Chapter 16 - THE THING FRANK REFUSED TO HIDE
Grant sent Michael a scan of a fifteen-year-old lawsuit. The heading named Frank Hart and a former business partner in a dispute over unpaid wages at a small contracting company.
I knew the case. Frank had discovered his partner withholding overtime from six workers. He'd reported the problem, paid what the company owed, and testified even when it cost him a friendship and almost his business.
Grant possessed only the complaint, not the final settlement and payment records. He thought embarrassment could make me surrender the deed.
I drove to Priya's office with the complete file. Frank had kept letters from each worker confirming repayment. One man's note read, You didn't have to stand up for us, but you did.
Priya read it, then looked at me. “Does Michael know this story?”
“He was in college. Frank never wanted him to think doing the right thing guaranteed applause.”
“Would you consent to your son's seeing the file?”
“Yes. Let him see what courage looks like when it isn't comfortable.”
Michael arrived that afternoon. He read the letters in silence. When he reached the last page, he covered his face.
“Dad could have blamed his partner and walked away.”
“He could have,” I said. “He chose not to.”
My son looked up. “I let Jessica humiliate you because I was afraid I'd lose my marriage.”
“I know.”
“I let her tell me what you meant when you said no.”
“I know that too.”
He swallowed hard. “Can you forgive me?”
“I hope so. But I'm not going to pretend we can repair five years in one afternoon.”
For the first time, he didn't ask me to hurry.
As he was leaving, Priya received a call from the detective handling the threatening notes. Investigators had connected Grant's assistant to the secondary email on my doorbell account.
“There's something else,” Priya said after hanging up. “Grant's assistant claims Jessica paid him to watch your house.”
“Claims?”
“He says he kept the instructions.”
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