Chapter 14: Three Weeks

Dad did not take off his overcoat either.

He crossed the kitchen and stood across the table from his wife.

"Tell me again," he said. "Word for word."

Mom told him.

She told him that Caleb had said I refused every cent, and that I wanted to be left alone.

She told him about every time she had started to speak and been stopped.

Dad listened with his jaw tight and his hands flat on the back of a chair.

When she finished, he turned to me.

"I was told you sent the first deposit back," he said. "Through your brother, with a note."

"I never saw a deposit."

"I was told you said, and I quote, I don't want their money, I want to be left alone."

"I wanted to be allowed to stay," I said.

My voice shook, and I let it.

"I was afraid to ask for a roll of bread, because I thought you'd send me back."

Dad's face did something I had not seen it do.

It folded, quickly, and he put one hand over his eyes.

Nobody moved.

Then he took the hand away and looked at Dustin.

"You sit on the Foundation's board," he said. "You're in my son's confidence. Did you know?"

"No, sir," Dustin said. "Not about this."

"About anything?"

I watched Dustin's back straighten.

He didn't look at Dad when he answered.

He looked at me.

"I knew the Foundation's numbers were wrong," he said. "For three weeks."

The kitchen went very quiet.

"The van's food budget was cut by a third, and the vendor that replaced it doesn't exist. I saw it on the ledger the night of Erin's welcome dinner."

"You saw it," Dad said.