A text from the number Marsh had called from that morning, but the message was not from Marsh. It said, "I heard the break confirmation. I'm sorry you had to find that out. " Vhei stared at it. She had somehow known when the confirmation came through. Her attorney, probably Marsh, likely had contact investigation, the kind of access that came with representing a victim in a high-profile case.
But the point wasn't the how. The point was that she had heard and she had reached out within what felt like minutes. And the message was four words of substance and one initial. And it was exactly right. Not too much, not performative, not the message of someone managing him.
The message of someone who thought about what he might be feeling and decided to say something about it. He typed back, "I know. Thank you. " He drove to pick up Maya from school. She came out through the side gate with her backpack over one shoulder and her headphones around her neck and her expression in the specific configuration it took on when she had been thinking about something and all day and was ready to talk about it. She got in the truck and put her seat belt on and looked straight ahead for exactly 4 seconds.
Then it was on the news. He kept his eyes on the road. What did it say? CEO of a logistics company sabotage during the storm. Evidence of major fraud.
She paused. It didn't say your name. It wouldn't. I'm a witness. But you were there.
Yes. She was quiet for a moment. The CEO, Hayes Global. That's the building you went to last night. Yes.
And she was in there with you. Yes. Another silence. Longer. He knew this particular silence.
It was the one she used when she was deciding not just what to ask, but how much asking was appropriate. She had learned that from him. He recognized it and was as always slightly undone by it. Were you scared? She asked.
He thought about the honest answer. Yes, he said for about 3 minutes. Which 3 minutes? In the stairwell when I heard someone coming up. I was scared because I didn't have good options yet and someone I was responsible for was in danger.