“That’s how we became friends,” Andrew said, pulling Ford’s stunned attention back to him. “My mom had just died, and hiswas in the middle of fighting it. He almost went to med school, but this seemed more viable, so he chose thermodynamics.”
“You knew?”
“I thought you did too.”
Ford sighed, gaze drifting back to Dalton. “Why didn’t you tell me this was all wrapped up in your mother?”
“Because. I was too late to save her,” he said in a small voice. “A year ago, six months ago, I could have. I kept telling her I would, but I wasn’t fast enough. For everyone else, every second counts. I know it could still take years for a breakthrough, but if I had just been faster for her…” He sniffled, tears falling faster, no longer listening to his attempts to still them. “I tried to tell you, Dad… but I didn’t want missing her to overshadow what we have. I wanted to be a good thing in your life.”
“Youare.”
Dalton’s mouth twitched with a smile peeking through his tears.
“I don’t know what it’s like to lose a parent who didn’t have a choice in leaving,” Ford continued, meeting Dalton where he stood isolated away from them, “but I do know what it’s like to want something so much, something that keeps slipping through your grasp, you’d do anything to keep it.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Dad. My fingers aren’t even broken, just jammed and sore.”
“That’s not the point. I understand this is important to you, and we will do everything we can to finish this and recover what was taken, but until then, you have to be smarter. Don’t give anyone extra chances to take you away from me.”
“I’m sorry. I promise I’ll be better.”
“Thank you. Any other secrets you need to tell me?”
“Well,” Dalton leaned conspiratorially closer, “if you didn’t know this already… I’m gay,” he whispered.
Ford cracked a smile. Even now, Dalton could joke, and it caused Ford to pull his son in against him, breathing in the comfort of having him close.
“Now, we, meaning me andAndrew,” Ford said once they’d parted, “need to discuss what comes next. You go home. Take some ibuprofen, and if that hand looks worse in the morning, go to Urgent Care.”
“Yes, Dad,” Dalton said like the stereotypical child being scolded, but he didn’t argue, just sniffled back his remaining tears and paused to hug Andrew goodbye too.
“So much for your tracker idea,” Ford said, all business once Dalton had left, without any remaining sparkle in his eyes to betray that he’d been weepy too. “Riley says they never even showed having left the building.”
“Kevin too.”
“You don’t sound surprised.”
“They’re not faulty. Theydidn’tleave the building. Not far, anyway. I saw them in a dumpster outside.”
“What?” Ford straightened. “How? The thief didn’t have time to find them all.”
“Not unless they knew they were there.”
“Only we knew they were there.”
“And my team.”
“And mine…” Ford caught on, his expression hardening. He moved around the sofa as the information digested, slumping down onto it, and Andrew joined him. “That’s how they kept getting around security, because they’reinsecurity. The only one we can rule out is Kathleen.”
“No. Not her either. We can’t say for sure if the thief is working alone.”
“One of our people is either the thief, an accomplice, or both, and we have no idea who.”
“What Dalton saw can’t narrow it down either, but none of them know we know about the classifieds. The plan doesn’t change. We wait, find out where the drop is, and we’ll get them.”
Ford nodded solemnly. “In the meantime, we watch our people but don’t tell them anything.”
Deep down, Andrew couldn’t believe it was either of his friends, but Ford trusted his people just as much.
