Chapter 8 - What He Had Signed —
Lorenzo came to Andrea’s office the next morning.
Alone.
He left his coat on the back of a chair and read the printed email twice.
“That’s mine,” he said.
No excuses.
That almost made me angrier.
Mom stared at him.
“You told him to keep those trucks moving.”
“Yes.”
“Daniel was a problem to be handled?”
“No.”
“Then read your own words.”
He did.
The room stayed quiet.
Finally, Lorenzo put the paper down.
“I was told the complaints were scheduling disputes. Overtime. Drivers refusing routes.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“No.”
“You kept taking the money.”
“Yes.”
I looked at him.
This was the man who had brought groceries.
This was the man who had made Noah stop crying.
I wanted one of those things to erase the other.
It didn’t.
Mom leaned back.
“Did you know the brakes were bad?”
“No.”
Andrea interrupted.
“That answer will need to be tested against records, Mr. Moretti. It cannot settle this.”
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
He looked at her.
“Yes.”
Mom pulled Dad’s photograph from her purse.
She placed it between them.
“That’s who kept your fleet running.”
Lorenzo looked at Dad’s face.
Then at mine.
“I’m sorry, Emily.”
I hated how small my voice sounded.
“Would he still be here if you’d read the complaints?”
Lorenzo didn’t answer quickly.
“I don’t know.”
It was the first answer from an adult that hurt more because it sounded honest.
Mom stood.
“Food doesn’t buy forgiveness.”
“I didn’t intend it to.”
“Good.”
After he left, Andrea told Mom that Lorenzo had hired separate counsel and agreed to provide company records through a formal process.
“That’s useful,” she said. “It isn’t absolution.”
Mom nodded.
We went back to the hotel.
At the front desk, the clerk handed me an envelope.
“A gentleman left this.”
Mom took it before I could.
Inside was my original text.
Printed on white paper.
Aunt Lisa, it’s Emily. Can you send me $20?
Below it, someone had typed a new sentence.
You should have stopped at milk.
Mom turned the envelope over.
May you like
There was no stamp.
Whoever delivered it had known exactly where we were.
