Arthur’s hand on my sleeve.
His demand that I disappear.
His later request that I recuse.
“If he finds out?”
“Then his request for special treatment becomes a different question.”
Daniel corrected the phrase immediately.
“Expedited request.
Not special treatment.”
The distinction mattered.
Urgency was not authority.
The request still had to travel through the same process.
Then Vance explained the real problem.
Even if I reviewed Mercer perfectly, my work could still be challenged because Arthur was my father.
If Mercer received a favorable recommendation, someone could say I protected him.
If Mercer did not, someone could say I punished him.
The cleaner I tried to be, the easier it would be for both sides to invent motive.
“How much authority do I lose if I recuse?”
“All of it on this matter.”