“The audit can show us the money.”
I looked toward the closed door.
“I want all of it.”
He nodded.
“Then we keep going.”
PART 3 — THE COMPANY JULIAN NEVER KNEW WAS MINE
At noon, Arthur and I sat inside his parked sedan outside a Greenwich church.
The engine was off.
An encrypted recording device rested in my lap.
“If this reaches the board,” Arthur said, “Sterling’s financial connection to Vance becomes public.”
“It already exists.”
“Publicly, it will look different.”
I turned the device over in my hands.
“Julian has spent years telling people Vance succeeded without help.”
“You allowed that story.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
A woman crossed the parking lot carrying a paper bag.
I watched her.
“Because I wanted to know whether he could love me without knowing what my name could buy him.”