Chapter 6 — Ruth Walks Through the Door
The meeting-room door opened.
An elderly woman stood there holding a silver cane.
Behind her was a woman in a red coat.
Ruth Mercer.
And Margaret, her closest friend.
Ruth looked from Elliot to Aaron.
Then toward Harrison.
“Which one of them made this difficult?”
Harrison hesitated.
“Both?”
Ruth sighed.
“That sounds correct.”
Aaron stepped forward.
“Mom, I can explain.”
“I’m sure you can.”
Elliot said:
“Did you tell him to impersonate me?”
Ruth’s eyes widened.
“He did what?”
Aaron closed his eyes.
“Not exactly the opening I wanted.”
Noah handed Ruth the receipt.
She read the signature.
Then looked at Aaron.
“You signed your brother’s name?”
“The reservation wouldn’t go through under mine.”
Ruth turned toward Elliot.
“Why?”
Elliot looked uncomfortable.
“I restricted him.”
Ruth stared.
“You did what?”
Margaret quietly moved toward a chair.
“This is going better than expected.”
Ruth ignored her.
She pointed toward both sons.
“I arranged one dinner.”
“One.”
“And somehow you turned it into identity fraud and event security.”
Aaron raised one finger.
“Identity fraud feels dramatic.”
Ruth looked at him.
“You signed his name.”
Aaron lowered the finger.
“Fair.”
Then Ruth turned toward Elliot.
“And you banned your brother from an event I was attending?”
“I was trying to avoid conflict.”
“By making a family decision without the family.”
Elliot looked down.
Ruth sat.
Then said something neither brother expected.
“This is exactly why I’m selling the house.”
Aaron frowned.
“What does the house have to do with this?”
“Everything.”