Chapter 16 - Grant’s Version
Grant came voluntarily to the police station with an attorney.
He denied entering the restaurant.
He denied burning records.
He denied stealing Evelyn’s key.
He denied forging Thomas’s signature.
He denied stealing wages.
He admitted only one thing.
He had created Pineridge Strategic Holdings.
According to Grant, Pineridge was meant to facilitate legitimate consulting around a possible property transaction.
Baird Facilities, he claimed, had performed “facilities assessment and acquisition readiness services.”
The inaccurate invoice descriptions were “bookkeeping shorthand.”
The cash labor discrepancies were “documentation failures.”
The altered time records were “corrections.”
The money to Evelyn was “consulting compensation.”
The success fee was “hypothetical.”
The forged signatures were not forged.
Thomas had authorized him verbally.
Police did not arrest Grant that day.
That infuriated Thomas.
Daniel Cho was not surprised.
“Investigations are not television,” he said. “They’ll follow bank records, devices, access logs, witness statements.”
“He burned records.”
“We don’t know that.”
Thomas glared.
Daniel did not blink.
“If you start replacing evidence with certainty, you become less credible.”
Claire touched her father’s arm.
“He’s right.”
Thomas hated that.
But he knew.
Meanwhile, Grant began calling family members.
Cousins.
Old friends.
Former employees.
His message was consistent.
Thomas was confused.
Claire was trying to seize control.
Eli had misunderstood a casual payment.
Evelyn had been manipulated by both sides.
By Saturday, rumors moved through Cedar Falls faster than facts.
A Facebook post appeared in a local community group.
Sad to see a family restaurant destroyed by greed and lawyers.
No names.
Everyone knew.
Maya showed it to Claire.
“Comments are ugly.”
Claire read several.
Some accused Thomas of exploiting Grant.
Others claimed Grant was exposing financial incompetence.
One comment mentioned Eli by name.
That dishwasher has special needs. Maybe he got confused about what he was promised.
Claire felt heat rise through her chest.
Eli walked past carrying a tray.
She locked the phone.
Too late.
He had seen his name.
“What does it say?”
“Nothing useful.”
He held out his hand.
“Claire.”
She gave him the phone.
He read.
His face did not change.
That worried her more.
Maya stood nearby.
“It’s garbage.”
Eli kept reading.
Then he handed the phone back.
“I’m not confused.”
“I know.”
“Why do they say it?”
“Because they don’t know what happened.”
“They could ask.”
“Yes.”
“They didn’t.”
“No.”
Eli nodded once and returned to work.
Later that evening, Grant appeared across the street from the restaurant.
He stayed on the public sidewalk.
Thomas saw him through the front window.
Grant did not wave.
He simply watched.
Thomas went outside.
Claire followed.
Daniel’s instruction echoed in her head: no confrontation.
Grant smiled.
“You changed the locks.”
Thomas stopped ten feet away.
“Yes.”
“You embarrassed Mom.”
“Go home.”
“You think Claire’s saving you?”
Claire said nothing.
Grant looked at her.
“You always wanted Dad to sell.”
Claire frowned.
“That isn’t true.”
“You told him this place was consuming his life.”
“I told him to hire professional management.”
“Same difference.”
Thomas stepped forward.
“Leave.”
Grant’s smile vanished.
“You still don’t understand.”
“What?”
“I kept this place alive.”
“You were manufacturing losses.”
“I was creating leverage.”
“For yourself.”
“For all of us.”
“You stole.”
Grant’s eyes flashed.
“Prove it.”
Claire quietly touched Thomas’s arm.
Enough.
Grant saw the gesture.
“There. That’s what this is.”
“What?”
“She comes home, whispers in your ear, and suddenly everyone else is disposable.”
Thomas stared at him.
Grant continued.
“You think Eli matters more than me?”
Claire finally spoke.
“This has never been a contest between you and Eli.”
Grant laughed.
“Of course it is.”
“No.”
She looked directly at him.
“The fact that you think accountability has to mean someone else is being chosen over you is exactly why you keep doing this.”
Grant’s face tightened.
For one moment, he looked less like a villain and more like the frightened thirteen-year-old Thomas remembered after his father left.
Then it disappeared.
“You’ll regret this.”
Thomas said nothing.
Grant walked away.
That night, Eli remained after close.
Thomas found him wiping the dry shelf beside the sink.
The twenty and ten dollar bills were no longer there.
They had been placed in an evidence envelope by counsel.
Eli touched the empty spot.
“Looks different.”
Thomas nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For every time I thought Grant’s position meant he deserved more credibility than someone working under him.”
Eli considered that.
Then he said, “You heard him because you were behind the hallway.”
“Yes.”
“What if you weren’t?”
Thomas had no answer.
Eli turned off the faucet.
May you like
“That’s what you have to fix.”
Then he left Thomas standing beside the silent sink.
