Chương 10
“You arrogant bastard.”
Daniel turned.
“Don’t.”
She slapped him.
Nobody moved.
Caroline’s hand remained in the air for a second after contact, as if she had surprised herself most.
Daniel touched his cheek.
His face changed.
Not rage.
Something older.
“You always did enjoy an audience.”
Caroline went white.
I saw the history strike before I understood it.
“Don’t do that,” she said.
“Do what?”
“Sound like him.”
Daniel laughed softly.
“You hit me and I sound like Dad.”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
For a moment the gala vanished.
So did Vanessa, Claire, Noah, Miriam, and me.
There were only two siblings in a room carrying a dead man between them.
Caroline lowered her hand.
“I’m sorry.”
Daniel stared at her.
“I don’t care.”
“I wasn’t apologizing to you.”
She looked at me.
“I’m sorry.”
I nodded.
That was all I had.
Noah tapped the screen.
“Kessler’s company received payments from Vesper, Belladonna-linked entities, and directly from Whitmore Development.”
“How much?”
“Just under nine hundred thousand over fourteen months.”
Miriam said, “That is not private-investigator money.”
“No.”
Noah scrolled.
“There are additional subcontractors.”
Daniel turned away from the group.
“Enough.”
Nobody obeyed.
Vanessa said, “He gave me screenshots.”
I looked at her.
“Of the messages?”
“Yes.”
“Not the originals?”
“I had originals.”
“You said they went to your blocked folder.”
“They did.”
“Who showed you how to find them?”
She looked at Daniel.
Then she looked at the floor.
“Kessler.”
Noah stopped typing.
“When?”
“The first time.”
“What exactly happened?”
Vanessa rubbed her forehead.
“I was at the apartment.”
Daniel said, “You do not need to answer this.”
She rounded on him.
“I do.”
Her voice broke.
She took a breath.
“I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize.”
“From Kessler?”
“Yes.”
“He introduced himself?”
“He said Daniel had hired him because of a security concern.”
She folded her arms again.
“He told me to check blocked messages.”
“And there was one there.”
“Yes.”
“Had you checked before?”
“No.”
“Did you know the number that sent it?”
“No.”
“Did Kessler?”
She looked confused.
“He said it was probably spoofed.”
Miriam said, “Probably.”
Vanessa nodded.
“He sounded certain.”
“Did he ever examine your phone?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“The next day.”
“Did you give him the passcode?”
“Yes.”
Daniel swore under his breath.
Vanessa looked at him.
“What?”
He said nothing.
She understood anyway.
“You told me to.”
“I told you to cooperate with security.”
“You told me he was trustworthy.”
“He was.”
“Was?”
Daniel looked toward the door.
Claire’s phone rang.
She answered quietly.
“Yes.”
She listened.
“No, don’t let press onto the ballroom level.”
Another pause.
“I know.”
She lowered the phone.
“Three reporters are downstairs.”
Daniel turned.
“Who invited press this early?”
“Nobody.”
“Then get them out.”
“They’re in the lobby.”
“The hotel can remove them.”
Claire shook her head.
“They’re registered gala guests.”
Daniel cursed.
I looked at the time.
Five thirty-eight.
The evening was beginning whether we were ready or not.
My sister had sent another message.
Call me now or I am coming upstairs and making this worse.
I almost smiled.
That was exactly how she would phrase love.
Miriam touched my elbow.
“We need a decision.”
“About what?”
“Whether the gala proceeds.”
Daniel said, “It proceeds.”
Miriam didn’t look at him.
“That’s not your decision anymore.”
He laughed.
“I chair the foundation.”
I said, “Not alone.”
“There isn’t a quorum here.”
“No.”
I picked up my phone.
“But the board is already asking for one.”
His face hardened.
“You orchestrated this.”
“I did not send the video.”
“You expect me to believe Claire suddenly grew a conscience and a distribution list?”
Claire looked offended.
“I have always had a conscience.”
Daniel stared at her.
She added, “The distribution list is new.”
Even Miriam almost smiled.
Then my phone rang.
Board member.
I answered.
“Evelyn.”
“Where are you?”
It was Arthur Bell, seventy-two, retired banker, foundation vice chair, and one of the few men Daniel could not intimidate by lowering his voice.
“Suite 1907.”
“I’m coming up.”
“Arthur—”
“I have watched the clip.”
“I know.”
“I have also received a message from Daniel’s office calling it fabricated.”
I looked at Daniel.
He looked away.
“Arthur, don’t forward anything.”
“Too late for that advice.”
“What did you forward?”
“The clip to counsel.”
Miriam mouthed, Good.
Arthur continued.
“We need an emergency board session.”
“Yes.”
“Now.”
“Can you get enough members upstairs?”
“Half of them are already in the building.”
“Do it.”
Daniel stepped toward me.
I turned away.
Arthur said, “And Evelyn?”
“Yes?”
“Do not leave.”
I looked through the window at the city.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
The call ended.
Daniel stood behind me.
“You have no idea what you’re doing.”
I turned.
“That line used to work better.”
“You shut down the gala tonight and donors panic.”
“Maybe.”
“Press starts digging.”
“They already are.”
“Employees lose confidence.”
“Possibly.”
“Lenders see weakness.”
I held his gaze.
“Is that what frightens you?”
He said nothing.
“Not divorce.”
“Evelyn.”
“Not Vanessa.”
“Stop.”
“Not even the board.”
His face tightened.
“The lenders.”
He came close enough that nobody else could pretend not to listen.
“If Miami tips tonight, it doesn’t stop at Miami.”
“How far?”
“You’ve seen Noah’s numbers.”
“I’ve seen the ones he found.”
His eyes flickered.
There it was.
I heard Noah inhale behind me.
“How much more?”
Daniel stepped back.
I followed.
“How much?”
“Don’t do this here.”
“How much, Daniel?”
He looked around the room.
For once, there was no good audience.
Only people who already distrusted him.
“Seventy.”
Noah stood.
“What?”
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
“Approximately.”
“Seventy million?”
“Exposure.”
Noah’s voice sharpened.
“Net or gross?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Gross.”
“Across which entities?”
“Miami, two bridge facilities, and the Phoenix land position.”
Noah stared at him.
“We didn’t even know about Phoenix.”
“I know.”
Caroline sat down again.
Vanessa looked almost physically ill.
I asked, “And the trust properties were supposed to cover that?”
May you like
“Part of it.”
“With a forged consent.”
