Chương 9
She learned the wine cellar had a separate alarm.
She learned Grant had insisted on panic buttons under three tables.
She learned Victoria had removed one because she disliked how it looked.
At eleven thirty, Deputy Alvarez left.
At noon, Rachel drove Maya to urgent care.
Her hip was bruised, her palm scraped, her lip split but minor. No fracture. No stitches.
The physician assistant asked whether she felt safe returning home.
Maya laughed.
Then realized the question was serious.
“I don’t know where home is today.”
The woman paused.
“That’s not quite what I meant.”
“I know. Sorry.”
Maya filled out an incident form.
Under address, she automatically wrote her apartment.
Then crossed it out.
She stared at the blank line.
Finally she wrote the mansion address.
It looked fake in her handwriting.
Rachel sat beside her in the waiting area responding to emails.
Her phone buzzed every thirty seconds.
Maya watched a toddler repeatedly drop a plastic dinosaur onto the floor while his father picked it up.
After the seventh time, the father stopped.
The toddler stared at him, shocked by this betrayal.
Maya laughed.
The father looked over.
“Don’t encourage him.”
“Sorry.”
The toddler dropped the dinosaur again.
Nobody picked it up.
For ten full seconds Maya thought about nothing except whether the child would break first.
He did.
He climbed down and got it himself.
Rachel looked up from her phone.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s the happiest you’ve looked all day.”
“There’s a dinosaur situation.”
Rachel looked at the child.
“High stakes.”
“Extremely.”
On the drive back, Rachel’s phone rang.
She answered through the car’s speaker.
“Kim.”
A man’s voice filled the vehicle.
“Rachel, Martin Hale.”
Victoria’s attorney.
Rachel glanced at Maya.
“Martin.”
“I understand there was an incident.”
“There was.”
“My client reports she was assaulted.”
“My client reports the same.”
A pause.
“I’d like to avoid unnecessary escalation.”
Maya mouthed, Of course you would.
Rachel ignored her.
“Then we agree.”
“I’m proposing a mutual non-prosecution understanding.”
Rachel’s expression did not change.
“You can’t contract away the government’s charging discretion.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do. And no.”
Maya turned toward her.
Martin continued, “Rachel.”
“Your client initiated physical contact. It’s on video.”
“So is Ms. Carter striking her.”
“Yes.”
“Neither side benefits from this.”
Rachel looked at Maya again.
“That’s my client’s decision after we review the recording.”
Martin exhaled.
“There’s another issue.”
Maya sat straighter.
“Victoria believes personal documents remain at the residence.”
“We have an inventory process.”
“She specifically wants materials from Grant’s office protected.”
“They are protected.”
“From Ms. Carter.”
Rachel’s eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Because they may include privileged marital communications.”
“Then identify categories and we’ll address them through counsel.”
“I’m asking that she not enter the office.”
Maya looked at Rachel.
Rachel said, “No.”
“Rachel.”
“The house belongs to her.”
“Some of the documents do not.”
“Then your client should have removed them during the four months she had notice that possession might transfer.”
A pause.
Maya stared out the window.
Traffic moved slowly through an intersection.
A man on a motorcycle balanced a grocery bag between his knees.
Martin spoke again.
“I’m trying to prevent another problem.”
Rachel’s voice cooled.
“Then tell me the problem.”
Silence.
“Martin?”
“I’ll send a written request.”
He disconnected.
Maya looked at Rachel.
“What’s in the office?”
“I don’t know.”
“He knows.”
“He knows Victoria is worried.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
Maya folded her arms.
Rachel glanced at her.
“Do not go digging through Grant’s office.”
Maya said nothing.
“Maya.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Your silence has a criminal record.”
“That’s dramatic.”
“You slapped a widow before nine a.m.”
“She shoved me.”
“I’m aware.”
Maya looked out the window.
“Fine.”
“You promise?”
“I promise I won’t go digging.”
Rachel nodded.
Maya waited three seconds.
“I can stand in the doorway.”
Rachel swore.
By the time they returned, Helen had prepared sandwiches nobody had requested.
Maya ate one standing at the kitchen island.
The kitchen was larger than her apartment.
That was not an exaggeration.
Her old apartment had been six hundred and forty square feet. The mansion kitchen, pantry, breakfast area, and service corridor together were larger.
Helen watched Maya look around.
“You can say it.”
“What?”
“It’s ridiculous.”
Maya swallowed.
“It’s ridiculous.”
“Grant liked people to see the kitchen.”
“Why?”
“He believed it made the house look warm.”
“Did he cook?”
“Once.”
“What happened?”
“He burned water.”
“That’s impossible.”
“You didn’t know him well enough.”
Maya smiled.
Then Grant’s name settled between them.
Helen looked down at the sandwich she was cutting.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“I forget sometimes.”
“That he’s dead?”
“That you hated him.”
Maya considered correcting her.
She did not hate Grant all the time.
That would have been simpler.
When she first joined Sterling Meridian, he had remembered that her father worked for the company. He once sent her mother flowers after knee surgery. He paid for employees’ children to attend summer programs. He could be funny.
He also ordered legal staff to build a file against Maya within twenty-four hours of her internal complaint.
Human beings rarely had the decency to become entirely one thing.
“I don’t know what I feel about him,” Maya said.
Helen nodded.
“That sounds more accurate.”
Maya put down her sandwich.
“Did Victoria know?”
Helen’s knife stopped.
“Know what?”
“About the reserve transfers.”
Helen resumed cutting.
“I managed his house. Not his company.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“It’s my answer.”
Maya watched her.
Helen wrapped half the sandwich in paper.
“You should eat.”
“I’m eating.”
“You’ve had four bites.”
“Were you always this bossy?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Helen almost smiled.
Maya tried again.
“Victoria said something before she left.”
Helen’s face remained neutral.
“What?”
“She said I thought she didn’t know what Grant did.”
Helen placed the wrapped sandwich in the refrigerator.
“Grant did many things.”
“Did she know about my firing?”
“Yes.”
Maya’s stomach tightened.
“How much?”
“She knew you were fired.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
May you like
“No.”
Helen closed the refrigerator door.
