Authors: Sandi Perry
“I
called
my
mother
about
it
last
week.
She
said
the
case
has
been
placed
on
the
back
burner
while
the
police
investigate
some
sort
of
child
pornography
ring
in
nearby
Haverstraw.
I
always
felt
so
safe
in
the
suburbs
when
I
was
a
kid;
I
guess
I
was
just
naïve.”
“Or
very
sheltered
and
very
much
loved,”
Emily
said.
“But
you
know,
when
I
called
my
mother
last
week
to
see
if
there
was
anything
new
on
the
case,
Paul
Franklin
answered
the
phone.
It
was
strange.”
“Isn’t
he
one
of
the
choices
for
CEO?”
Emily
asked.
“Yes,
he
said
he'd
dropped
by
to
fix
the
back
door
that
sticks
sometimes.
It
sort
of
made
me
uneasy,
like
he
was
trying
to
curry
favor
by
sucking
up
to
Mom.”
“But
the
head
honcho
decision
is
yours
alone.
How
did
your
Mom
explain
his
sudden
helpfulness?”
“She
said
he
had
come
by
a
couple
of
weeks
after
the
funeral
to
check
up
on
her.
His
wife
died
a
year
ago,
and
he
said
that
it
all
hit
him
when
things
had
quieted
down
and
the
condolence
phone
calls
stopped.
She
brushed
off
my
concern,”
Allison
said.
“It
sounds
kind
of
sweet.
Does
he
strike
you
as
manipulative
or
just
sincere?”
“I
don’t
really
know
him,”
she
shrugged.
Emily
sighed.
“Consider
my
idea,
Ally.
Go
out
to
dinner
with
Paul,
then
track
down
his
kids
and
interview
them.”
“And
what,
then
I
fly
down
to
Buckhead
to
Alex’s
family?
I’ve
already
had
dinner
with
him.”
“Do
whatever
you
need
to
do
to
make
the
best
possible
choice
for
the
company,"
Emily
said.
"Aren’t
there
two
other
candidates?”
“They’re
so
similar
they
cancel
each
other
out.
Maybe
you’re
onto
something,
as
crazy
as
it
sounds,
I
think
I’ll
run
it
by
Jeremy
and
see
what
he
thinks.”
First
thing
the
next
morning,
Allison
stopped
by
Alex’s
office.
His
door
was
ajar
and
his
feet
were
propped
up
on
his
desk.
He
made
no
move
to
straighten
up
when
she
entered.
She
wondered
at
his
easygoing
nature
and
thought
darkly
that
his
lack
of
manners
had
most
likely
been
encouraged
while
he
was
growing
up.
Before
she
could
catch
herself,
she
blurted
out,
“I’d
like
to
meet
your
family.”
He
shot
to
his
feet
in
a
second
and
came
around
to
stand
in
front
of
her.
“Aren’t
you
moving
a
little
fast?
I
know
we’re
on
New
York
time,
now,
but
we
only
met
a
month
ago.”
His
eyes
sparkled.
“You
know
that’s
not
what
I
mean.
It
would
be
helpful
to
my
decision
if
I
knew
more
about
you,
how
you
were
brought
up.”
He
crossed
his
arms
over
his
chest,
“I
think
you
like
me.”
“Oh
my
goodness,
I’m
being
serious
here.
Don’t
you
ever
take
anything
seriously?”
“I
try
not
to.”
“And
how
far
can
you
get
with
that
kind
of
philosophy?”
She
clicked
and
un-clicked
the
pen
she
was
holding,
it
was
better
than
poking
his
eye
out
with
it,
which
was
her
first
choice.
“From
where
I’m
standing,
it
looks
like
I’ve
gotten
pretty
far.”
“And
if
you
don’t
get
the
CEO
position?”
“I’ll
get
it.”
“But
if
you
don’t?”
she
pressed.
“I’ll
leave
and
start
my
own
thing.
I’ll
outpace
you
and
overtake
you
in
five
years
time.”
His
tone
wasn't
very
Alex-like.
“That’s
ludicrous—it
would
take
millions
to
start
something
that
could
compete
with
RossAir,”
she
said
hotly,
quickly
calculating
the
devastation
to
the
company
should
he
go
off
and
do
that.
He
shrugged,
seemingly
unconcerned
by
her
annoyance.
She
found
him
so
infuriating,
she
wanted
to
storm
out
of
his
office.
Instead,
she
took
a
deep
breath
and
looked
around,
trying
to
suppress
her
anger.
His
office
was
surprisingly
neat.
She
had
to
catch
herself
from
smiling
as
she
noticed
a
mini-basketball
hoop
suctioned
to
the
wall.
Then
she
noticed
her
painting
up
on
his
wall.
Her
heart
tapped
out
a
double
rhythm
and
she
turned
back
to
see
him
regarding
her
carefully.