Chapter 32
Jack
Last night was amazing. Laine knew just what I needed, and I feel like our connection has gotten to a much stronger, unbreakable place.
She seems to have made her peace with the mess those emails have caused her, But as I laid in bed last night, I realized my father has brought his friends into this. He may be fine with letting Stephanie go down for his revenge, but I have one more card to play that he’s conveniently forgotten.
Laine and I have a pleasant morning, and then I’m up and out for the day. She’s going to do some work as well.
When I’m done checking on Abdo at the hospital—his grafts are in good shape now, with no sign of any recurring infection—I call Julia Martin. “May I come over?” I ask after we’ve exchanged greetings. “You are one of my mother’s oldest friends and my best friend’s mother, and I need some advice.”
“Of course,” she tells me. “Chip and I are both here. Please come on by.”
“I’m leaving the hospital now.”
As I drive to the Martins’ house, I call Detective Han. As much as I want to ignore what my father said to me yesterday, I don’t think I can.
“Any news?” I ask when she answers.
“We don’t believe it was Tamara Warren, but we’ve not ruled it out completely. It was certainly her internet connection, but there are a variety of ways to access that.”
“Okay, listen…” I fill her in on the conversation I had with Dad yesterday, including his slipup when I said the police had spoken to the man in the video and his veiled threats about releasing the video to the press. “I don’t know if any of that is actionable, and I’m sure he’d deny it completely if you were to interview him, but I felt like I should let you know.” I take a deep breath and try to calm myself.
She asks a few follow-up questions and promises to add that information to the case file, though she agrees that there’s not much they can do at this point.
“Thank you,” I tell her as we disconnect.
It feels like my own father is trying to destroy my life. Is he done trying? Did he mean it about releasing the video to the press? He’s always been determined, but this behavior just doesn’t make sense. I can’t believe this is really him.
When I arrive at the Martins’, Chip and Julia are waiting for me in the living room. They both look concerned, but I try to put on a brave face.
“Jack, what’s going on?” Julia asks, her voice laced with worry.
I take a deep breath before launching into my story. Since they also received the email with the photos and video, I tell them what we’ve learned about it coming from Stephanie’s mother’s home, and that Stephanie was conveniently out of town. And that neither Stephanie nor her mother has the skills or the amount of money needed to make those images.
“So…I’m sure my father is behind this,” I conclude, fighting back tears of anger and frustration.
Julia looks horrified, and Chip’s face clouds.
“I can’t believe this,” Julia says, shaking her head. “Your father was always a bit over the top, but I never thought he would stoop this low.”
“What are you going to do?” Chip asks.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “The police are involved, but I don’t know if that will be enough. He’s pretty much said he can’t be connected to it. I’m sure if Stephanie doesn’t already know what he’s done, he’ll pay her a lot of money to take the blame. He’ll make this all go away. And to make matters worse, when I spoke to him yesterday, he sort of threatened to release the video to the press.”
Julia’s hand goes to her mouth. “We can certainly make sure none of our outlets cover the video. Does Laine know?”
I nod. “I didn’t go into the conversation I had with him yesterday, but she knows my father is involved. She’d narrowed it down to him even before the police found a connection.”
“And she confirmed that with the police?” Chip asks.
“Well, once they came to us with the information about Stephanie’s mother, she did. Before that, she said she kept it to herself because she wasn’t sure and didn’t want to embarrass me.” I look out the living room windows at English Bay. I notice Drake Logistics colors on two of the four container ships I can see. “I’m lucky she’ll have me after this.”
“Don’t give up on the police, but there are ways to punish him without him going to jail,” Chip says.
“We won’t let him get away with this,” Julia declares. “Justice will be served.”
I feel a rush of gratitude. I don’t know what I would do without them. “Thank you, both of you,” I say, my voice breaking with emotion. “I’m so grateful for your support.”
“You don’t have to thank us,” Chip says, his hand on my shoulder. “We’re family. We’ll always be here for you.”
