Disclosure_ A Novel - Michael Crichton [63]
“She wasn’t my ‘big heartthrob.’ ”
“Oh yeah? Then why wouldn’t you tell me?” She shook her head. “Just answer one question. Did you fuck her or not?”
“No. I didn’t.”
She stared at him intently, stirring her coffee. “You’re telling me the truth?”
“Yes.”
“Nothing left out? No inconvenient parts skipped?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Then why would she accuse you?”
“What do you mean?” he said.
“I mean, there must be a reason she accused you. You must have done something.”
“Well, I didn’t. I turned her down.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.” She frowned at him. “You know, this is not just about you, Tom. This involves your whole family: me and the kids.”
“I understand that.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? If you told me last night, I could have helped you.”
“Then help me now.”
“Well, there isn’t much we can do now,” Susan said, with heavy sarcasm. “Not after she’s gone to Blackburn and made an accusation first. Now you’re finished.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Trust me, you haven’t got a move,” she said. “If you go to trial, it’ll be living hell for at least three years, and I personally don’t think you can win. You’re a man bringing a charge of harassment against a woman. They’ll laugh you out of court.”
“Maybe.”
“Trust me, they will. So you can’t go to trial. What can you do? Move to Austin. Jesus.”
“I keep thinking,” Sanders said. “She accused me of harassment, but now she isn’t pressing charges. And I keep thinking, Why isn’t she pressing charges?”
“Who cares?” Susan said, with an irritable wave of the hand. “It could be any of a million reasons. Corporate politics. Or Phil talked her out of it. Or Garvin. It doesn’t matter why. Tom, face the facts: you have no move. Not now, you stupid son of a bitch.”
“Susan, will you settle down?”
“Fuck you, Tom. You’re dishonest and irresponsible.”
“Susan—”
“We’ve been married five years. I deserve better than this.”
“Will you take it easy? I’m trying to tell you: I think I do have a move.”
“Tom. You don’t.”
“I think I do. Because this is a very dangerous situation,” Sanders said. “It’s dangerous for everybody.”
“What does that mean?”
“Let’s assume that Louise Fernandez told me the truth about my lawsuit.”
“She did. She’s a good lawyer.”
“But she wasn’t looking at it from the company’s standpoint. She was looking at it from the plaintiff’s standpoint.”
“Yeah, well, you’re a plaintiff.”
“No, I’m not,” he said. “I’m a potential plaintiff.”
There was a moment of silence.
Susan stared at him. Her eyes scanned his face. She frowned. He watched her put it together. “You’re kidding.”
“No.”
“You must be out of your mind.”
“No. Look at the situation. DigiCom’s in the middle of a merger with a very conservative East Coast company. A company that’s already pulled out of one merger because an employee had a little bad publicity. Supposedly this employee used some rough language while firing a temp secretary, and then Conley-White pulled out. They’re very skittish about publicity. Which means the last thing anybody at DigiCom wants is a sexual harassment suit against the new female vice president.”
“Tom. Do you realize what you’re saying?”
“Yes,” he said.
“If you do this, they’re going to go crazy. They’re going to try to destroy you.”
“I know.”
“Have you talked to Max about this? Maybe you should.”
“The hell with Max. He’s a crazy old man.”
“I’d ask him. Because this isn’t really your thing, Tom. You were never a corporate infighter. I don’t know if you can pull this off.”
“I think I can.”
“It’ll be nasty. In a day or so, you’re going to wish you had taken the Austin job.”
“Fuck it.”
“It’ll get really mean, Tom. You’ll lose your friends.”
“Fuck it.”
“Just so you’re ready.”
“I am.” Sanders looked at his watch. “Susan, I want you to take the kids and visit your mother for a few days.” Her mother lived in Phoenix. “If you go home now and pack, you can make the eight o’clock flight at Sea-Tac. I’ve booked three seats for you.”
She stared at him, as if she were seeing a stranger. “You’re really going to do this . . .,” she said slowly.
“Yes. I am.