Chapter 9: The Seat

My first board meeting started at nine on Monday, and I arrived with burned hair and a new chair.

Nine people sat at the table.

Eugene took the head, and Brielle sat three seats down from him with a bandage of makeup on her cheek.

I took the seat my mother would have had, on his right.

"Item one," Eugene said, sliding a folder across the table. "The Pell Street tower. Vote to clear the lot and sign the demolition contract."

He did not look at me.

He had put me beside him so I would vote with him in front of everyone.

"The lot is full of people," I said.

"The lot is full of liabilities," said the director across from me, a pink-faced man with a signet ring.

"My concern is the contractor, not the tenants."

"What's wrong with the contractor?"

He glanced at Eugene, who stared back, and he shut his mouth.

I let the silence sit.

"Mr. Saltonstall, who owns Harbor Ridge Construction?" I said.

"It's a vendor, Maeve."

"I read the filings after I was locked in a burning building." I opened my own folder.

"Harbor Ridge is owned by a trust, and the trust is owned by a company."

"The company is owned by your wife's brother."

A murmur went around the table.

"That's not unusual in this industry," Eugene said.

"It's four hundred million dollars with no competitive bid."

"The terms are standard."

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