Silence.
Then:
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“We weren't expecting—”
“I know.”
Jonathan ended the call.
At 10:37 a.m., the gates of Blackwood Manor opened for Jonathan Lancaster's Mercedes.
Derek stood beside the guardhouse.
Jonathan watched his face through the tinted glass.
No recognition.
Not yet.
The Mercedes stopped at the front entrance.
Charles hurried down the steps.
Jonathan stepped out.
“Mr. Lancaster.”
“Charles.”
“Had we known you were returning—”
“That was the idea.”
Jonathan entered his house.
Employees began appearing.
Kitchen staff.
Housekeepers.
Groundskeepers.
Derek came in last.
Then he saw Jonathan.
Really saw him.
The height.
The eyes.
The injured wrist.
Something happened to his face.
Jonathan removed his overcoat.
Then his suit jacket.
He rolled up his sleeve.
A purple bruise had already formed where he'd hit Elena's car.
Nobody spoke.
Jonathan looked at Derek.
“Do you recognize me?”
Derek swallowed.
“Sir?”
Jonathan reached into his pocket.
He removed the gray wool cap.
Placed it on the marble table.
Derek's face went white.
Charles stared.
Jonathan spoke quietly.
“Let's try again.”
Nobody moved.
“This morning I came to my gate hungry.”
Derek opened his mouth.
Jonathan raised one finger.
Exactly as Derek had done to others.
“Don't.”
Silence.
Jonathan looked around.
“Some of you ignored me.”
He saw Brenda.
“Some of you helped when nobody was looking.”
Her eyes widened.
He saw Sam.
“Some of you were afraid to help.”
Sam lowered his eyes.
“And one person lost her job because she treated me like a human being.”
Charles stepped forward.
“Mr. Lancaster, if you're referring to Elena, there were longstanding performance—”
“Stop.”
Charles stopped.
Jonathan looked at him.
“She had no disciplinary record.”
Charles's face tightened.
“How would you—”
“I read my own payroll files.”
Silence.
Jonathan turned toward Derek.
“You fired her?”
“Charles authorized—”
Charles snapped:
“That's not true.”
There.
The first crack.
Jonathan almost smiled.
He looked between them.
“Excellent.”
“Sir—”
“Now we're getting somewhere.”
Jonathan motioned toward Rachel.
She entered carrying a laptop and several folders.
Behind her came two people nobody in the house recognized.
Jonathan introduced them.
“Forensic accountants.”
Charles went pale.
Derek took one step backward.
Jonathan saw it.
“You're both suspended effective immediately.”
Derek's eyes widened.
“You can't—”