Chapter 7 - The Man in the Glass Tower
Victor Calder occupied the top three floors of a glass tower overlooking the river.
He was sixty-three now, silver-haired and photographed beside mayors, senators, hospital boards, and charities with his name carved into stone.
Maya walked into his office at nine the next morning.
Ben had begged her not to.
She went anyway.
Victor stood near the window with his hands in his pockets.
"My runaway niece," he said. "All grown up."
"Don't call me that."
"You kept the last name."
"My mother's last name. Not yours."
Victor smiled faintly. "You came about the hot dog man."
Maya hated that he knew.
"Cancel the vendor removals."
"No."
"Then I'll challenge the concession contract."
"You'll lose."
"Maybe. But discovery will be fun."
That erased his smile.
Maya stepped closer. "You want Ben gone because he remembers me."
"Ben remembers a hungry child. Nobody cares."
"I care."
"That's your weakness."
Victor poured coffee as if they were discussing weather. "Sentiment makes smart people predictable. You came here because you think saving an old man makes you different from me."
"I am different from you."
"Are you? You built a career destroying companies in court. You learned from someone."
Maya's voice went cold. "I learned what power looks like when nobody challenges it."
Victor set down the cup.
"Then challenge me."
She turned to leave.
"Maya."
She stopped.
"Your mother challenged me too."
The room went silent.
Maya slowly faced him.
Victor's expression held no warmth.
"She was also very sure she had enough evidence."
Maya felt twelve years old again for half a heartbeat.
Then Victor added, "Ask yourself why you never found her original ledger."
Maya stared at him.
He knew exactly what ledger she had spent half her life searching for.
May you like
Victor smiled.
"Because somebody else has had it all these years."
