced among them as Spencer's wife.
Usually with nothing after that.
Tonight, people looked at me differently.
Some because of the rumors.
Some because Naomi Keller was beside me.
Some because Spencer was across the ballroom staring at me as though I had entered carrying a lit match.
Cassandra was nowhere in sight.
Spencer started toward us.
Naomi said quietly, "Remember."
"I know."
He reached us with a smile that would have fooled anyone who had not lived with him.
"There you are."
He leaned in as if to kiss my cheek.
I stepped back.
His smile held.
"Gwen."
"Spencer."
His eyes moved to Naomi.
"Who is this?"
"Naomi Keller."
She offered no hand.
"Counsel for Mrs. Albright."
For the first time, Spencer's smile truly slipped.
"Family counsel?"
Naomi said, "Counsel."
He looked at me.
"Can we talk privately?"
"No."
His jaw flexed.
"Five minutes."
"No."
"Then right here."
Naomi said, "If the conversation concerns Hazel, I remain present."
Spencer looked at her as if she were furniture that had begun speaking.
"It doesn't."
"Then she still remains present," I said.
He glanced around.
People were watching without appearing to watch.
Spencer lowered his voice.
"The footage was copied before it was deleted."
"By whom?"
"I don't know."
"Where is the copy?"
"I don't know."
Naomi said, "You're making several statements about things you don't know."
He ignored her.
"I found an export log."
My pulse changed.
"What does it show?"
"Someone accessed the home security system remotely at 4:18 p.m."
I calculated.
After I left.
Before the emergency custody filing.
"Whose credentials?"
"Cassandra's."
I stared at him.
"Cassandra had security credentials?"
He looked away.
That answer told me enough.
"Why?"
"She had access for event planning."
Naomi's expression remained neutral.
"Event planning."
Spencer snapped, "She coordinates private functions at the house."
"Through which company?"
He turned toward her.
"This is not a deposition."
"No."
Naomi smiled faintly.
"Depositions are usually more organized."
I almost admired her timing.
Spencer looked back at me.
"The export went somewhere."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"You keep saying that."
"Because I don't."
"What was on the footage besides Cassandra hitting Hazel?"
His eyes moved past me.
I followed his gaze.
Patricia had entered the ballroom.
She stopped when she saw us.
Her expression tightened.
Spencer leaned closer.
"Earlier in the afternoon, Cassandra met someone in the house."
"Who?"
"I couldn't see him clearly on the footage."
"Him?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"About an hour before the incident."
Naomi said, "Why were you reviewing footage before it disappeared?"
Spencer hesitated.
That mattered.
"Because I noticed something was wrong after Gwen left."
"What?"
He looked at me.
"Cassandra went into my office."
"Does she usually?"
"No."
I almost laughed.
"Really?"
"Not alone."
"That's a distinction I didn't need."
His face hardened.
"She opened the safe."
Naomi's attention sharpened.
"How would she know the code?"
"She shouldn't."
I watched him.
"What was missing?"
Spencer said nothing.
"Spencer."
"The original guarantee schedules."
My skin went cold.
Naomi asked, "Guarantees tied to what?"
He looked at her.
"Albright credit facilities."
"Backed by?"
His eyes returned to mine.
"Crawford."
For a moment, the ballroom noise seemed to recede.
Glasses clinked.
A string quartet played near the stage.
Somebody laughed too loudly behind us.
Everything ordinary continued.
Naomi said, "You need to contact your financial counsel immediately."
"I have."
"Law enforcement?"
"No."
"Why?"
Spencer's answer came too quickly.
"Because I don't know if anything was stolen."
"Then why say the schedules are missing?"
"I said I can't find them."
I stared at him.
"You filed for custody forty-three minutes after I left."
His face changed.
Naomi shifted slightly closer.
"Now is not the time."
"No."
I looked at Spencer.
"Now is exactly the time."
He lowered his voice.
"Gwen."
"Was the filing your idea?"
"Yes."
Too fast.
I waited.
He looked away first.
"You had already taken Hazel."
"After Cassandra hit her."
"You were upset."
"She was bleeding."
"I know."
The words came quietly this time.
Almost human.
That made me angrier.
"Then why did you file?"
May you like
He didn't answer.
I looked toward Patricia.
