“ ‘Afraid’ isn’t the right word,” Harlan said. “It would be more accurate to say he viewed them as enemies and competitors. He was convinced they were plotting to take over the Foundation. He was right. I returned to headquarters for the meeting. The explosion had already taken place. By the time I got there the medics were carrying out my father’s body.”

She shuddered. “How awful. I’m so sorry.”

“Victor and Lucas were there, too. I saw them talking to the authorities.”

“You assumed they had murdered your father and figured you were probably next on their target list. You went on the run.”

“Something like that.”

“And then you became obsessed with revenge.”

“That was definitely my goal when I left the scene that night.”

“You had failed to protect your father. You felt responsible.”

“Yep.”

“So why didn’t you go after Victor and Lucas?”

Harlan turned his head to look at her. “Why do you think I didn’t go after them?”

A frisson of knowing sent a small shock of electricity down her spine. “You found out they didn’t murder your father.”

“You’re good. You should consider the oracle business.”

“Don’t start,” she warned. “Who was responsible for your father’s death?”

“His name was Samuel Pitney. He worked in one of the Foundation labs. His wife was having an affair with Dad. Pitney went mad with jealousy. In the end, my father didn’t die because of a violent confrontation with the two men who wanted to take control of the Foundation. He died because he got involved in a classic love triangle. But there was no love involved. Dad didn’t care about Pitney’s wife. She was just another casual fling as far as he was concerned. Pitney’s wife was ambitious. She wanted to marry the director of the Foundation. Pitney was insane with jealousy and rage.”

“Pitney set the explosion that killed your father?”

“Yes.”

“What happened to Pitney?”

“Dead,” Harlan said. “He put a bullet in his head after he murdered his wife.”

“How did you discover that? I’m sure Victor and Lucas don’t know what happened.”

“I told you, I’m a pretty good chaos talent. To be fair, I had more data than Arganbright and Pine did, because I knew my father. I went looking for the truth, expecting to prove that Arganbright and Pine had murdered Dad. The trail led me to Pitney instead.”

“So much for revenge.”

“What do you mean?”

“Got news for you, Harlan. Searching for the truth is not an act of vengeance.”

“What would you call it?”

“A search for answers. A quest for justice. That requires a very different moral compass than the one Larissa Whittier used. You could not avenge your father, and you had failed him because you had walked away from your inheritance. You must have been in a very bad place.”