Chương 7
“What issues?”
“The phone number used for verification was not the number we currently have on file for you.”
I felt something cold settle behind my ribs.
“What number was it?”
He read the last four digits.
Mom made a sound.
Very small.
I turned toward her.
“What?”
She stared at Dad.
“What?” I asked again.
Mom’s lips parted.
“That’s his old business cell.”
Dad said, “Elaine, enough.”
She ignored him.
“You kept that number?”
“It’s still active for vendors.”
Lewis looked directly at Dad.
No one needed to explain the implication.
The fake email.
Dad’s old business number.
My name.
My signature.
A guarantee worth nearly two million dollars.
Officer Bell closed his notebook.
“Mr. Bennett, I’m going to suggest you stop discussing this.”
Dad looked at him.
“You think I forged her signature because of a phone number?”
Bell’s expression did not change.
“I think you’re volunteering information about something I wasn’t here to investigate.”
That silenced him.
Lewis rubbed his forehead.
“I should not say more until legal reviews the file.”
“Then why did you come?” I asked.
He looked embarrassed.
“Because Martin called me.”
Dad muttered something under his breath.
Lewis continued.
“He said you might not know about the collateral authorization.”
“I didn’t.”
“I needed to hear that from you directly.”
“You could have called.”
“I did.”
I checked my phone.
Three missed calls from an unfamiliar number.
“I was talking to my attorney.”
“Understood.”
He glanced at Dad.
“And I was concerned Richard might attempt to get a confirmation from you before we reached you independently.”
Dad exploded.
“Oh, come on.”
Ramirez stepped between them.
“Sir.”
“He’s making it sound criminal.”
Lewis looked at him.
“I’m making it sound documented.”
Dad’s face went white.
For years, I had watched him win arguments by making the other person uncomfortable enough to leave.
Employees.
Contractors.
My mother.
Me.
But Lewis did not leave.
Neither did the officers.
Neither did Trevor.
Even Madison had gone quiet.
Dad suddenly had too many witnesses.
The ballroom doors opened again.
A server pushed out a cart carrying half-cut wedding cake.
One tier leaned slightly to one side.
He maneuvered around us without asking anyone to move.
The absurdity of it nearly broke me.
Life refused to respect dramatic timing.
There was still cake.
There were still rented glasses to clear.
Somebody somewhere was waiting for the hotel’s final invoice.
Mom sat in the chair I had vacated.
She pulled off one shoe and rubbed the ball of her foot.
Then she seemed embarrassed by the action and put the shoe back on.
“Richard,” she said quietly, “how bad is it?”
He looked at her.
“Not here.”
“How bad?”
“I can fix it.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
He looked toward Madison.
She avoided his eyes.
Then toward me.
I did the same.
Finally he said, “The company had a cash-flow problem.”
Lewis’s mouth tightened.
Dad noticed.
“What?”
“You’re minimizing.”
Dad laughed bitterly.
“I’m trying not to discuss proprietary information with half a wedding reception listening.”
Lewis lowered his voice.
“You were already in covenant default before the increase.”
Mom stared at Dad.
“What does that mean?”
“It means the company wasn’t meeting the financial conditions attached to the original loan,” I said.
Dad snapped, “Thank you, Claire.”
“You’re welcome.”
Mom looked at me.
“Could the bank take the house?”
“No.”
Dad answered too fast.
Lewis said nothing.
Mom caught it.
Her face drained.
“Richard.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Can they take the house?”
“The home equity line is separate.”
Lewis finally spoke.
“But there may be cross-default provisions in the broader borrowing package.”
Mom turned toward him.
“In English.”
Lewis hesitated.
“If one loan defaults, another lender may have rights depending on the agreements.”
Mom gripped the edge of the chair.
“How much do we owe?”
Dad said, “Elaine.”
She looked up at him.
“How much?”
He did not answer.
Her voice broke.
“How much?”
“Between everything?”
“Yes.”
Dad’s shoulders sagged.
“A little over two point four.”
Madison whispered, “Million?”
Nobody corrected her.
Mom stared at the carpet.
For once there was no immediate reaction.
No crying.
No accusation.
She simply sat there with one hand wrapped around the other.
The number seemed too large for emotion.
Trevor stepped away and leaned against the wall.
He pulled his bow tie loose.
Madison looked at him.
“Trevor.”
He did not answer.
“Trevor.”
“I heard it.”
Her voice dropped.
“You’re not going to leave, are you?”
He looked at her for a long time.
“I don’t know what I’m doing right now.”
Her face collapsed.
“That means yes.”
“It means I don’t know.”
“You said for better or worse.”
“We’ve been married four hours.”
“That still counts.”
“I know.”
“Then act like it.”
He looked at her.
“Act like what?”
“My husband.”
“I tried.”
She flinched.
He immediately regretted it.
I could see that too.
He rubbed his face.
“That came out wrong.”
“No, it didn’t.”
“Maddie.”
She turned away from him.
Dad’s phone buzzed again.
He checked the screen.
His expression changed.
“What now?” Mom asked.
He did not answer.
I saw the message preview before he turned the phone over.
Martin.
CALL ME NOW.
Dad walked toward the elevator alcove.
Lewis followed him.
Their voices dropped too low for me to hear.
Mom stared after them.
Then she looked at me.
“You knew the company was struggling.”
“Yes.”
“How much did you know?”
“Not enough.”
“Did you know about the guarantee?”
“No.”
She nodded slowly.
For once, she believed me without asking Dad first.
It should have felt good.
It did not.
Madison stood near the wall with her arms crossed over her wedding dress.
The dress was beautiful.
Hand-beaded.
Thousands of tiny pearls caught the light whenever she moved.
I had spent six months listening to her complain that the first tailor made the sleeves too tight.
May you like
Now one of those sleeves had a faint gray mark near the elbow from when Trevor grabbed her after she pulled me down.
She followed my eyes.
