Chapter 11 - Maggie's Secret.For several seconds, Maggie said nothing.
Cole watched every change in her face.
Surprise.
Fear.
Anger.
Then recognition.
“You know what this means.”
Maggie looked away.
Cole's voice hardened.
“What does Evan know?”
“Not what you think.”
“I don't know what to think.”
She sat at the kitchen table.
Cole remained standing.
“Sit down.”
“No.”
“Cole.”
“Tell me.”
Maggie exhaled.
“Evan contacted me six months ago.”
Cole stared at her.
“Why?”
“He wanted information about you.”
“What information?”
“Your travel.”
“Your routines.”
“Whether you were planning to step back from the company.”
Cole's jaw tightened.
“And you told him?”
“No.”
“He was your boss too.”
“No.”
Maggie shook her head.
“You hired me personally.”
Cole folded his arms.
“So why didn't you tell me?”
“Because he made it sound harmless at first.”
“And later?”
Maggie's eyes lowered.
“Later he offered me money.”
Cole laughed once.
“Of course.”
“I refused.”
“How much?”
“Fifty thousand dollars.”
Cole stared.
“For what?”
“To say you were emotionally unstable after Natalie died.”
Cole went completely still.
Maggie continued.
“He said Northstar was worried about leadership continuity.”
“Was that true?”
“I don't know.”
“Did he ask anything else?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
Maggie hesitated.
Cole's patience disappeared.
“What?”
“He asked whether Ruth had ever talked about challenging your custody.”
Cole stepped back.
The room seemed to tilt.
“Why would that matter?”
“I didn't know.”
Maggie looked sick.
“Now I think he wanted leverage.”
Cole paced.
“Leverage for what?”
“To force you to sell.”
Cole stopped.
Maggie continued.
“If you thought the company was putting Ben at risk, maybe you'd accept whatever deal he put in front of you.”
Cole thought about the relocation clause.
The bank crisis.
The hidden money.
The sudden lowball offer.
Evan had not simply made reckless investments.
He had been building a trap.
Cole whispered.
“He knew exactly what would scare me.”
Maggie nodded.
“Losing Ben.”
Cole looked toward the staircase.
“Did Ruth talk to him?”
“I don't know.”
Cole immediately called her.
Ruth answered sleepily.
“Cole?”
“Did Evan ever contact you?”
Silence.
Cole closed his eyes.
“Ruth.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“A few months ago.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“He said he was worried about you.”
Cole nearly shouted.
Maggie raised a hand.
Ben was asleep.
Cole lowered his voice.
“What did you tell him?”
Ruth hesitated.
“That I thought you traveled too much.”
“What else?”
“That Ben needed more stability.”
“What else?”
Another silence.
“Ruth.”
“I said if things got worse, Thomas and I would consider asking Ben to stay with us.”
Cole gripped the counter.
“Did Evan encourage that?”
“He said it might make you slow down.”
Cole closed his eyes.
Of course.
Evan had spent months nudging every weakness in Cole's life.
Maggie's concern.
Ruth's fear.
Cole's absence.
Ben's instability.
He had not created the problems.
He had simply learned how to use them.
Cole asked.
“Did you sign anything?”
“No.”
“Did you meet him?”
“Once.”
“Where?”
“A coffee shop.”
“Was anybody else there?”
“No.”
Cole looked at Maggie.
She understood.
“Evidence.”
Cole nodded.
Ruth's voice became frightened.
“Cole, what happened?”
“He stole money from the company.”
Ruth gasped.
“And I think he was preparing to use Ben against me.”
Ruth began apologizing.
Cole interrupted.
“We'll talk tomorrow.”
He ended the call.
Maggie leaned forward.
“What do we do?”
Cole almost smiled at the word we.
“First, you save every message Evan sent you.”
“I already did.”
Cole looked surprised.
“Why?”
“Because I didn't trust him.”
“That would've been useful information six months ago.”
“I know.”
Cole sat finally.
Maggie handed him her phone.
There were nineteen messages.
Three emails.
Two voicemails.
One message stopped Cole cold.
If Cole won't sell willingly, eventually he'll choose the one thing he can't afford to lose.
Cole read it twice.
Maggie whispered.
“I thought he meant the company.”
Cole shook his head.
“No.”
“He meant Ben.”
At that exact moment, a floorboard creaked.
They turned.
Ben stood at the bottom of the stairs.
He was holding his blanket.
He looked from Cole to Maggie.
“Who wants to take me?”
May you like
Cole's heart sank.
Once again, the child had heard exactly the words adults wished he had missed.
Related Stories
