Page 127 of Wicked Brutal

Dad cuts into his food. “Alison knows what will be expected of her.”

“I’m beginning to see that.” Victor’s hand returns to my knee. “She’s going to do very well.”

The praise shouldn’t feel threatening, but it does. Maybe because Victor isn’t falling in love with me. He’s evaluating me. And apparently I’m passing.

The conversation moves away from me almost immediately. Victor looks across the table. “Did Hollis call you back?”

Dad nods. “Late last night.”

“And?”

“He wants out.”

Victor lets out a quiet laugh. “Hollis has wanted out every six months since I’ve known him. Then the quarterly distributions arrive and suddenly his conscience becomes manageable.”

“This is different.”

“Why?”

“He’s worried about the Ellison Foundation records.”

Victor stops cutting his food. “What about them?”

“He thinks Bellamy kept copies.”

“Bellamy keeps copies of everything. It’s the only reason anyone tolerates him.”

“Personal copies.”

That gets Victor’s full attention. “Where?”

“Hollis doesn’t know.”

“Then Hollis doesn’t know anything useful.”

“He knows Bellamy was asking about Palm Beach.”

Victor is quiet for a moment. “When?”

“Thursday.”

“Before Ashford moved the package?”

“Apparently.”

Victor’s jaw tightens. “That wasn’t Bellamy’s concern.”

“I told Hollis the same thing.”

“And?”

“He said Bellamy claims everything becomes his concern when the Chairman’s name is attached to it.”

I take another bite. The Chairman.

Victor’s expression goes flat. “Bellamy said that?”

“According to Hollis.”