I nod. It’s moments like these that remind me how important family is. But as I sit here, my mind reels from the shock of it all. My own father, the man who raised me, did this. He’s put his wants so far above everything else that he can’t even see what’s right anymore.
We talk for a good hour and work through a plan. It may take time to fully implement, but since we all agree that Dad will likely avoid arrest, we have a better way. And they encourage me to let them handle it. I’ll focus on my work and on Laine, and they’ll sort everything out.
The next few days are a blur. The police are still investigating, but so far they haven’t found any concrete evidence linking my father to the emails or the sex tape. And despite what I told my father, they haven’t been able to track down the man in the video. It’s frustrating, but I know justice takes time. Stephanie and her mother now have an expensive lawyer who is pushing back. Apparently, Tamara’s router isn’t very well protected, and they’re saying it could have been hacked by someone in a car outside her house.
“I’m sorry you have to go through this,” Laine says. “How did we both get such selfish parents?” We pass through the Martins’ gate, and as we walk to the front door, Laine squeezes my hand. “Just remember, we’re going to be okay, no matter what happens.”
We’ve spent the last week preparing to meet with Jason Hickman, the lawyer who manages the trust that runs Drake Logistics. We’re going to explain what has happened and, hopefully, begin exploring conservatorship for my father. Meaning the courts will appoint the law firm to act on behalf of Dad because he cannot act for himself. He’s clearly not making good decisions. It will likely be difficult to accomplish, but as we’ve talked things through, Julia and Chip have shared some stories that make me wonder if Dad may have had some strokes. He could be struggling with dementia.
I kiss Laine’s temple as Chip opens the door. “Come on in,” he says. “Mr. Hickman should be here shortly.” He shakes my hand and opens his arms to Laine for an embrace.
Julia is right behind him and gives both of us a hug. “What can I get you to drink?” she asks.
“I’ll take three fingers of bourbon.”
Laine looks at me, her eyes wide.
Julia smiles and delivers instructions to her housekeeper.
“I was just kidding,” I call after her. “Coffee is fine.”
“This won’t be an easy meeting,” Chip says. “I would probably want a good whiskey myself if I were you.”
“I want one, but it’s premature. Maybe after we meet.”
“I’m fine with tea,” Laine says.
Julia nods. “I have a pot of Earl Grey if you’d like that with cream and sugar.”
“That would be perfect.”
Chip clasps my shoulder and directs me into the living room. “We’ve got you today.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
“What have the police said?” he asks as we sit down.
“Not much new since we last spoke. They haven’t had much luck tracking down the man in the videos, and Stephanie and her mother have a lawyer who is slowing things down. They don’t seem eager to turn on my father.”
“That’s not a surprise.”
I shake my head. “No. He did that on purpose. Stephanie, for sure, has much to lose if that relationship goes south.”
Just as Julia and Laine join us, the housekeeper shows in Jason Hickman. His firm manages the trust that directs how Drake Logistics can be operated.
I stand and extend my hand. “Jason, thank you for agreeing to speak with me here.” I introduce Laine, Chip, and Julia.
Julia has coffee delivered for Jason just as Chester Wainwright, the current COO of Drake Logistics, arrives. He was included today because he effectively runs the company—and should continue to do so, rather than me—and Jason Hickman suggested he join us.
“Your father contacted me yesterday,” Jason says as we sit down. “He mentioned you were open to being removed from the trust.”
I smile and shake my head. Remove myself from the decision making for Drake Logistics? I don’t think so. “I have some concerns, and my father and I are in disagreement about the future leadership of the company. He’s trying to protect himself. Actually, what I’m looking to do is pretty much the opposite. I’d like to establish a conservatorship for my father. It can be managed by your firm, but we need to get him out of a decision-making capacity.”
Jason becomes very alert. “Can you explain?”
I nod and run through everything that’s transpired over the last year or so, bolstered by information from the Martins.
“We’ve made plans to meet at the club for golf, and he sometimes forgets, even if I’ve confirmed with him hours before,” Chip says.
“He’s also become cruder,” Julia adds. “And I’m not a prude. I’m the mother of four boys, and I know better. But he will talk about women as objects and go on and on about taking Viagra. Historically, that hasn’t been who he is.”
