I need to hear it from my father. I need to look him in the face and see what he says when I ask him directly. I’ve spent months defending him. He owes me that much.
The study at the estate hasn't changed since I was a child. Same mahogany desk, same leather chairs, same portraits of Crane ancestors staring down from the walls.
He's behind the desk when I enter, reviewing something on his laptop. He looks up with a smile.
"Carter. I wasn't expecting you until Thursday."
"I need to talk to you." I close the door behind me. "About Kate."
Wariness flickers across his face. It's gone almost instantly, replaced by mild curiosity, but I saw it.
"What about Kate?"
"I know she was the source."
The silence stretches between us. My father's expression doesn't change, but his stillness tells me everything. He's not surprised that I know. He's calculating how to handle it.
"Your mother told you."
It's not a question. I don't bother confirming.
"I want to hear it from you."
He leans back in his chair, studying me. For a long moment, I think he's going to deny it, spin some story, try to redirect. That's what he does. That's what Cranes do.
Instead, he sighs.
"Yes. Kate was the source. She admitted it in January." He says it flatly, like he's reporting quarterly earnings. "She had access to files she shouldn't have accessed. She copied documents and gave them to Dean."
"Why?"
"Because your sister has always had an overdeveloped sense of moral superiority." The bitterness in his voice surprises me.
"That's not what I'm asking." I step closer to the desk. "What did she find?"
My father's eyes narrow. "She found nothing. She found business dealings that she didn't understand and relationshipsthat looked improper to someone without context. Kate has always been naive about how the world actually works."
"The offshore accounts were real."
"The offshore accounts were legal tax strategy. You know that, Carter."
"But—"
I'm not going to sit here and defend myself to my own son.” He cuts me off, his voice hardening. "Everything in that exposé was exaggerated beyond recognition.You know that. Dean wanted a story. Kate gave him ammunition. Neither of them understood what they were actually looking at."
I want to believe him. Part of me still does believe him, the part that wants to, but I recognize the patter. He’s giving me the same spin that he gives everyone else.
"What did Kate mean when she said Dean didn't know the half of it?"
My father goes very still.
"Where did you hear that?"
"Mom. Kate told her there was more. Things even Jamie wasn’t given."
"Your sister was being dramatic. There's nothing—"
"Don't." The word comes out sharper than I intended. "Don't lie to me. I've defended this family for months. I've stood in front of cameras and called Jamie Dean a liar. I've staked my entire political future on the assumption that the allegations were exaggerated." I plant my hands on his desk and lean forward. "Tell me the truth. Youoweme that."
