Chapter 11: After the Badge

Evan did not go home to Millbrook.

He walked along the harbor in the rain with his duffel bag, because he had nowhere else to go.

At ten he let himself back into the penthouse.

The place was dark and cold.

He sat at the kitchen island with his coat on.

Ethan came in at eleven.

He stood at the end of the hall and took off his tie slowly, with both hands.

"You're here," he said.

"My things are here."

"I thought you might have gone."

"Where?"

Ethan had no answer.

He crossed the kitchen and stopped on the other side of the island.

The marble lay between them, white and bare.

"I know how it looked," Ethan said.

"How did it look?"

"I couldn't take your side in front of the board without evidence. They'd have thrown us both out. I said what the process needed."

"You said you wouldn't interfere."

"It was strategy, Evan."

"It was your oldest friend lying about me, and you looking at the table."

Ethan's jaw moved.

"I'll fix it," he said. "Quietly. I'll find out who did the login.

"In three weeks the board will forget, and you'll be back. You don't even have to leave the house."

"You want me to stay here."

"Of course I do."

"While you fix it."

"Yes."

Evan laughed.

It was a short, flat sound, and Ethan flinched at it.

"What did you want me to say?" Ethan said. His voice rose for the first time. "Tell me. I'd like to know."

"Something."

"What?"

"Anything. One sentence. *He didn't do it.* Or even *I don't know.*"

Evan's hands were flat on the marble.

"You didn't need evidence for that. You only needed to be on my side for four seconds."

"Don't," Ethan said.

"You looked at the table."

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