Chapter 17 - The Price of Keeping Quiet
The recording ended with Lydia reaching for her baby. Nora covered Ivy's eyes before the screen went black, though the little girl had already heard enough.
“Why does she hate me?” Ivy asked.
“She doesn't get to decide what you are worth,” Nora answered.
Ortiz took the authenticated files to prosecutors. Investigators searched Northbridge's offices, seized financial servers under warrant, and questioned Malcolm for most of a day. He refused to discuss the road crash without a lawyer.
Celeste held a brief press conference on Briar House's front steps. “My husband is being exploited in his declining years,” she said. “I love him, and I hope he gets help.”
Gideon turned off the television.
“Ten years ago I might have believed her,” he told Amina. “I liked anybody who said the trouble was someone else's fault.”
Amina had uncovered one more problem. Several grants funded through the Whitcomb Foundation had continued to disappear after Lydia's death. Families were still owed assistance. Restitution could require selling assets Gideon had planned to leave to Ivy.
“Do it,” he said.
“The trustees will need to approve a formal plan.”
“Then call them. I won't build a relationship with my granddaughter out of money stolen from other children.”
“Tell Gideon to withdraw his statement,” she said. “I can make the guardianship complaint vanish.”
“You filed it?”
“I said I can make it vanish.”
Nora stepped into the hallway and put the call on speaker for Mateo, who recorded it with her consent.
“Did you send the man to Ivy's school?” she asked.
Celeste was silent.
“You've threatened her twice. She had nightmares for three nights after the gala. You don't get to bargain with me using her safety.”
“You think the old man can save you? Ask him who signed the order to close Lydia's case.”
The line went dead.
Nora repeated the question to Gideon that evening. Amina searched the scanned documents. There it was: a letter on Whitcomb stationery directing the family's representatives to stop pursuing further questions about the crash.
May you like
At the bottom was a signature Gideon recognized immediately.
His own.
