“So.” I swallow the last bit of crunchy deliciousness and give Michael the same report I gave Richard two days ago.

The journalist listens patiently and doesn’t interrupt once so that when I’m done talking, I have to ask for his opinion. “What’s your take?”

Michael strokes the back of his head. “Your story does add up, but you don’t have definitive proof.”

Richard speaks before I can. “Would you run an article based only on what you’ve heard today?”

“I would”—Michael gives him a piercing stare—“if my editor backed me.”

I love you, Michael!

Richard frowns. “And would any sane editor back you?”

“You have a source and a credible one. I’d say it’d be fifty-fifty…”

Michael’s implied meaning is all too clear. Depending on the attributes of said editor.

Richard shakes his head.

“Whatever you do,” Michael continues, “you need to ask Maison Vanderbilt for a statement. They can refuse, and you put in your piece they weren’t available for comment. But you’re required to contact a representative beforehand and give them the chance to refute your case.”

A mean idea is taking form in my head. “What if we asked Rebecca Vanderbilt point-blank?”

Richard shakes his head. “She’d just deny it.”

“What if she couldn’t?” I insist.

“You want to base your strategy on the hope that Rebecca Vanderbilt doesn’t lie?” Richard snaps. “Think again.”

“That’s not what I meant. We’d have to trap her with our line of questioning.”

Richard crosses his arms. “Give me an example.”

“We ask her if she’s ever heard of Heron LLC. If she lies and says no, then we ask how come Maison Vanderbilt paid millions in management fees to that very company for at least three consecutive fiscal years.”

“All that would achieve is perhaps for you to make Rebecca Vanderbilt blush, at best.” Richard isn’t budging. “No one would see her reaction, and she’d then work to cover her tracks even more thoroughly. If she hasn’t already.”

I expected this argument. “What if everyone did see it?”

“And how would you make that happen?”

“We could tape her.”

“Walker,” Richard scoffs. “This isn’t a spy movie. You can’t go around taping people. She’d sue the second the video aired.”

“What if she’d given us permission to tape her?”

“And why would she do that?”

“I know this might sound far-fetched, but hear me out.” I push both of my hands forward, palms up, to prevent objections. “What if we contacted her saying Inceptor Magazine wants to do an interview? Something about how Rebecca Vanderbilt built her fashion empire. Or how good Maison Vanderbilt is to the community with all the charities it supports. Or how Rebecca is a role model for so many young women. Then mid-interview, bam!” I slam my hand on the table. “We drop the bomb and ask her all the questions we want about tax evasion.”

Richard doesn’t reject the idea outright, and Michael is staring at me with an appreciative “holy s—, girl” expression, so I press on. “At that point, the cameras would be rolling and Rebecca couldn’t possibly refuse to answer or she might as well admit she’s guilty. All we have to do is come up with the right questions…”