Bobby wants to ask where Charles got his information, but he doesn’t want to appear as though he has leaks in his own company. Besides, he’s pretty sure that it had come from Tish. Bobby isn’t entirely unconvinced his mom isn’t a witch. Nothing else would explain how she seems to be constantly one step ahead of everyone else. (“How many times do I have to tell you?” Tish loves to say. “I know everything.”)
“Nothing will come of it,” Bobby says. “She’s lying.”
“You don’t think this will leak?”
“There’s nothing to leak. I didn’t do it. I was never involved with her.”
Charles seems to consider this for a moment. “And the crisis manager?”
“They’ve narrowed it down to two firms, I think.” Bobby is careful to keep his tone casual. Nick is right: it can’t look like he’s interfering in the investigation. Which he absolutely is not. All he did was ask Doug and Goddard to pick the very best. “They’ll probably decide later today.”
“And you’re not worried about what they’ll uncover?” Charles looks at him doubtfully.
“No.” Bobby swallows. The truth: he’s a little worried. These days, anything can be construed as sexual impropriety, even a perfectly innocent exchange. “And if they do, we’ll deal with it.” Alma Boots is a family business. His family’s business. No one—especially not a low-level employee—is going to tell him to step down.
“Look, son, you know I’m not judging. I understand how these things happen. But if there’s a chance this could get out of hand—”
“There isn’t.”
Charles cocks an eyebrow. “Still, it might be time to consider stepping down.”
A punch to his gut. Bobby can’t believe his dad right now. “You want me to give in to her demands?”
“Don’t think of it as giving in to anything. Think of it as protecting the company. And it wouldn’t have to be permanent. Didn’t her text say you had until tomorrow to resign?”
Bobby nods.
“OK then,” Charles continues. “We could call it a leave of absence. She didn’t say it had to be permanent, did she? Just for a few weeks, maybe a couple months. Until this all dies down.”
“I have no intention of stepping down, Dad. And definitely not over some baseless accusation.” This isn’t like his father. He isn’t one to negotiate with terrorists.
“There’s no shame in taking a few weeks off. Think of it as a well-deserved vacation.” A pause. “I’m sure your brother wouldn’t mind stepping in as interim CEO.”
It all falls into place. Bobby is disappointed in himself for not having realized it sooner: this is about Nick. About his dad trying to get his favorite son promoted. It doesn’t matter that Bobby has dedicated all of his adult life to Alma Boots; Charles still wants Nick sitting behind the CEO’s desk.
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen, Dad.” Bobby takes care to hide his frustration, to keep his voice calm, but commanding. “Nick can barely keep up with his own work.”
“Well, I could do it if you wanted me to. Just remember that it’s all about the optics. We don’t need a scandal.”
“There’s no scandal.”
“I’m saying the smoke could be enough to kill us.”
“Dad.” Bobby takes a deep breath. “Nothing’s burning.”
“All right, you know best.” Charles sounds unconvinced.
Damn right he does. But he doesn’t say as much now. He can’t afford to appear ruffled. Bobby needs to appear confident, in control—too much is at stake.
He has too much to lose.
Eight
Alice
Tuesday, September 10th
The offices of The Morrigan are located at the thirty-fifth floor of One World Trade Center. Jessie is sitting at her desk, sipping an Americano. Alice has just filled her in on Eva Stone’s accusation.
“And they’re thinking of hiring Rossman & Klein?” Jessie raises her eyebrows.
Alice can see Jessie turning it over in her head, considering every angle. For a moment, Alice is back at Wharton, next to her friend, exchanging notes on their lectures and celebrating their grades by doing shots at the bar on 23rd Street. Alice feels a fluttering inside her, at once pleasant and unpleasant. She has missed this, having coffee with a friend. But this no longer feels like something she is entitled to. Maybe because she no longer feels like herself.
“Nick is in charge of deciding. Bobby trusts him. I want it to be you because we have a chance to make a real difference.”
“How so?”
“If Nick hires The Morrigan to investigate Eva’s claim of an affair with Bobby, he’ll have to give you access. To company files, to interview employees.” Alice draws a deep breath. She’s circling the issue. It’s the wrong move. She should be addressing it head-on. Jessie appreciates directness. “I don’t just want you to investigate whether Bobby had an affair with Eva,” Alice continues. “I want you to investigate the entire culture at Alma Boots, specifically as it pertains to systemic sexism. I want you to draw up a full report that sheds light on the company’s practices as a whole. I’m talking everything, from hiring culture, to who gets promoted and who gets passed up, to jokes that are deemed acceptable in the break room. Even how their restrooms are distributed. Everything. And I don’t want you to tell them about it.”
“You want me to keep my client in the dark about the work I’m doing for them?” Jessie enunciates each word carefully, disbelief evident in her voice.
“If anyone asks, you say you’re being thorough because that’s what the public expects.”
“If I’m hired, the public won’t be my client,” Jessie interjects.
“My guess is they won’t even question your methods. You don’t have to worry about ethics since your contract will afford you the breadth to be thorough. And you’ll keep everything confidential, of course.” Alice doesn’t add that she’ll have access to the report, and she might choose to waive said confidentiality.
“What
