Chương 3
Claire had seen those facts before.
What she had never seen was what Daniel showed next.
At 12:22, six minutes after Victoria and Simon left her office, someone opened the security administration console from a terminal assigned to Victoria’s executive suite.
At 12:27, the hallway footage covering Claire’s office was marked for deletion.
Victoria stared at the screen.
Simon whispered something Claire could not hear.
Daniel looked at him.
“What was that?”
Simon rubbed both hands down his trouser legs.
“I said I didn’t do that.”
Victoria turned.
“Simon.”
“I didn’t.”
Her voice stayed quiet.
“Nobody said you did.”
His face changed.
Claire watched him understand that he had just made his own mistake.
Avery removed his glasses.
“Here is what happens tonight. Effective immediately, Victoria, your access to foundation systems is suspended pending an independent review.”
Victoria laughed once.
“You can’t suspend the chair.”
“The bylaws permit the vice chair and general counsel to restrict system access when preservation of records is necessary.”
“You’ve been waiting years to say that sentence.”
Avery did not respond.
“Ms. Bennett,” Monica said, “your status remains unchanged.”
Claire turned toward her.
“My status?”
“You remain on administrative leave.”
Claire stared.
Victoria’s mouth moved almost imperceptibly.
There it was.
The smallest return of confidence.
Claire felt anger rush through her so quickly that her face became hot.
“You have a recording.”
“We have a recording of Ms. Crane entering your office,” Monica said. “We do not yet know who altered the approvals.”
“You have the login data.”
“Your login data.”
“She used my computer.”
“We have not established that.”
Claire looked at Simon.
He looked away.
She could hear the ballroom again through the wall. A low pulse of music. Applause from somewhere. The gala continuing.
Of course it was continuing.
There were auction items to sell.
There were speeches printed on thick card stock.
There were people who had hired babysitters.
The world rarely stopped when yours became intolerable.
Claire looked down at Emma.
Her daughter was studying the pattern in the carpet.
Tiny blue leaves.
Emma traced one with the toe of her silver shoe.
Claire suddenly wanted to go home more than she wanted justice.
The feeling frightened her.
Avery seemed to read some part of it.
“We’re not resolving this tonight.”
“I know,” Claire said.
Victoria gave a short, humorless breath.
“Apparently none of you know anything tonight.”
Monica stood.
“Victoria.”
“What?”
“Do not contact foundation employees about this review.”
Victoria smiled again.
“Are you ordering me not to speak to people I employ?”
“Foundation employees are not your personal employees.”
“You should put that on a mug.”
Monica did not smile.
“Do not delete messages. Do not alter devices. Do not ask anyone else to do so. We will issue written preservation instructions before you leave the hotel.”
“I’m sure that will be thrilling.”
Claire had seen Victoria angry before.
This was not anger.
Anger made Victoria concise.
This was fear wearing expensive manners.
Luis opened the door.
Victoria paused beside Claire on her way out.
Emma moved closer to her mother.
Victoria noticed.
For once she did not use it.
She looked at Claire and spoke quietly.
“You have no idea what you started.”
Claire was too tired for a comeback.
“Yes,” she said. “I do.”
Victoria stared at her for another second.
Then she left.
Simon remained seated.
Avery looked at him.
“Mr. Kerr?”
Simon stood.
He looked twenty years older than he had at dinner.
“I need a lawyer.”
Monica nodded.
“That would be sensible.”
He left without saying another word.
Claire stayed until the door closed.
Then her shoulders dropped.
Emma tugged her hand.
“Can we go now?”
Claire looked at Avery.
He nodded.
“Yes,” Claire said. “We can go.”
Outside, she found one of Emma’s earrings missing.
It was not an expensive earring. A tiny glass star from a mall kiosk, nineteen dollars for the pair. Emma became more upset about that than she had about the board meeting.
Claire knelt near the ballroom doors while guests passed.
“We’ll look tomorrow.”
“But it matches.”
“I know.”
“I need both.”
“I know, Em.”
“What if somebody steps on it?”
Claire closed her eyes.
There were 1.26 million dollars missing from a charitable foundation. Her career might already be dead. A billionaire’s daughter had dumped her belongings onto a ballroom floor. Corporate security had recovered footage someone had attempted to erase.
Her child was crying about a nineteen-dollar earring.
Claire put both hands gently on Emma’s shoulders.
“Then somebody steps on it.”
Emma stared at her.
Claire heard the impatience in her own voice and hated it.
She softened.
“I’m sorry.”
Emma rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.
Claire searched the carpet again.
They found the star beneath a planter four minutes later.
Emma smiled for the first time that night.
In the hotel elevator, Claire leaned against the mirrored wall and watched the floor numbers descend.
Twenty-seven.
Twenty-six.
Twenty-five.
Emma examined the recovered earring in her palm.
“Is Ms. Crane going to jail?”
Claire looked at their reflections.
Emma’s tiara sat sideways. Claire’s bun had loosened above one ear. Her gown bore a dark spot where Emma’s tears had dried against the satin.
“I don’t know.”
“Did she steal money?”
“I don’t know everything yet.”
“You said she did.”
“I said I thought something was wrong with the money.”
“That means stealing.”
“Sometimes grown-ups make things more complicated than they need to.”
Emma considered that.
“Why?”
Claire almost smiled.
“Job security.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
The elevator continued down.
Emma put the earring into Claire’s hand.
“Don’t lose it.”
“I won’t.”
Claire slipped it into the clutch Victoria had emptied.
The zipper was bent.
May you like
She had owned the bag for eleven years. It had been purchased for her rehearsal dinner when she was twenty-five and still believed a seventy-dollar accessory was a reckless financial decision. The marriage attached to that dinner had lasted nine years. The clutch had lasted longer.
She wondered if that was funny.
