She thought of the parents hurrying their kids into Silver Swans each morning. They’d worked hard to get where they were, and they only wanted the best for their kids. And, okay, the mothers were kind of ridiculous at times, but that didn’t mean they should be robbed. And what about the kids? They certainly didn’t deserve that.

If Andrea said nothing, what would happen? Piper would never get her job back at Silver Swans—the story of North would break shortly, and her mental health would be called into question. But Carson could continue on. Maybe he’d be made director. He’d keep charging an arm and a leg for tuition. Maybe he’d stop stealing, but he was still a dishonest person, not the sort of guy you wanted caring for your kids.

Allegra took Andrea’s silence as affirmation that she had nothing more to tell. He’d moved over to the squad car to make a phone call. Andrea looked at Ronnie, still guzzling water, and Lauren, shaken and shivering under the blanket. They’d both lost so much in all this. Their lives were indelibly changed. What they were facing made Andrea’s stakes look less severe. Was she really going to conceal massive fraud and cheating just to save her own truths from coming to light? So what if her father cut her off? So what if the tabloids wrote about her for a while? It would be painful, but it wouldn’t ruin her.

Maybe that wasn’t worth keeping quiet. Only, what would telling what she knew do to Jerry? Could she really ruin his family?

Andrea slid off the tailgate. She didn’t doubt Carson would retaliate, but she could deal.

But there was something she needed to do first. Two things, actually. Scrolling through her phone, she located Jerry’s number and dialed. He picked up quickly. “Are you all right?” he asked, as though knowing exactly where she was.

“Your daughter told you Silver Swans was stealing from the parents, didn’t she?” Andrea started right in. “And she told you she tried to fight it?”

Jerry sighed. “I’m sorry you got mixed up in that.”

“You should have told me! I was almost attacked! Almost arrested!” Was there anyone she’d be able to trust? Anyone who fully had her back, who wasn’t just looking out for himself?

“I’m sorry,” Jerry said helplessly. “Andrea, I’m sorry, but Flora made me promise not to say anything.”

“Because they have something on you, right?” Andrea chewed hard on her bottom lip. “I don’t want to push you into a corner. I know things are hard, with Susan. They’ll release my past, too, if I tell the truth. But maybe I’m okay with that. And maybe you should be okay with it, too. What they did wasn’t fair, and you know it.”