Chapter 7
David glanced at me. "You're sure Richard will agree?"
"He will," I said.
"Why?"
"Because Brian's legs are messed up for good. That's not going to change, no matter how long I stay behind bars.
"Richard's a businessman. He knows better than anyone that no matter how many years I get, his son's not growing new knees.
"But if he takes the compensation, at least he'll get a lump sum of cash. That'll help cover his son's rehab and care for years to come.
"Maybe he's not hurting for money right now, but his son will need it down the line."
I paused. "You've looked into Coleman Realty's cash flow, right? It looks solid on the outside, but it's shaky underneath. Two of their projects got delayed earlier this year, and their cash flow is stretched thin.
"The banks are already tightening their loans. Right now, a million in cash means a lot more to him than a piece of paper from the court."
David paused, his pen hovering. "You looked into all that?"
"It was two weeks from June 30th to July 14th. I wasn't just sitting around," I said.
His gaze shifted. It wasn't fear. It was a restrained kind of respect, maybe even a hint of chill.
"One more thing," David said, lowering his voice. "Coleman Realty's smart community project is totally dependent on Riverside Tech's self-driving patent.
"The license is still good for now. If you decide not to renew while you're locked up—"
"No rush," I said.
"What?"
I drew a line across the table with my finger. "I'm not playing that card yet.
"First step: the letter of forgiveness. Make Richard pay a million for a piece of paper.
"Richard's expectation is, 'Throw some money at it and this punk gets out a few years early.' He still thought he got everything under control.
"Second step: wait for the sentence to take effect, then I'll serve my time. During that period, I'll do nothing. Just keep my head down and do my time."
My finger stopped at the end of the line. "Third step: when the time is right, I'll make my move."
David stared at the line I'd drawn for a good ten seconds. "While you're inside, who's going to handle things on the outside?"
"Ethan Lane," I said.
Ethan was my partner. We had been college roommates. He had been with me from day one of the startup.
Two weeks ago, I went to him and told him what I was planning.
He was quiet for a long time after I finished. Then he just said, "What do you need me to do?"
No trying to talk me out of it. No doubts. Not even a "calm down." He simply asked, "What do you need me to do?"
That was what real friends would do.
"Ethan's already taken over the day-to-day running of the company. My shares are in a trust, so even while I'm locked up, I'll still have the final say on the big decisions," I explained.
David put the documents back into his briefcase. When he was zipping it up, he stopped halfway.
"Alex," he said.
"Yeah?" I replied.
"Someone waited for me at the law firm for three hours."
My breath caught for a moment.
"It was a young woman. She said she was from back home." For the first time, David's face cracked. There was a faint smile, not the usual professional one, but something genuine.
"She asked me to pass on a message." He looked at me. "She said, 'Tell him I know. Don't be embarrassed. I'm waiting.'"
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
That weight in my chest slammed into me again, even harder than before.
*****
Three days later, David called.
"Richard agreed," he said.
"How much?" I asked.
"A million dollars. But there's one catch. While you're inside, and even after you get out, you can't mess with Brian. No harassment, no payback, nothing," he said.
"Deal," I said.
David paused, then said, "You agreed without a second thought."
"I've already done what I set out to do," I said. "His legs are done for. That's just how it is. I don't need to lift a finger anymore.
"A million dollars for a piece of paper.
"That's a steal."
For a million dollars, I could buy a letter of forgiveness. My sentence would be cut from five years to three. Two years of my life would be saved.
But Brian's legs were priceless. The injury was irreversible. It would last forever.
So, who was really winning here?
Richard thought that 1 million dollars was some kind of punishment for me.
But there was something he didn't know.
For a million dollars, I bought out his son's entire future.