“You’re insane,” she said.
“Careful,” I replied. “That word worked better when nobody had paperwork.”
Charles stepped beside me, holding a black leather folio.
“Ms. Anderson, Ms. Sloan asked me to inform you that she is ten minutes out. Mr. Vail is in the lounge.”
My mother went still.
“Thomas Vail is here?”
“Yes,” Charles said.
Courtney looked at her. “Who is Thomas Vail?”
My mother did not answer.
I did.
“Board chair. Former bank president. Also the man you told last month that I had a gambling problem and had borrowed money from you.”
Courtney stared at my mother.
Patricia’s face hardened. “I was protecting the family from your reckless choices.”
“Were you?” I opened the folio Charles had placed in front of me and removed a single sheet. “Because Thomas Vail also happens to sit on the charity finance committee for your foundation luncheon next week. The one you planned to host here. The one where you listed Courtney as co-chair and me as an unpaid administrative contact without asking.”
My mother’s eyes flickered.
“You were not supposed to see that.”
“No,” I said. “I imagine I wasn’t supposed to see a lot of things.”