He’d brought them as a down payment.

“You want me to lie to the hospital to protect Vanessa,” I said.

“You want me to change my story so she doesn’t get in trouble.”

“I want this family to move on,” Thomas said.

“We can deal with this privately.

Without outsiders.”

He walked over to his own sedan parked at the curb.

He got in behind the wheel and started the engine.