“Okay.” She takes a deep breath, amping herself up. “Dad called me and offered me the internship at the company.”
She looks at me with wide worried eyes, and I wave my hand dismissively. “Go on.”
“He, um, well, he also told me all about Karl, and the case against him.” Elise frowns. “Had I known it was Karl who assaulted Patricia, I’d have still encouraged her to go to the police, but I’d have given Dad a heads up. I feel bad that we basically initiated a police raid at our family's company, you know?”
“Yeah, if Dad hadn’t been such an asshole on the phone I’d feel more guilty, but he really tore me up when he called. I think he blames it all on me because I have the direct connection to Roxanne. And, well, because you’re the favorite, of course.”
She snorts, head shaking. “We both know Arthur is the favorite.”
“Only because he’s too small to get into scandals yet,” I joke, and we both laugh, some of the tension easing. “Elise, I hope you know I had no idea Karl was Robert. I wouldn’t have hidden something like that.”
“I know,” she says softly. “Dad will come to his senses in time, I’m sure. I’m going to talk to him when we get back home tomorrow, try to explain that he’d have done the same thing as you in your position, at least when he was younger. He’ll come around.”
“We’ll see. But did you take the internship?”
“Yeah, I did.” She searches my face as we walk for any anger or resentment, but there’s none to be found. Secretly I’mthrilled, both for her and for the fact Dad won’t ask me about it anymore.
“I know he’s doing it as a PR stunt to get good press,” Elise continues. “I can see the headlines now, ‘Sebastian Van Den Bosch chooses eldest daughter for management internship, a triumph for women in the industry!’”
Elise is downplaying the news of her taking the internship, but I know deep down she’s on top of the world. She has wanted this internship from the moment it became available. Her and Dad are like mirror images of one another. The position was made for her, she just doesn’t realize it yet.
“You can be excited, Elise. I’m thrilled for you. Really.”
“You’re sure?” At that moment, she still sounds like a little girl, worried about losing her brother’s favor.
“Positive. Give them hell.”
We’ve reached Patricia’s residence hall, and Elise is all smiles as we ascend the elevator, only taming her expression when we reach the other girl’s door. Patricia is expecting us, and greets us warmly, but something about it is off.
Her expression is wooden, almost fake. She graciously takes the bag of pasties from Elise while I make sure to wipe any errant crumbs off myself before we all sit down to chat, Elise on the bed with Patricia, and me in the trusty old office chair that is two sizes too small for me.
Elise takes one of Patricia’s hands. “How are you doing, love?”
“I know you two want me to be happy that Robert is arrested, but I just can’t bring myself to be. I guess I should call him Karl now, though.…” She looks between the two of us and seeing our confused faces wondering how she already knows his real identity, she pulls her hands out of Elise’s grip, picks her phone, and shows us something on it. “Cassey sent me this.”
I take her iPhone in hand and start checking the article more closely with Elise peering over me. There it is. The first hit piece reaching the media about Karl’s arrest. There’s even a picture of him at the headquarters of the Van Den Bosch Industries as the header. Of course—the whole thing had to be published by RTL, and not surprisingly, written by Kenneth himself.
“Karl wasn’t a perfect man but I also don’t think he’s the villain we are making him out to be,” Patricia continues while Elise and I are still processing the shock that his arrest went public so quickly.
“Don’t worry,” I assure her, giving her phone back. “Soon enough he’ll go on trial, and you won’t have to think about him anymore.”
“You don’t understand!” she exclaims, her tone growing irritated. “He was funny, charismatic, handsome.” I see Elise wrinkle her nose, but Patricia isn’t swayed. “We had real chemistry. I…I’d have liked to see him again, and now that’s ruined.”
I’m becoming annoyed with this back and forth with Patricia. If she didn’t want to report him, why wasn’t she more firm with me when I offered to drive her?
“You need to stop feeling guilty for a criminal that took advantage of you,” I tell her, more firmly than I intend to.
“You just don’t get it. I’m so terrified that my parents are gonna find out now, and they’ll be so disappointed. They might even stop paying my tuition.” She takes a shuddering breath. “I had no idea this would be such a media circus.”
“Relax,” Elise says, her tone soothing as she rubs her hand on her friend’s back. “It’s just one article. That’s not a big deal.”
Patricia sniffles, and I know from past experience that the tears are about to start. “I think I want to be alone, guys. Can we talk after the weekend?”
I stand, more than ready to be out of this dorm, but my sister seems hesitant.
“Are you sure?” Elise asks, looking at me before returning to Patricia. “I can make Andries leave and we can just have some girl time. Would that make you more comfortable?”
“No. I just want to be by myself, okay?”