Chapter 6
His name was Graham Pike.
Former political communications strategist.
Now he managed reputation crises for celebrities, executives, heirs, and anyone wealthy enough to fear headlines.
Graham did not cooperate willingly.
He also did not have to.
Corinne’s civil claim against Thayer alleged assault, intimidation, and wrongful exclusion from the marital residence.
Once she placed the events of that night into litigation, discovery widened.
Miriam obtained scheduling records and nonprivileged business documents through formal process.
Corinne had hired Graham to prepare two public narratives.
One:
Amicable marital separation.
The other:
Emergency departure following violent domestic incident.
Both were drafted before the dinner.
Thayer stared at the second title.
Miriam immediately stopped him.
“It could be contingency planning.”
“For something that had not happened?”
“Crisis people prepare scenarios.”
Thayer nodded reluctantly.
Then she showed him a planning note.
High-profile breakup is materially stronger if departure follows witnessed event rather than private disagreement.
Still not proof.
But harder to ignore.
Another note:
TK maintains extreme emotional control except where daughter is concerned.
Thayer read it twice.
“Who told him that?”
“Likely Corinne.”
A third note:
Family dinners provide witness density without public venue complications.
Thayer leaned back.
There it was.
Not a confession.
A structure.
Witnesses.
Poppy.
Thayer’s temper.
Miriam looked at him.
“This does not prove she wanted you to hit her.”
“No.”
“But?”
“It proves she was thinking about your reactions in connection with a witnessed separation.”
Yes.
Third clue.
The plan was beginning to take shape.
That evening Thayer sat outside Poppy’s room.
He had begun knocking before entering.
A small change.
Dr. Marsh noticed.
Poppy did too.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Are you mad?”
“About what?”
“Corinne.”
He thought.
“Yes.”
“Are you gonna hit her again?”
The question cut deeper than anything Miriam had shown him.
“No.”
Poppy studied him.
“You sure?”
Thayer nodded.
“Yes.”
“What if she’s bad?”
He forced himself to answer without slogans.
“Then adults use other ways to stop her.”
“Police?”
“Sometimes.”
“Lawyers?”
He almost smiled.
“Unfortunately.”
Poppy laughed.
Then returned to her book.
Thayer remained in the hallway.
For most of his adult life, fear had been one of his tools.
Corinne apparently understood that better than he wanted to admit.
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She may have counted on violence because the reputation made violence believable.
The part that frightened Thayer most was that she had been right about his capacity to give her exactly what she needed.
