Chapter 8 - The Offer Made in the Parking LotMaris knew someone was following her before she reached the supermarket.
The same gray sedan had appeared behind her apartment that morning.
It remained two vehicles back through several turns.
Now it entered the supermarket parking lot and stopped near the far end.
Maris felt her stomach tighten.
She told herself not to panic.
Then a man stepped out.
He wore a navy jacket and polished shoes.
He was handsome in an unremarkable way, with dark hair and an easy smile.
"Maris Flores?"
She stopped.
"Who are you?"
"Reid Calder."
Thalia's older brother.
Maris had met him once at Bennett's villa during a holiday gathering.
He had spent most of the evening discussing investment opportunities with Julian Rusk.
Maris took a step backward.
"I don't have anything to say to you."
Reid held up his hands.
"Then just listen."
He removed an envelope from his jacket.
"My sister is very upset about what happened."
Maris stared at him.
"Your sister pushed a child into a swimming pool."
Reid's smile faded.
"That's a serious accusation."
"I saw it."
"People see things differently when they're emotional."
Maris moved toward the supermarket entrance.
Reid stepped aside rather than block her.
"Two hundred thousand dollars."
She stopped.
"What?"
"That's what my sister is prepared to offer."
Maris turned slowly.
"For what?"
"A private settlement. Lost wages, emotional distress, whatever your lawyer wants to call it."
"And what would I have to do?"
"Sign a confidentiality agreement and acknowledge that you cannot be certain how Lily entered the pool."
Maris felt cold.
Reid continued.
"You wouldn't be saying anything false. You'd simply be admitting that memory can be imperfect."
She stared at him.
"I remember her hand."
"Maris—"
"I remember Lily falling."
Reid lowered his voice.
"Think about what two hundred thousand dollars could do for your family."
Maris thought of her sister, Danica, who worked long hours as a school cafeteria manager.
She thought of Danica's seven-year-old son, Theo, who had been waiting months for swimming lessons at Bellhaven.
She thought of the old car she drove and the rent she struggled to pay.
Two hundred thousand dollars would change her life.
But the price was a little girl's safety.
"No."
Reid blinked.
"Don't answer too quickly."
"I said no."
He put the envelope back in his jacket.
"You're making a mistake."
Maris looked directly at him.
"Your sister made the mistake."
She walked into the supermarket.
Her hands were shaking so badly that she abandoned her shopping and called Vera Shah from a quiet corner near the pharmacy.
Vera listened carefully.
"Did he threaten you?"
"Not directly."
"Did he offer money in exchange for changing your account?"
"Yes."
"Write down exactly what he said while you remember it. We should inform the investigators."
Maris nodded.
"And don't meet him alone again."
"I won't."
Vera paused.
"Maris, there's something important you need to understand."
"What?"
"People who try to buy silence often become more dangerous when buying it fails."
That evening, Reid returned to a townhouse owned by his holding company.
Thalia was waiting in the living room.
"Well?" she asked.
Reid poured himself a drink.
"She refused."
Thalia stared at him.
"How much did you offer?"
"Two hundred thousand."
"And?"
"She said no."
Thalia stood.
"Then offer three."
Reid shook his head.
"You're not listening. She's already spoken to a lawyer."
Thalia walked toward the window.
"Lawyers can be bought too."
"Some can. Some can't."
She turned sharply.
"Since when are you afraid of a housekeeper?"
Reid set down his glass.
"Since Bennett started asking about Blue Lantern."
Thalia stopped.
"What does he know?"
"Enough to make me uncomfortable."
"Julian said the board was under control."
"Julian says a lot of things."
Thalia looked away.
Her plan had been simple.
Maris would be dismissed after Lily's accident.
Bennett would be consumed by guilt and fear.
The foundation's pending payments would proceed while the household dealt with the crisis.
And Thalia would use the incident to persuade Bennett that his judgment depended on hers.
But Maris had saved Lily.
The child had survived.
Bennett had begun questioning the wrong details.
And the foundation was now conducting an independent audit.
Thalia pressed her fingers against her temples.
"We need to get ahead of this."
Reid studied her.
"Tell me exactly what happened at the pool."
She looked up.
"I already told you."
"No. You told me Lily fell."
"She did."
"Did you touch her?"
Thalia stared at him.
A long silence followed.
Then she said, "She came toward me with that ridiculous little present."
Reid's expression changed.
"What present?"
"A box. Purple ribbon. Something she made."
"And?"
Thalia looked at the floor.
"She wouldn't leave me alone."
Reid slowly set down his glass.
"Thalia."
She raised her voice.
"I didn't mean for her to go into the water!"
The room became silent.
Reid stared at his sister.
For the first time, he understood that the financial problem was no longer the most dangerous part of their situation.
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Thalia had just admitted that her own action preceded Lily's fall.
And if she was telling even part of the truth, the housekeeper she wanted to silence might be the only person whose account was accurate.
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