Chương 12
“That would be consistent with the later disciplinary history.”
“Consistent isn’t proof.”
“No.”
Arthur said, “Richard would never have allowed that.”
Genevieve’s eyes opened.
“Wouldn’t he?”
Arthur stopped.
The cruelty of her own question made her flinch.
She had been angry with her father for less than an hour and already found herself rewriting him in both directions.
Saint.
Coward.
Protector.
Fraud.
A dead man could not defend himself against any version.
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
Arthur’s reply came quietly.
“You have the right to wonder.”
“That doesn’t mean I have the right to decide.”
Sarah glanced at her.
“Keep that instinct.”
Genevieve gave her a tired look.
“Was that legal advice or friendship?”
“Both are billable.”
Hazel made a small sound.
Genevieve smiled despite herself.
Then someone knocked.
Marisol opened the door only a few inches.
“There’s a woman asking to see you.”
Genevieve’s pulse jumped.
“Who?”
“Victoria Hale.”
Sarah stood so quickly the chair legs scraped the floor.
“No.”
Genevieve looked at her.
Sarah shook her head.
“Absolutely not.”
Marisol waited.
“She says she’ll leave if you tell her to.”
“Is security with her?”
“Yes.”
Genevieve looked down at Hazel.
Every reasonable instinct told her to send Victoria away.
She was exhausted.
Medicated.
Barely hours out of surgery.
Her cheek throbbed from Eleanor’s slap.
Her husband’s mistress was also apparently the daughter of a woman whose death had been buried inside her father’s secret business deal.
There could not have been a worse time for a conversation.
Which was precisely why Genevieve distrusted the sudden urge to have it.
“Sarah.”
“No.”
“I didn’t ask yet.”
“You made the face.”
“What face?”
“The face that ruins my evenings.”
Arthur said, “I’m going to pretend I’m not on this call.”
Genevieve reached for the phone.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Genevieve.”
“I mean it.”
Arthur sighed.
“All right.”
She ended the call.
Sarah lowered her voice.
“Do not meet with Victoria without me.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“And do not accuse her of anything.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“And do not reveal what we recovered.”
Genevieve looked at her.
“That I was planning to.”
“I know.”
Marisol glanced between them.
“Should I tell her no?”
Genevieve hesitated.
Sarah closed her eyes.
“Five minutes.”
Genevieve looked at her.
Sarah pointed a finger.
“Five.”
Marisol disappeared.
Sarah immediately moved the wheelchair into the corner.
“What are you doing?”
“Making space.”
“You hate that chair too?”
“I hate anything that looks like an obstacle.”
“That sounds unhealthy.”
“It probably is.”
A minute later, Victoria entered wearing hospital scrubs beneath Julian’s overcoat.
Someone had apparently found clothing for her, though the combination made her look more exposed rather than less.
Her makeup was gone.
Without lipstick, she looked tired and younger.
The security officer remained outside.
Victoria stopped just inside the room.
Her eyes went first to Hazel.
Then to Genevieve’s face.
The bruise was darkening.
Victoria looked away.
“I didn’t know she was going to hit you.”
Genevieve said nothing.
Victoria swallowed.
“I know that doesn’t matter.”
Sarah folded her arms.
“It matters factually.”
Victoria looked at her.
“I’m not here to talk to you.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Sarah.”
Genevieve’s voice was quiet.
Sarah stepped back.
Victoria twisted one sleeve of the borrowed scrubs between her fingers.
“I want my phone.”
“It’s with security?”
“Yes.”
“Then ask them.”
“They said counsel requested preservation.”
Sarah answered.
“Company device?”
“Yes.”
“Then it stays preserved.”
“It has personal things.”
“So do most company phones.”
Victoria’s jaw tightened.
“Pictures.”
Sarah did not move.
Victoria looked at Genevieve.
“Of my mother.”
The room changed.
Genevieve watched her carefully.
“You keep photographs of her on your work phone?”
“I moved everything when my old phone died.”
“Cloud backup?”
Victoria gave a short, humorless laugh.
“You really do solve everything like a business problem.”
Genevieve felt the insult and, underneath it, something sharper.
Recognition.
“Maybe.”
Victoria’s eyes went to Hazel again.
“I came to tell you Julian is lying.”
Genevieve almost laughed.
“You may need to narrow that down.”
Victoria’s mouth twitched despite herself.
It vanished quickly.
“About why he wants control.”
Sarah spoke from the wall.
“You understand this conversation is not privileged.”
Victoria glanced at her.
“Are you recording me?”
“No.”
Genevieve and Sarah looked at each other.
Then Sarah added, “But the hospital may have security systems in common areas, and I’m not making any promises about anything outside this room.”
Victoria rubbed both hands over her face.
“I don’t care.”
Genevieve did.
That was the first thing Victoria had said all day that frightened her more than it angered her.
People who stopped caring about consequences were difficult to predict.
“Sit down.”
Victoria looked surprised.
The only available chair was the one Sarah had been using.
She sat on its edge.
The overcoat remained buttoned around her.
Genevieve noticed the top button was missing.
Julian had lost that button months ago.
Genevieve had meant to sew it back on.
A stupid domestic detail.
She suddenly hated herself for remembering.
“How long have you known about my father?”
Victoria looked at her.
Sarah’s expression tightened.
Genevieve had already broken the rule.
Victoria went still.
“You know.”
It was not a question.
Genevieve said nothing.
Victoria’s eyes filled but did not spill.
“My mother’s name was Elena.”
“I know.”
“She worked nights at a nursing home.”
Genevieve waited.
“She took that apartment because it was cheap and close to the bus route.”
Victoria’s fingers tightened around the sleeve.
“The building had electrical problems before the fire.”
“Were they documented?”
Sarah asked.
Victoria looked at her.
“Tenant complaints.”
“Do you have copies?”
“I have some.”
That changed Sarah’s posture.
“Where?”
“Not with me.”
Genevieve could hear the caution return to Sarah’s breathing.
Two fair signals had become evidence if the records existed.
But Victoria was not finished.
“My mother complained three times.”
Her voice remained flat.
“They told her repairs were coming because new owners were taking over.”
“Who told her?”
Genevieve asked.
“The property manager.”
May you like
“Was that Vance?”
“I don’t know.”
