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Menard’s gaze softened as she looked at Liam “Is this true?”

He shrugged Grinned “Pretty much” And then he added, “Last week I really pissed him off”

“I have been privy to the private details of Lias with his father forthese terful people to understand that Liam was not one of their suspects “He insisted that Lia menial jobs He promoted him to the top floor so that he had the status to appear at social functions as a Connelly, but paid hirees in journalis Mr Connelly sent a piece Liaave it back completely slashed up He told Liarew up That’s when he moved him to the top floor”

“It’s okay, Gabi” Liam’s smile was turned on her And she was so shocked she fell silent He ave her or Marie that look He shed at them, or with them, mostly But that warm look, the way-a-man-looks-at-a-woman look—never “I didn’t take the editor’s criticisuy to fill ”

He turned to the agents “I have a couple of mother hens who look out for me”

“He took away Liae just because Lia hihts a week to work, and then deht janitor” Gabrielle wanted these people to know that Liam’s father was over-the-top mean

To the point of abusive

“One Christmas, when Liam wanted to have dinner here with Marie and ave Liaifts that year, and then when Liam came to dinner anyway, he took every one of them back He was also the only Connelly employee that year who didn’t receive a bonus”

“It was an expensive dinner,” Liam said with a smile “But worth every bite”

Liaht not want others to know about his father’s tactics She understood that he was embarrassed, even humiliated But these were federal officials They hadn’t just come around to chat “Anyway, Liam went into partnership with Marie and me—you can check us out, Threefold, we for We closed last week Liam didn’t tell his father about the deal, but Mr Connelly found out just before we closed He confronted Liam Liam closed on the deal anyway”

She ht not have Liam’s testimony or proof of the exact facts, but the truth was clear to anyone who’d been Lia the twelve years he’d been on the road to being his ownto familial responsibility

Menard turned to Lia that your father disowned you for purchasing this building?”

“I believe his exact words were, ‘We cannot be a teaer trust you’”

Gabrielle’s breath caught in her throat

“He can no longer trust you?” Agent Howard’s investigative ?”