Chapter 12 - PATRICIA COMES ALONE
Patricia Mitchell arrived at my office four days later.
No George.
No Vanessa.
No attorney.
That surprised me.
My receptionist called upstairs.
“She says she won’t leave until you speak with her.”
I allowed ten minutes.
Patricia entered wearing a gray suit and no jewelry.
The transformation was deliberate.
I almost appreciated the irony.
She sat across from me.
“I owe you an apology.”
“Yes.”
She blinked.
Apparently, she had expected me to make it easier.
“I behaved terribly.”
“Yes.”
“I judged you by your appearance.”
“Yes.”
Her jaw tightened.
“You could let me finish.”
“You can.”
I folded my hands.
“But I will not pretend your description is inaccurate.”
She looked down.
For the first time, I saw something other than entitlement.
Shame.
“I have spent my life terrified of being seen as poor.”
That caught my attention.
She continued.
“My father lost everything when I was twelve.”
“We moved three times.”
“My mother cleaned offices at night.”
“I promised myself nobody would ever look down on me again.”
I studied her.
“So you learned to look down first.”
Her eyes filled.
“Yes.”
The answer was so immediate that I believed it.
Not as an excuse.
As an explanation.
She continued.
“I taught Vanessa the same fear.”
“And she turned it into contempt.”
“Yes.”
I leaned back.
“Why are you here?”
“Because George wants to fight.”
“What does that mean?”
“He wants to say the financial documents were misunderstood.”
“He wants to accuse Ethan of abandoning Vanessa for publicity.”
My expression hardened.
“And you?”
“I’m done protecting him.”
She placed a flash drive on my desk.
I did not touch it.
“What is that?”
“Foundation records.”
“How did you obtain them?”
“I’m a board officer.”
“Why give them to me?”
“Because the auditors should see them.”
“Then give them to the auditors.”
“I already did.”
That surprised me.
She looked exhausted.
“I came here to tell you before George does.”
“Tell me what?”
She took a breath.
“The transfer wasn’t the first one.”
The room became very quiet.
“How many?”
“Seven.”
My stomach tightened.
“Over how long?”
“Eighteen months.”
“Total?”
Her voice dropped.
“Just over four million dollars.”
I looked at the flash drive again.
“And Vanessa?”
May you like
Patricia closed her eyes.
“She knew about three.”
