My Father Told Me to Pretend We’d Never Met at the White House—Then General Vance Announced I Oversaw His Defense Contract Review

Looked at his hands.

“The company will have to wait for the independent officer.”

“Yes.”

“That’s fair.”

I looked at him.

He did not add:

But call someone.

But explain.

But fix this.

I almost did not recognize the silence.

“I expected you to ask me to make a call.”

“I almost did.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No.”

He pushed the envelope slightly across the table.

“I don’t want to ask you anymore.”

“About Mercer?”

“About any of it.”