For a few seconds, neither knew what belonged next.
Elise clasped her hands. “I’ve wanted to tell you something, but I didn’t want to write because it felt like asking you to make me feel better.”
Jamal waited.
“That day, I knew before Mr. Hutchinson finished the first sentence that something was wrong. Not that I knew your money was legitimate. I mean I knew the way he was talking to you was wrong.”
Her eyes filled.
“And I laughed once because everyone else did and because I was nervous. Then I watched it keep getting worse, and every minute I told myself the next person with more authority would stop it. Mr. Hutchinson.
Frank. The police. Somebody.”
She wiped beneath one eye.
“I kept waiting for somebody else to become the person I should have been.”
Jamal looked down at the marble.
Elise continued.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me. I just wanted you to know I don’t tell myself anymore that I had no choice.”
Jamal thought of Officer Kim’s report.
Circumstances did not change. I finally paid attention to them.
He looked at Elise.
“What do you do now?”
“When something looks wrong?”
“Yeah.”
“I say it sooner.”
Jamal nodded.
“Good.”
That was all.
It was enough.
Officer Kim arrived near the end of the event in plain clothes. He waited by the entrance until Jamal was free and held out his hand.
Jamal shook it.
“You look taller,” Kim said.
“I am taller.”
“Right. That was badly phrased.”
Jamal smiled.
Kim had recently been promoted to detective, but he did not mention it until Jamal asked. Most of his work involved property crimes and financial investigations, not community outreach, and Jamal was oddly glad about that.
“You didn’t turn your whole career into telling my story?”
Kim laughed. “No.”
“Good.”
“I do use the lesson.”
“What lesson?”
“Don’t let somebody else’s confidence become your evidence.”
Jamal considered it.
“That’s pretty good.”
“I stole it from you.”
“No, you made that one up.”
Kim’s smile faded slightly.
“I’m still sorry I waited.”
“I know.”
“I don’t expect that to stop mattering.”
“It doesn’t.”