I tell him about Dad trying to pay Laine off to leave me, and then about the email sent to twenty-two of Laine’s friends and associates. I give him the paperwork from our analysis indicating that the video is a deep fake. Finally, I go through the conversation I had with Dad and his veiled threats of further retaliation.
“My father isn’t the same person he was before my mother died,” I conclude. “My mother always supported my decision not to take over Drake Logistics. But now, he has changed his perspective entirely. I’m concerned about his mental stability, which is why we think we need a conservator in place.”
“What does VPD have to say about your father?”
I hand him a copy of their report, along with a contact number for Detective Han. “They believe everything points to him, but so far, they’re unable to find actionable evidence.”
Chester clears his throat and pushes a file at Jason. “We’ve also been concerned for a while, and we’ve had to talk with him about some of his expenses lately. He used an outside private investigation firm and spent over six figures on something, but he won’t go into it with me or the accountants. He’s not been involved in the day-to-day management of the business for a while, but he still has responsibilities, and the board would like to take action to remove him. We’re not comfortable with his decision-making and behavior.”
Suddenly, a light bulb goes on in my head. This must be why my father is so determined that I take an active role in the family business. I shake my head. “I can’t believe this is happening. My father has always been focused on success, but I never realized he was not mentally sound. I’m a physician. How did I miss all of this?”
“Because you don’t, and nor should you, live with him,” Julia says. “He hides it from all of us. It’s not just you.”
Chip picks up his coffee. “What happens if Stephanie gets pregnant?”
I chuckle. “I’m sure she’s hoping, but Dad had a vasectomy after I was born. Mom almost died in childbirth, and they were told it would happen again if she got pregnant. They didn’t want to take any chances.”
Jason looks through the papers in front of him. “Mr. Drake will need to have some testing done, and he won’t do it voluntarily. I will petition to the courts so they’ll at least push him to start the process.”
“He’ll make a big stink,” Chip warns.
I nod because he is exactly right. Dad will get a horde of lawyers involved.
“Can we do anything like freeze his accounts or, at least, take care of his decision-making role at the business?”
Jason looks at me, his mouth tight. “You’ll probably need to step in and be more active on the board of Drake Logistics. I know that isn’t what you want, but as the other majority owner of a private company, you’ll need to provide some stewardship.”
I worried it would come to this. “Chester is doing a great job running the company. I don’t want to get caught up in the day-to-day workings.”
Chester shakes his head. “We’re just talking about the board here. We meet quarterly for a half day. That’s all your father has done for the last few years, other than work from his home office. With the board’s support, we can remove him from a decision-making role, and that will also eliminate his access to company funds. At least, that’s what our lawyer is saying.” Chester looks to Jason for confirmation.
“Yes, as long as Jack is on the board, you meet the terms of the trust.”
“I’ll defer to you,” I say to Jason. “I want to make this work. It seems we’re all worried about my father.”
“I’ll be in touch in a few days.” Jason looks at Chester. “Have your board meeting, but make sure everyone is in agreement with these changes before then. You can include me, if you’d like, as the representative of the trust. But you’ll have to vote Jack in at the same time.”
“We can make that happen,” Chester says.
We wrap things up, and Chester and Jason leave. I feel like all my energy goes with them. This is such a big and ugly move. I hate that we have to go there, but this isn’t the father I grew up with.
Chip puts his hand on my shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”
Julia brings me into a warm embrace, and I feel slightly better. This can’t be avoided, but I hate it.
We chat a bit more about the plans and the future of Drake Logistics, and eventually, Laine and I head out.
When we’re back in the privacy of my car, I look over at her. “Does doing this make me a bad person?”
“No,” she says, taking my hand. “You’re looking out for your dad. He knew something wasn’t right, which is why he’s been pressing so hard for you to leave medicine. This may hurt him now, but it will save him from making even bigger mistakes. And hey, if you join the board, maybe he’ll see that as a win.” She squeezes my hand and smiles. “We’ll all get through this. He needs your help.”