Chapter 2 - The Child Who Paid a Debt She Never Owed
At seven the next morning, Miguel arrived at Arthur’s house with
photographs and copied schedules. Snow covered the windowsills while an
old Bing Crosby record played softly in the kitchen.
The photographs destroyed any excuse Arthur might have made for Grant.
Lucy carried tablecloths nearly as tall as her chest. In another picture
she slept on flour sacks after a private party. One schedule kept her at
the restaurant until 11:40 on a school night.
Arthur pointed to a photograph showing a dark mark on Lucy’s arm.
“Who did this?”
“I didn’t see it,” Miguel said. “Derek got angry when she broke a glass.
People heard shouting. She came out crying.”
Arthur called his attorney, Helen Price, then drove to St. Catherine’s
Rehabilitation Center.
Emily Carter sat in a wheelchair beside a tiny artificial Christmas
tree.
When she saw Arthur, she began crying.
“You’re alive.”
Arthur frowned. “That’s an unusual greeting.”
“Grant told us you had dementia and weren’t involved anymore.”
Arthur sat opposite her.
“Did you steal from my company?”
“No.”
“I believe you. Tell me what you found.”
Emily explained that Margaret’s Christmas Fund had paid enormous
invoices to Winter Crown Events, a company controlled by Vanessa’s
brother. The fund existed to provide meals and emergency housing to
struggling families.
“I questioned the payments,” Emily said. “Vanessa accused me of stealing
cash. She threatened police. Then I collapsed from stress.”
“Did you know Lucy was working at the restaurant?”
Emily stared at him.
“What?”
Arthur hated having to tell her.
By the time he finished, Emily was shaking.
“My baby thought she had to pay my debt?”
“Yes.”
“I never sent her there.”
Arthur called Helen immediately. “Get child welfare involved and make
sure Lucy goes somewhere safe with Emily’s family.”
That afternoon Arthur returned to Bennett & Pine in his shabby coat.
A crash sounded from the kitchen.
Lucy screamed.
Arthur ran through the swinging doors.
Derek had Lucy by the wrist beside a fallen stack of trays. He raised a
long metal kitchen utensil in a threatening motion while the child cried
and apologized.
Arthur caught Derek’s arm before it came down.
“Put it away.”
Derek shoved him.
Miguel stepped between them.
Grant rushed in. “What is happening?”
Arthur removed his wool cap.
Grant stopped.
“Dad?”
Vanessa went white.
Lucy blinked. “He’s your dad?”
Arthur looked at her.
“I built this restaurant.”
Then he faced Grant.
“You knew this child was working here.”
“Dad, I can explain.”
“You knew she was being mistreated.”
“I never—”
“Miguel reported it.”
Grant’s silence answered.
Arthur said, “Lucy is leaving. Vanessa and Derek are suspended from
every company property. You are suspended from management pending an
audit.”
Vanessa laughed nervously. “You can’t walk in dressed like a homeless
man and destroy our lives.”
Arthur looked around at the restaurant he had built with Margaret.
“I can walk into my restaurant dressed any way I please.”
Lucy slipped her hand into his.
“Please don’t leave me here.”
“You’re not staying.”
As Arthur led her away, Grant shouted, “If you freeze those accounts,
you’ll destroy the Christmas program!”
Arthur stopped.
He had told nobody except Helen to freeze the accounts.
“How did you know I froze them?”
Grant’s face emptied.
Lucy tugged Arthur’s sleeve.
“There’s a locked room downstairs.”
“What’s inside?”
“Grandma Margaret’s boxes.”
Arthur looked at Grant.
May you like
His son whispered, “Dad, don’t open that room.”
That guaranteed Arthur would.
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