Chương 9
Her tea went cold.
Eventually she called Thomas.
“It came.”
He did not ask the result.
“Yeah?”
“You’re my father.”
A breath.
“Yeah.”
She hated how small his voice became.
“What am I supposed to call you?”
“Thomas is fine.”
“That’s weird.”
“Probably.”
“Dad is weirder.”
“Then don’t.”
She rubbed the paper between her fingers.
“Are you crying?”
“No.”
“You sound like you’re crying.”
“I got sawdust in my eye.”
“You’re inside.”
“Old sawdust.”
Elena laughed.
Then cried.
Not dramatically.
No sobbing.
Just tears falling while she stared at the pigeon.
Thomas did not tell her everything would be okay.
He remained on the phone.
That was enough.
The call changed something.
Not forgiveness.
Permission, perhaps.
Permission for the past to become specific.
Elena started asking questions.
What had her mother hated eating?
Peas.
What music did she play too loud?
Fleetwood Mac.
Had Claire really once broken a neighbor’s mailbox?
Yes, with Thomas’s truck, while trying to learn to reverse.
Was Elena afraid of thunderstorms?
No. Vacuum cleaners.
“Why?”
“You thought they ate socks.”
“That is stupid.”
“You were four.”
“Still.”
Thomas began telling stories reluctantly because Elena distrusted stories that made him look good.
She noticed he often stopped before the ending.
“What happened next?”
“Nothing.”
“That means you did something bad.”
“Usually.”
He told her about missing a preschool recital because he had lost money at a sportsbook and was too ashamed to come home.
He told her Claire had once thrown his clothes onto the porch.
He told her he had promised to stop gambling six times before he actually stopped, and the sixth promise came too late to matter to Claire because she died two months later in a highway collision.
“What were you doing when she died?”
“Watching a game.”
“Were you gambling?”
He paused.
“Yes.”
That answer stayed with Elena.
It made Thomas worse.
It also made him real.
Victor called her twice during that week.
She did not answer.
On the third attempt he left a voicemail.
“You deserve context.”
Elena listened to it three times.
Then called him.
“Tomorrow. My office.”
Victor arrived exactly on time.
He wore a navy suit, no tie.
Without the wedding, he looked less like an emperor and more like an aging man who had slept badly.
Elena did not offer coffee.
Victor sat.
“I did what I believed was necessary.”
She looked at him.
“That is how people introduce terrible things.”
His mouth tightened.
“Thomas was unstable.”
“Yes.”
“He was drinking.”
“Yes.”
“He gambled.”
“Yes.”
“He signed away money belonging to you.”
“Yes.”
“You were five.”
“Yes.”
Victor leaned forward.
“Your mother was dead. Melissa was barely functioning. Thomas was facing prison. Someone had to make decisions.”
“And you decided my father was dead.”
“I told you he was gone.”
Elena stared.
“No.”
Victor looked away.
“You told me he died.”
“You were a child.”
“That does not change the sentence.”
Victor folded his hands.
“I was trying to stop you from waiting for him.”
The wording chilled her.
“You knew I waited.”
“Every day.”
“So you killed him for me.”
Victor’s eyes sharpened.
“That is melodramatic.”
“I was five.”
“I am aware.”
“Did you return his letters?”
“Some.”
“Did you write that I didn’t want contact?”
Victor did not answer.
“That’s a yes.”
“It was appropriate under the circumstances.”
“Did Melissa authorize it?”
“She relied on my judgment.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Victor looked tired.
“No.”
Elena leaned back.
“Did Thomas steal from my trust?”
“He participated in the transfer.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Did you benefit?”
“No.”
“Did anyone connected to you?”
Victor’s eyes shifted.
Small.
But Elena had spent nine years around Damien.
She knew the family habit.
“Who?”
Victor said nothing.
“Who?”
“The structure was complicated.”
Elena stood.
Victor remained seated.
She felt suddenly calm.
“What structure?”
“A real-estate vehicle.”
“Owned by?”
“Several parties.”
“Name one.”
“Your grandfather’s estate had an interest.”
“My grandfather was dead.”
“Yes.”
“Who controlled the estate?”
Victor did not answer.
Elena’s mouth went dry.
“You.”
“It was lawful.”
“Then why frame Thomas?”
“I did not frame him.”
“You let him take the blame.”
“He signed the transfers.”
“You knew where the money went.”
Victor’s face hardened.
“I knew he was vulnerable.”
The sentence slipped out before he could clean it.
They both heard it.
Elena sat again.
“Say that again.”
Victor’s jaw tightened.
“No.”
“You knew he was vulnerable.”
“I knew he was reckless.”
“So you used him.”
“No.”
“Then explain it.”
Victor looked toward the window.
For the first time in Elena’s memory, he seemed to have no preferred version ready.
“The estate was illiquid,” he said finally. “There were obligations. Taxes. Litigation. We moved funds temporarily.”
“From my trust.”
“Yes.”
“Without authority.”
“We intended to replace them.”
“Did you?”
“Most.”
“Most.”
Victor rubbed his thumb against his index finger.
A tiny repetitive motion.
Damien did the same thing when nervous.
“How much?”
“Initially, one hundred eighty thousand.”
Thomas’s old court case had listed one hundred eighty-two.
Elena stared.
“And eighteen thousand went to Thomas.”
“Yes.”
“Because he needed money.”
“Yes.”
“And the rest?”
Victor’s eyes met hers.
“Into the estate vehicle.”
“Which you controlled.”
“Yes.”
“Then Thomas pled guilty.”
“He was guilty of signing the documents and taking funds.”
“And you?”
“I was never charged.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Victor stood.
“This conversation is over.”
Elena remained seated.
“No.”
He looked at her.
She lifted her phone.
“I’m not recording you.”
His expression changed.
“I’m telling you because I want you to know how much I’m trying not to become you.”
Victor stared.
That struck him.
Good.
“Sit down.”
He did not.
Elena continued.
“You didn’t just hide Thomas. You trained everybody around me to think hiding information was love.”
Victor’s face tightened.
“That is unfair.”
“Damien screened my messages.”
“To protect you.”
“You just proved my point.”
Victor looked toward the door.
“Elena—”
“Did you tell Damien my mother was afraid of Thomas?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell him she considered leaving?”
May you like
“Yes.”
“Did you tell him she stayed?”
