Chapter 13 - The Friend on the Board
Robert Kane had known Michael for sixteen years.
He was there when Bennett Alpine opened its first hotel.
He held Anna’s hand during her first chemotherapy cycle.
He gave a speech at Michael and Diane’s wedding.
Michael did not want to believe Robert had betrayed him.
That was precisely why Melissa insisted someone else attend the meeting.
Michael refused.
“I need to hear him say it.”
Robert met him in a private conference room at company headquarters.
“What did you do?” Michael asked.
Robert closed the door.
“I restored Eric’s system authority for one transaction.”
Michael stared.
“Why?”
“Because if the reserve payment defaults, Summit walks.”
“Good.”
“No, Michael. Not good.”
“You know Summit participated in White Pine.”
“I know one executive received documents from Eric four years ago.”
“The managing partner replied.”
“Ambiguous language.”
Michael laughed.
“You sound like their lawyer.”
Robert’s face hardened.
“I sound like someone trying to protect eight hundred employees.”
“You reactivated a suspended CFO accused of fraud.”
“I authorized one scheduled obligation.”
“An $11.8 million payment to the buyer trying to acquire us.”
“It is a breakup-risk reserve.”
“It’s theft.”
“Not according to the contract.”
Michael stepped closer.
“Whose side are you on?”
Robert’s expression changed.
“That question is why you should not be running the company right now.”
Michael stared.
Robert continued.
“You think this is about loyalty. It’s not. We have $64 million in debt. Two resorts underperformed. Our lender covenant resets in January. Summit is ugly, but it may be the only path that keeps the company intact.”
“So you knew White Pine existed?”
“No.”
“Did you know Diane and Eric were involved?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
Robert’s silence lasted half a second too long.
Michael saw it.
“What?”
Robert looked away.
“Diane came to me six months ago.”
Michael’s stomach dropped.
“She said your grief had returned.”
“My grief?”
“She said you were making erratic decisions.”
“And you believed her.”
“I saw some erratic decisions.”
“What did she ask you to do?”
“Prepare succession options.”
Michael laughed softly.
“Founder succession.”
Robert closed his eyes.
“Not like that.”
“Exactly like that.”
Michael walked out.
He had lost another friend.
That night, the board voted six to three to proceed with the emergency session on December thirty-first.
Michael could attend.
He could speak.
But he could not vote on matters concerning his own investigation.
Diane’s strategy was still working.
Then came the most personal blow.
Noah’s former babysitter, Tasha Reed, contacted Eleanor.
Tasha had worked for the family before Diane replaced her.
“I should have called sooner,” she said.
Michael met her at the chalet.
“What happened?”
“Diane fired me.”
“She said you quit.”
“No.”
Tasha looked ashamed.
“I saw her grab Noah once.”
Michael went still.
“When?”
“Seven months ago.”
“What did you do?”
“I told her I would tell you.”
“And?”
“She showed me a video.”
“What video?”
“Me taking cash from your kitchen drawer.”
Michael frowned.
Tasha began crying.
“I borrowed two hundred dollars. My mother’s electricity was being shut off. I planned to put it back after payday.”
Michael remembered missing cash.
Diane blamed contractors.
“She blackmailed you.”
“Yes.”
“She said if I told you about Noah, she’d have me arrested.”
Michael’s jaw tightened.
Tasha whispered, “I was scared.”
Michael wanted to rage.
Instead he asked, “What did you see?”
“Diane made Noah stand barefoot on the stone floor because he spilled milk.”
Michael shut his eyes.
“How long?”
“Maybe twenty minutes.”
Eleanor covered her mouth.
Tasha continued.
“He kept asking for socks.”
Michael walked to the window.
Snow pressed against the glass.
“I failed him.”
Tasha shook her head.
“We all did.”
Michael turned.
That mattered.
Not because it absolved him.
Because Diane had built a system around silence.
Blackmail one person.
Impersonate another.
Discredit the child.
Manipulate the father.
Pay the psychologist.
Control communication.
Every person saw only one piece.
Diane survived because nobody connected them.
Until Noah’s camera.
Before Tasha left, she remembered something else.
“Diane used to receive envelopes.”
“What envelopes?”
“FedEx. No sender.”
“Did you ever see inside?”
“Once.”
“What?”
“Photographs.”
“Of whom?”
“You.”
Michael’s pulse quickened.
“Doing what?”
“Mostly normal things.”
“Then why hide them?”
Tasha thought.
“One picture wasn’t you.”
“Who was it?”
“Anna.”
Michael froze.
“When was the photo taken?”
“I don’t know.”
“She had already died?”
“Yes.”
“What was in the picture?”
Tasha swallowed.
“Anna was sitting in a hospital bed.”
May you like
“And?”
“Diane was standing beside her.”
