Part 8:

So, why do it? She met his eyes. Because my father built this company on a lie that got people killed, and I’m not going to keep lying for him. They sat in silence for a moment. Outside the windows, the city glittered with lights. Somewhere down there, people were driving Celeste Motors vehicles, trusting that they were safe.

When? Ethan asked. Monday. I’m calling an emergency board meeting. I’ll present the evidence, announce Kavanaaugh’s termination, and turn everything over to the authorities. She paused. I need you there. Why? Because they’re going to call me a liar. They’re going to say, “I fabricated the emails or took them out of context.

” But if you’re there with your 10 years of documentation showing the pattern of failures that proves the cover up was real, they can’t dismiss that. I don’t want to be in front of cameras. You won’t be. The board meeting is private. But afterward, when this goes public, people are going to ask questions.

 They’re going to want to know how this was discovered. I need to be able to say that an independent mechanic kept meticulous records, and those records led us to the truth. Ethan thought about Sarah Mitchell and her fractured spine, about the four people who’ died. About all the near misses and close calls documented in his notebooks. “Okay,” he said.

 “I’ll be there.” Celeste exhaled like she’d been holding her breath. “Thank you. Don’t thank me yet. This is going to get ugly.” “It’s already ugly.” On the drive home, Maya was quiet in the back seat. Ethan checked the rearview mirror. “You okay, Bug?” That lady was nice. Jennifer? No, the other one. Miss Vaughn.

 You met her? She came to check on me. Asked if I liked the movie. She seemed sad. Ethan didn’t know what to say to that. Yeah, she’s got a lot on her mind. Is she your friend? Sort of. It’s complicated. Adults always say things are complicated. That’s because they usually are. Maya went back to her tablet. Ethan drove through the dark, the security car still following behind.

The weekend crawled by. Saturday, Ethan worked in the shop, but he couldn’t focus. Every car that came in felt trivial compared to what was coming. Sunday, he took Maya to the park again, pushed her on the swings, and tried to pretend everything was normal. That night, after Maya was asleep, he got a call from Rebecca Marsh.

 “Have you seen the news?” she asked. “No.” “Why? Someone leaked that Celeste Motors is preparing to make a major announcement Monday. Stock dropped another 12% in after hours trading. Speculation is everywhere. Celeste terminating her COO and turning evidence over to federal prosecutors. Silence then. Jesus Christ.

 She told you that? Yeah, Ethan. If that’s true, this case just became criminal. We’re not just talking civil liability anymore. People are going to prison. Good. Good. Rebecca’s voice sharpened. Do you understand what that means? Anyone connected to this coverup is going to fight like hell. That includes fighting dirty.

 The threats you’ve been getting, they’re going to escalate. I’ve got security. Security can’t protect you from character assassination, from leaked information, from carefully orchestrated media campaigns. She paused. They’re going to come after you, Ethan. your past, your finances, your fitness as a parent, anything they can use to discredit you, let them try.

 I’m serious. If there’s anything in your history that could be used against you, anything at all, you need to tell me now. Ethan thought about it. I got a DUI when I was 23. Right after Maya’s mom left, blew a 09, lost my license for 6 months. That’s it. Anything else? Debts, legal troubles, relationships. No relationships. Debts.

 Yeah, but who doesn’t have those? Nothing illegal. What about Maya’s mother? Where is she? Gone. She left when Maya was 8 months old. Signed away custody. Haven’t heard from her since. Could she come back? Try to use this situation to claim you’re an unfit parent? The thought made Ethan’s stomach turn. I don’t know.

 Maybe, but she’d have to find us first. They’ll find her if they want to. These people have resources. Rebecca’s tone softened slightly. I’m not trying to scare you. I’m trying to prepare you. Monday is going to change everything. I know. After he hung up, Ethan sat in the dark kitchen for a long time. The house was quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator and the occasional creek of old wood settling.

 Through the window, he could see the security car parked across the street. He thought about calling the whole thing off, just telling Celeste he couldn’t do it, packing up his evidence, and going back to being an anonymous mechanic in a dying town. But then he thought about Sarah Mitchell, about the four dead, about all the people still driving defective vehicles because someone decided $340 million was too much to spend on their safety.

No, he’d come too far to back out now. Monday morning arrived cold and gray. Ethan dropped Maya at school, then drove to the city. The board meeting was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. He arrived at Celeste Motors headquarters at 1:30 carrying a briefcase full of documentation. Security escorted him to a small conference room.

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