Chương 6
“Five minutes,” Claire said.
Maya's face hardened.
“Claire.”
“Five.”
Daniel picked up his coat.
“No.”
He looked at her.
“Stay.”
“I'm not here as personal security.”
“Then stand there as an extremely nosy federal employee.”
Maya folded her arms.
“I like her version.”
Daniel remained.
Diane entered a minute later.
She had changed out of the navy dress she wore to dinner and into cream slacks and a cardigan.
Her makeup had been washed away.
Without it, she looked older than Claire had ever allowed herself to notice.
Her eyes found the monitors first.
Then Claire.
“Oh, sweetheart.”
Claire's entire body recoiled at the tenderness.
“Don't.”
Diane stopped.
“I came as soon as I heard you were still here.”
“You knew I was coming here.”
“I didn't know which hospital.”
“You could have called.”
“I did.”
“Two hours later.”
Diane noticed Daniel.
Her face changed.
“What is he doing here?”
“Mom, this is Daniel Reeves.”
“I know who he is.”
The room became still.
Daniel spoke first.
“How do you know me, Mrs. Morgan?”
Diane blinked.
“I saw him at your apartment.”
“You were already in the elevator before I entered,” Daniel said.
Diane's fingers tightened around her purse.
“I must have seen him downstairs.”
“I didn't go downstairs.”
Claire watched her mother.
Diane looked toward the monitor again.
“Can we please not do this now?”
“Do what?”
“Turn everything into an interrogation.”
“Interesting choice of word.”
“Claire, please.”
“What's the trust?”
Diane went pale.
Maya stopped leaning against the wall.
Claire held up the photocopy.
“Eighteen million dollars, Mom.”
Diane's lips parted.
“Where did you get that?”
“That is your question?”
“Those documents are private.”
“They have my name on them.”
“Your grandfather's affairs were complicated.”
“He's been dead for twenty-five years.”
“And you have no idea what happened afterward.”
“Apparently not.”
Diane lowered her voice.
“Your father handled most of it.”
“Your signature is on the trustee records too.”
“I signed what Richard told me to sign.”
Claire stared at her.
The excuse was almost elegant in its familiarity.
Twelve years ago Claire had done the same thing.
Diane seemed to see that recognition.
“It's different.”
“Why?”
“I was his wife.”
“And I was your daughter.”
Diane sat in the chair without being invited.
“Your grandfather did not trust your father.”
“Maybe he had a reason.”
“That isn't fair.”
Claire laughed.
The monitor changed rhythm again.
Maya moved toward the call button, but Claire shook her head.
Diane clasped her purse against her lap.
“Your grandfather left money with conditions.”
“What conditions?”
“He wanted it protected for you.”
“From what?”
Diane looked down.
“From Richard.”
Nobody spoke.
Even Daniel seemed surprised.
Claire's voice came quieter.
“My grandfather created a trust to protect my inheritance from Dad, and then you made Dad a trustee?”
“It wasn't that simple.”
“Try me.”
“Richard had debts.”
“What debts?”
“Investments.”
Claire waited.
Diane rubbed one thumb across the brass clasp of her purse.
“He borrowed money.”
“How much?”
“I don't know.”
“Mom.”
“I truly don't know anymore.”
Daniel spoke.
“Was Westbridge Holdings used to repay those debts?”
Diane's head snapped toward him.
Claire saw the answer before her mother gave one.
“I don't know what that is.”
Daniel did not move.
Diane stood.
“I came here to see my daughter, not to be questioned by the government.”
“Then look at me,” Claire said.
Her mother did.
“Why did you leave?”
Diane's mouth trembled.
Claire had imagined asking the question with anger.
Instead she felt exhausted.
“I was on the floor.”
“Ethan lost his temper.”
“My water broke.”
“We didn't know how serious it was.”
“I told you I was bleeding.”
“Your father said we needed to get Ethan away before things got worse.”
“For Ethan.”
Diane looked toward the window.
“For everyone.”
“No.”
Claire's voice sharpened.
“For Ethan.”
“He got married yesterday.”
Maya muttered, “Incredible.”
Diane ignored her.
“His whole future could be ruined because of one terrible moment.”
Claire put a hand over her belly.
“And hers?”
Diane's eyes dropped to Claire's hand.
Something in her face broke.
She sat again.
“I was scared.”
“So was I.”
“I didn't know what to do.”
“You could have called 911.”
“I should have.”
“You could have stayed.”
“I should have.”
“But you didn't.”
Diane nodded.
“No.”
The simplicity hurt more than another excuse.
Claire looked away.
A yellow taxi crawled through traffic far below the hospital window.
For several seconds, nobody in the room seemed to know what came next.
Then Diane whispered, “Ethan wasn't supposed to hurt you.”
Daniel's attention sharpened.
Claire turned back.
“What was he supposed to do?”
Diane immediately shook her head.
“I said that wrong.”
“What was he supposed to do, Mom?”
“Nothing.”
“You said he wasn't supposed to hurt me.”
“I meant the argument.”
“No, you didn't.”
Diane stood so quickly the chair scraped backward.
“I need to go.”
Daniel moved toward the door but did not block it.
“Mrs. Morgan, I strongly recommend you speak with counsel before destroying, transferring, or altering any records.”
Diane stared at him.
“I haven't done anything illegal.”
“Then preserving the records should be easy.”
Her face hardened.
Claire had seen that expression during childhood arguments, but never directed at a stranger.
“You people don't understand families.”
Daniel opened the door.
“No, ma'am.”
His voice remained calm.
“That's usually what people tell us right before we understand the finances.”
Diane left.
Maya waited until her footsteps disappeared.
“Well.”
Claire pressed both hands over her face.
“Don't say it.”
“I wasn't going to.”
“Yes, you were.”
“I was going to say your mother is terrifying.”
“That's worse.”
A contraction struck.
This one came hard enough to fold Claire forward.
Maya reached for her.
The monitor alarm sounded.
Daniel stepped into the hallway and called for the nurse.
Claire gripped Maya's hand.
“Something's wrong.”
The nurse entered at a run.
Another followed.
They repositioned Claire, adjusted the monitors, and called the obstetrician.
The room filled with people.
May you like
Claire could no longer see Daniel.
She could barely hear Maya.
