Chapter 11: Terms

The photo came in at 9:12 on Monday morning, while I was color-coding Nelson's calendar.

It showed a check lying on the motel bedspread, next to a lit cigarette.

The check was made out to Mona Kessing for twenty thousand dollars, with Nelson's signature at the bottom.

The text under it said, "He's so generous, your man. He came all by himself."

I sat very still for a long moment.

Then I got up and walked the thirty feet to his office.

I shut the door behind me so softly that he looked up with a smile.

The smile went away when he saw my face.

"What did you do?" I asked.

He put down his pen. "I went to see your mother."

"When?"

"This morning at seven. Before work."

"Alone."

"I didn't want you to have to look at her again."

He rose and came around the desk.

"I offered to help her relocate, somewhere far from here, with a fresh start. She said yes."

"She said yes."

"I thought it would take the dinner off the table. No scene, no more reporters, no more calls to our lobby."

"Nelson."

"I know how it sounds," he said. "I just wanted to protect you."

I took my phone out of my pocket, and I turned the screen toward him.

He read the text, and he went quiet.

"She's already texted you," he said.

"She texted me a picture of your check, with a cigarette next to it."

"Francine..."

"No. Listen to me."

I kept my voice low, because my hands were shaking and I did not want him to see it in my voice.

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