“I’m not kidding, Caren.” His voice is low and severe, eyes darting toward the doorway as if Rachel might materialize at any moment. “Rachel can never know about this. It would destroy her.”
“She doesn’t even know? How is that even possible?”
His jaw clenches, a muscle working frantically beneath the skin. “I was trying to protect her.”
“Protect her from what? Miguel, tell me what’s going on. Does this have to do with that nanny who was murdered last year?”
“Whoa, whoa. You are scaring me,” he says. “Murder? You think I’m involved with murder?”
“No. I don’t. But you’ve been lying to me—”
“Caren—”
I hold up my hand. “Don’t interrupt. All those long nights, all that anxiety about Rachel and you knew all along what was going on. You kept that from me. I would never do that to you. I tell you everything.” I take a quick breath and keep going. “And then to find out that you hired Crimson Edge without telling me. I feel like I don’t even know you.”
“I didn’t hire them,” he says. “Jo did.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Last August, like I told you, Jo came and asked that everything Van had stolen and given to Rachel be given back. It was quite the little haul. Earrings, rings, a necklace. I didn’t know that bracelet was missing. It wasn’t like Jo gave me an inventorylist. I believe Rachel when she says she thought she returned everything. Anyway, Jo said that the police were poking around, that they thought the murder of that nanny might be connected to the earlier break-ins. That it might be the same person.”
“Was it?” My heart hammers against my ribs.
“No! You think Van and Noah could kill someone?”
“Noah? No. But Van?” I shrug. “You know he was sleeping with the nanny’s boss, right? A woman in her thirties.”
“What? Where did you hear that?”
“I went and saw her today. With Finn.”
“Finn?” He jerks his head back. “What is going on with you two? Is this guy filling your head with conspiracy theories?”
“No. He’s not. He’s the only person who actually acknowledges that something really bad might be going on. He thinks what happened to me might be related to the murder of his friend, the nanny.”
“It has nothing to do with murder. Jo was worried that Van would get sucked in to an investigation. So was Kenya. Even if the boys’ names were cleared, it could derail their whole lives. I wanted nothing to do with any of it, but then…” He trails off, staring at his hands.
“Then what?”
“Jo offered to help us.” His voice drops to a near whisper. “Help us get Rachel into Georgetown.”
“How?”
“She knows the guy who runs Crimson Edge. They went to law school together. Jo said he helps students with potential who don’t have the highest marks or scores. He gets them into top schools as walk-ons for underfunded teams. Tennis, sailing, rowing. As long as there is a sizable donation.”
“You mean bribe the schools.” I can’t hide my disgust.
“It’s not a bribe. It’s completely legal.” His voice rises defensively. “It’s a donation to the tennis program. It’s a legitimate way they fundraise. This was last August. She failed two classes fall of junior year. With those grades, Rachel didn’t even have a shot at Maryland. And all because of those asshole kids. Van and Eloïse ruined her junior year! The Allards owed us, Caren.”
“And they made the donation? How much?”
“I don’t know. I think one-fifty altogether.” He won’t meet my eyes.
“One hundred and fifty thousand dollars?” I can barely get the words out. “To buy our daughter’s silence. What about Noah?”
“They made the same deal with Noah.” He lifts his chin. “Neither of the kids knew. We all agreed that they could never know.”
“I can’t believe you did this without telling me.”
