Page 116 of Exposed

“I’m never happy when people lose jobs, Nate.”

“I’m not closing the companies, I’ll sell them. I’ll lose money, given what those knuckleheads did to the brand, but I want to be done with it. I assume you saw the media. The PR is terrible.”

“What would you expect?” Bennie had seen the headlines and knew that it would bother him. Appearances were everything to Nate.

“Whatever. Now that you’re back on board, I’ll buy another coat company. Do some good in the world. Get into the social justice business.”

“I don’t think social justice is a business, Nate.”

“You know what I mean.” Nate chuckled.

“I do. I know exactly what you mean. In fact, I thought I knew you better than I did, but it turns out I was wrong.”

“What about?”

“I thought you were totally surprised that those guys were up to no good.”

“I was.”

“I thought you didn’t know any of them. Not Todd, not Ray, not Mo, and not Ernie.”

“I didn’t know them. I don’t know them.”

“You disappoint me, Nate. For the last time.”

“What do you mean?” Nate frowned, and Bennie dug in her purse, pulled out Mo’s cell phone, and set it on the table between them, bloody fingerprint and all.

“This is Mo Nustrall’s burner. The blood belongs to me.”

Nate glanced at the phone. He pursed his lips but said nothing.

“Nate, if you didn’t know Mo Nustrall, why did you call him? I looked at his call log. Your number is there twice. The second time you called him was an hour before he tried to kill me.”

Nate’s expression changed, his eyes hardening as he met her gaze directly. “So I take it you’re wearing a wire?”

“Bingo. I just wanted to be the one to tell you that you got caught. I told the cops you would never admit anything to me.” Bennie smiled. “Once the cops showed Ray the phone, he flipped on you. It gave him a bargaining chip, and he served you right up. You knew everything, all the corner-cutting to pad your margins. You found out about it at PowerPlus on one of your factory tours, when you overheard Mo on the phone. But you didn’t fire him, you covered it up and expanded the operation. It turned criminal when Adele Watson died in that fire at Bethlehem Bank, and it was a slippery slope. You conspired to kill Todd, Ernie, then even Mary and me. I’m trying not to take it personally.”

Nate glanced around the dining room, newly edgy. “So there’s undercover cops here?”

“Right again. You’re going to jail for a very, very long time.” Bennie rose, standing aside because undercover police were already in motion, jumping up from their tables and coming toward them. Uniformed police had burst into the restaurant and charged toward the table. They all swarmed Nate, who looked wildly around but realized he had no escape. One cop frisked him, and another slapped a pair of steel handcuffs on his wrists.

Nate looked at Bennie, stricken. “I need a lawyer.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Bennie snorted.

A third cop said, “Mr. Lence, you are being arrested for conspiracy to commit murder and criminal conspiracy. You havethe right to remain silent, and if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you…”

Nate tried to hide his face as the police escorted him past the stunned gaze of the other patrons, some of whom raised their phones, taking pictures and filming.

Bennie watched him go with grim satisfaction. She flashed on the picture of Adele Watson from the Bethlehem Bank website. Nothing could bring Adele back, but justice was still the best consolation prize going.

Bennie left the table, grabbing Mo’s phone. Her work here was done, and she had to get to the hospital.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

By Wednesday, Mary itched to go home. She had been moved off of the neurology floor, ostensibly because her condition had improved, but probably because she had too many visitors. Anthony had slept over every night, and Mary’s mother, father, and El Virus stayed all day. Judy, Bennie, and Declan came in and out, fitting in visits around work. The Tonys stayed with Feet, and Simon and his cousins stayed with Rachel, who was still waiting for a donor, the only dark note in an otherwise happy ending.

“When are you getting out of here, Mary?” Judy asked, which was the question of the moment.