Page 50 of Where Secrets Lie

She flicked a glance at him and started typing. “And figure out what I’m going to drive in the meantime. Is the JusticeChamber going to rent me a car or pay my Uber bills while mine is in the shop?”

“I, uh, I’m not sure. Let me—” He stopped.

She’s trying to distract me.

He should have seen it immediately, despite his post-craniotomy brain fog. There was no way she really thought he barged into her office to talk about her car, especially when he was carrying a stack of loan documents. She was playing for time and trying to sidetrack him—and he’d been letting her do it.

He reached into his pocket and took out his key ring. He detached the fob for his Audi A3 and put it on Jess’s desk. “Drive mine. I can’t drive for another two and a half months thanks to this.” He tapped his left temple. “It’s been sitting in the faculty lot since the day I was attacked. Now, I’d really like to get your input on what I found in these loan documents before I talk to Savannah.”

Jess stopped typing. “You approved the loan. Savannah signed it. It’s a done deal.”

“And we may need to undo it. There’s a very serious problem buried in these documents.” He held up the stack. “There are three provisions scattered throughout that, read together, make this a demand note secured by all of TGU’s assets.”

She licked her lips. “I don’t know what you mean.”

He doubted that with the way she evaded his gaze. “Hornbrook can demand full payment of the loan at any time and the university has to pay every penny in twenty-four hours. If we don’t, they can grab everything.”

She arched an eyebrow. “If there’s a problem, why did you recommend signing the loan?”

“Because these provisions are very obscure.” He paused. “It’s almost like they were deliberately hidden. Do you want me to walk through each clause and explain how they work together?”

She waved a perfectly manicured hand as if shooing away an annoying insect. “This is standard language in high-end business loans. The interest rate and other terms are good. Don’t worry about it.”

Hez shook his head, causing a warning twinge from the left side of his skull. “It is not standard. I researched that. And even if it were, it’s crazy. This is like having a clause in your mortgage that says the bank can demand the full amount anytime they want and take your house away if you can’t pay it all in twenty-four hours. No one would take that loan, no matter how good the interest rate.”

She gave him a placating smile, but a cold and calculating look glinted in her hazel eyes. “I don’t want to sound condescending, Hez, but you’re not a banker or a Wall Street lawyer. You’re very good at what you do—I know that from firsthand experience—but this just isn’t your area of expertise. It’s mine. Trust me on this, okay?”

Hez pressed his lips together for a moment. “I wish I could, Jess. I really do. But I can’t put TGU at this kind of risk. I’ll have to tell Savannah about this. I’ll recommend that we go to Hornbrook and try to renegotiate these clauses. If they won’t agree, we’ll have to refinance the loan again, even if we’re forced to give up the terrific interest rate you got.”

He started to get up, but Jess held up her hand. “Wait.” She stood, walked around her desk with quick, precise steps, and shut the door. She resumed her seat and looked him in theeye. “If you call Hornbrook and try to renegotiate, they’ll immediately call the loan. They’ll do the same thing if you try to refinance with someone else.”

Hez’s heart rate spiked. “What? You knew that and you still agreed to these terms? Why?”

“That’s irrelevant.” She leaned forward, every muscle taut. “What matters is that you do nothing about this. Absolutely nothing. Do you understand?”

“No. Why should I just leave this alone? It’s a bomb that could go off any second.”

“Because you love Savannah.” She took a deep breath. “And so do I.”

His pulse roared in his ears. “What... what do you mean?”

“You said this is a bomb. Well, we need to get her outside the blast radius before it goes off. I’ll help.” She talked fast, the words pouring out as she tried to persuade him. “I have connections. I can arrange a position for her at a prestigious university or a big museum. It would be perfect for her. I’ll even help you set up a legal clinic. Famous universities and museums tend to be in big cities. There’s lots of need for legal clinics in places like that, right?”

The pieces clicked into place. “You arranged for her to be denied tenure, didn’t you? That would have forced us to leave, but Pierre messed up your plans by getting her into the president’s chair.” He gave a grim smile. “That didn’t work out well for either you or him, did it?”

She was silent for a heartbeat. “We’re getting off topic, Hez. I need you to tell me that you’re going to help me get Savannah out of here by the end of the semester. I can hold Hornbrook off that long, but no longer.”

“Why are you doing this, Jess?” He paused. “You have a secret deal with Hornbrook, don’t you? What’s your cut going to be when they foreclose on TGU and turn it into a casino or something?”

Her face reddened and tight lines appeared at the corners of her mouth. “You think this is about money? If all I cared about was money, I would have stayed in New York.”

Anger flared in his chest. “What do you care about more than money?”

Her response was instant. “Family.”

“Oh? And isn’t Savannah family?”

“Yes, and she’s the only reason that bomb hasn’t gone off yet.”

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