Chapter 62
Daniel
I could barely wait for her to get out of the shower so I could tell her the news. She sat on one of the kitchen stools and watched me put a fresh bear claw on a plate and place it and her cappuccino in front of her.
Her eyes fluttered for a moment after the first sip.
“You were right about Howard,” I said.
Lydia picked up the bear claw and took a big bite.
“Kernel dug up complaints from nearly a dozen women over the past twenty years, all of which never went beyond HR. Two of them filed a complaint with the police but withdrew it on the same day.”
Lydia swallowed slowly and nodded. “He’s been doing this for a long time, and he’s got money. It wouldn’t be hard to shut them up. Do we have proof?”
My cheeks burned from how wide I was grinning. “Video. Three of them from three different locations.”
“You saw them? Are they—”
My smile was gone. “Yeah, I watched them. They’re solid.”
“You don’t want me to see it.”
No, I didn’t. It was hard enough watching them myself without throwing our plan to hell and killing the guy. There’s no way Lydia would hold back. The only reason I was happy was because it meant we could take them both down.
“You don’t need to see it. I promise, it’s enough to ruin him. Even if Langford has a video of him attacking Becca, there’s no way he’s risking these videos going out.”
“I need to know what’s there.”
I exhaled and stepped back. I didn’t want to touch her when I told her this.
“One of them was at a restaurant. He grabbed the waitress’s ass.
Second was at some event. Camera shows him very clearly forcing himself on the bartender when she gets out of the bathroom.
He grabbed her and kissed her, and you can tell she tried to push him back.
Some guy walked by them, and she made a break for it. ”
“Third?”
“It was on his computer. It’s old, I think from when he was in his forties or something. I… I didn’t watch all of it, but she looked young. Too young. And very clearly not consenting.”
“On his computer… He watches it.”
“That one will put him in jail.”
Lydia surprised me once again by sipping her coffee like I just told her the weather forecast.
“What happens now?” Her voice was cold, normal, but her eyes burned with rage. I’d give anything to know what was going through her head.
I stepped closer to her again. “Terry sent the images to Howard in an anonymous email with the threat of exposing him unless he changes his vote. Now we wait.”
“Can he just do that?” Her eyes were locked on mine.
“Sort of. He needs everyone to vote again, so another board meeting.”
“Langford will know, then.”
I nodded. There’s no way Langford doesn’t realize someone is targeting him at this point.