Don't wait for the expansion. Go with what you have. Patricia picked up her phone. She looked at Evelyn. If we do this today, it goes public today.
There is no controlling the narrative after federal agents walk into that building. I know, Evelyn said. Your board will move against you within hours. Raymond Holt will almost certainly attempt to characterize this as Evelyn Brooks cooperating with a federal investigation to deflect personal liability. That story will be in the press before tonight.
I know, Evelyn said again. Her voice was completely steady now. Whatever had been wet in her eyes a moment ago had moved somewhere else, somewhere that was fueling the steadiness instead of undermining it. Make the call, Patricia. Patricia called Denise Chow at 12:27 in the afternoon.
She spoke for 6 minutes. She outlined what the shadow copies contained, the email communications, the timeline risk of Pruitt's compliance review activity. She listened for 2 minutes. She said yes three times. She said understood once.
She hung up. They're moving at 2, she said. Federal agents go into the Brooks Urban Living building at 2:00. Marcus looked at the clock on Patricia's wall. 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Evelyn, he said. She looked at him. You need to be out of that building before 2, he said. Not because Not because you're running, because if you're in there when federal agents walk through the door, your presence becomes part of the chaos, and Pruitt's attorneys will use it. You need to be somewhere else.
Clearly not in the building. Clearly not participating in anything that looks like interference. She thought for exactly 2 seconds. I have a board call at 1:30. A routine call.
Raymond Holt will be on it. Everyone in the room processed what she just said. You're going to get on a board call with Raymond Holt 30 minutes before federal agents arrest him, Patricia said. I'm going to do my 1:30 board call, Evelyn said simply, because it's on my calendar and canceling it at 1:15 would be the single most suspicious thing I could do. I'll step off at 1:55.
By the time the agents arrive, I'll be in my car. She looked at Marcus. And I'll call you the moment it's done. He looked at her. He thought about the Woolworth cap and the worn shoes and the woman who'd asked if she could eat his leftovers.