Chapter 16: The Ambulance

Lena's POV

The Maddox Rescue Foundation had one floor of a glass building and a lobby full of framed photographs of helicopters.

Carina's office was at the end of the hall.

She stood when I came in, and she did not smile.

"You came," she said.

"You invited me."

"I wasn't sure you would."

I had texted Neil at seven that morning, from the stairs of Maeve's shop.

He had written back: Give me till one fifteen.

It was one o'clock.

I sat in the chair across from her desk and put my bag on my lap.

"Where did the money go?" I asked.

Carina sat. She folded her hands on the desk, and for the first time I saw how much of her face was work.

"I'll tell you," she said. "But first I need you to understand what this foundation does."

"I know what it does. It has your name on it."

"It has thirty-one rescue teams on its list. It bought avalanche beacons for four mountain towns."

She leaned forward.

"It's real, Lena. Whatever else I did, that part is real."

"I believe you."

"Then sign it over to me."

She slid a single page across the desk.

It was a transfer of the board's controlling vote, and a line at the bottom for my name.

"You are the owner of record," Carina said. "If you give me the seat, Alister can't touch it."

She tapped the page.

"You can't be blamed for what happens to it after. And I'll stand next to you at the gala and say the rescue story was a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding."

"People will forgive that."

I looked at her feet.