Thad’s expression darkened as he peered ahead of them fixedly. Her concern swelled.
“Did you know that Durand did security screenings on us even before the interview? Even before we were hired as counselors?” she blurted out, eager to change the topic … to erase his uncharacteristic oppression.
He frowned. “I don’t think that’s legal, is it?”
“I don’t know, but they did it,” she said with grim finality.
“How do you know?” Thad asked.
She shifted the mesh bag of vests she carried, buying some time while she thought up a viable explanation.
“From something Maggie, my grad school advisor, told me,” she said vaguely. Poor Maggie. She was being used as the scapegoat not only for Dylan’s lies, but her own.
Thad grunted and shrugged. “Durand can be a little Machiavellian. The corporate world can be. I guess I’m not shocked.”
“You mean you think the company is manipulative? Dishonest?” she asked, concerned.
“No. Not really,” he admitted. “Just ruthless. Highly discerning. That’s no surprise, surely. Lots of big businesses are. Fall certainly is.”
“You think Dylan Fall is ruthless?”
“Well … like I said. Highly discerning. I didn’t mean it in a bad way, Alice. He’s a legend in the business world, a fine example of capitalism at work. It’s the American way, right? I would have thought you didn’t mind, when it comes to Fall.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alice demanded.
“Nothing,” Thad said, his casual shrug and sharp stare at odds. “It just seems like you two are on the same wavelength. You’re the only one who was hired by the CEO personally. And you two seemed—friendly at the castle dinner.”
“Because he showed me how to get from the bathroom to the party, we’re suddenly best friends?” she scoffed uneasily. “I hardly know anything about him.”
“Then you aren’t so different from the rest of us,” Thad said.
“How did he become CEO of Durand at such a young age?” Alice couldn’t stop herself from asking, despite Thad’s reply. Surely someone with Thad’s affluent upbringing and background had some inside information—more than she would, anyway. Thad’s pace slowed, and he eventually stopped. So did she. The edge of the forest was just feet ahead, a distant cabin roof coming into view. Maybe Thad thought they shouldn’t have this conversation about Fall in the open air near the camp?
“I thought he was related to the founder and owner, Alan Durand. Or his wife,” Thad said.
Alice nodded. That had been her vague impression, too. “It’s funny, but there isn’t much backstory available about Durand or Fall. I had to do a lot of research for the philanthropy and profit article we wrote, but the details about Fall’s rise are murky. But you sound certain Fall isn’t related to the Durands?” she probed.
Thad gave her an amused, knowing glance. “I guess not. According to Kehoe, the Durands didn’t have a family heir.”
“What else did Kehoe say about Fall?” Alice asked slowly. She’d remained cautious in her dealings with the vice president of human resources. He always seemed friendly enough to her, but she sensed his sharp observance, his continued vague suspicion about her presence at Camp Durand. He suspected something about Dylan’s insistence upon hiring her. Perhaps she felt a little guilty in her dealings with Kehoe, too. She really had “taken up” with Dylan Fall, after all, and confirmed all Kehoe’s suspicions. A flickering of doubt went through her at her promise to meet Fall again tonight, despite her overwhelming desire to do so.
Had Dylan just hired her because he was so attracted to her? And why hadn’t she been dwelling on that disturbing thought all day?
Because you’ve been too busy melting at the memories of him … craving more of him.
She pushed the volatile thoughts aside.
“Dave mentioned something on the first day that we were here about Fall being a Durand relative,” Thad explained in a muted tone. “He wasn’t saying it to Kehoe, but Kehoe overheard him … and he made a point of correcting Dave. A major point.”
“What’d Kehoe say?”
Thad threw a cautionary glance toward the camp. “Kehoe sort of barked out from across the main lodge meeting room that Dylan was no relative to Alan Durand or his wife. It sort of flustered Dave, because Kehoe was so sharp. Dave said he’d thought he’d read Fall was a relative somewhere, and Kehoe snapped at him again. Us, actually. All of us sitting there. He said that it
was time we all learned that sometimes, people got into positions not because of what they knew, but who they knew … and he said that Fall had one sure talent: how to ingratiate himself with the powers that be,” Thad said in a hushed, confidential tone.
“The Durands?” Alice whispered, her heart starting to pound in her ears.
Thad nodded.