Chapter 10: Two Notices

At ten to nine, the conference room on the forty-first floor was full.

Twelve chairs. Eleven board members.

Two men from security standing by the wall in dark suits, hands folded in front of them.

The head of security had left a thin folder at my place and nodded once.

Holly sat at the far end, near the window, with her sketchbook in her lap.

Chase's chair was empty.

At nine sharp Brielle walked in.

Not Chase. Brielle.

She had a latte in one hand and her portfolio in the other, and her chin up.

"Mrs. Pembroke. The board secretary said you wanted me here."

"I did. Sit down."

She sat in Chase's chair.

Somebody at the table shifted uncomfortably.

She crossed her legs and sipped her latte and smiled at me over the lid.

I slid a single sheet of paper down the length of the black walnut table.

It stopped in front of her.

NOTICE OF TERMINATION.

She read it. She actually laughed.

"You can't fire me," she said. "I report to Chase. Only Chase can fire me, and he won't."

"Read the second paragraph."

She didn't.

"He won't let you," she said, louder, so the whole table could hear it. "You know he won't."

The door opened behind her.

Chase came in.

His tie was crooked. He hadn't shaved. He looked like he'd driven around all night.

He saw Brielle in his chair and the paper in front of her, and stopped.

"What's going on?"

"Sit down, Chase."

"Mom, what is this?"

"Sit."

He didn't sit. He came around and stood behind Brielle with his hand on her shoulder.

Fine.

I slid a second sheet of paper down the table.

It stopped in front of him.

He picked it up.

I watched him read the first line.

RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD. Removal of the President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

At the bottom were nine signatures and a blank line where mine went.

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