“You called it thermal shutdown.”
“That's usually the first thing people replace.”
“Then sensors.”
“Then controllers.”
Graham’s expression changed again.
Jake continued.
“Problem keeps returning?”
Silence.
Claire stared toward Graham.
“Does it?”
He looked annoyed.
“Occasionally.”
Jake nodded.
“Then it isn't the pumps.”
Graham laughed.
“You haven't seen the equipment.”
“No.”
“Exactly.”
“But if three components keep failing after replacement, you're probably not looking at a component problem.”
“What are you looking at?”
“System condition.”
Graham said:
“Our engineers disagree.”
Jake smiled.
“Your engineers work for the company selling Claire the plant?”
Silence.
Claire’s eyes sharpened.
Graham looked toward her.
“This is absurd.”
“Maybe.”
Jake lifted his glass.
“You asked.”
He had not.
But nobody corrected him.
Later, Claire pulled Jake onto the balcony.
City lights below.
Cold night air.
“You did that deliberately.”
“Did what?”
“Interrogate Graham.”
“I asked questions.”
“You embarrassed him.”
“He embarrassed himself.”
Claire leaned against the railing.
“Do you really think the equipment problem is systemic?”
“I think he lied.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“About what?”
“The frequency.”
“You noticed that?”
“He said ‘occasionally’ after you pressed him.”
“That means more than occasionally.”
Claire stared toward the ballroom.
“Acquisition closes Tuesday.”
“How much?”
“Four-point-six billion.”
Jake whistled.
“No pressure.”
Claire laughed without humor.
“We've been reviewing it eight months.”
“You don't stop a deal because some mechanic heard a weird sentence.”
“No.”
She looked toward him.
“You stop because the mechanic heard the same thing your internal audit team flagged yesterday.”
Jake turned.
“What?”
“Thermal events.”
“Not operator error?”
“They weren't convinced.”
“Graham assured everyone the issue was fixed.”
Jake looked back through the windows.
Graham laughed with investors.
“It's not fixed.”
“You can't know.”
“No.”
Jake looked at Claire.
“But neither can he.”
Claire’s expression changed.
The sentence landed.
Jake remembered his own words.
Never pretend something is fine when it isn't.
Claire asked:
“What would you do?”
“Not my company.”
“Pretend it is.”
“Still not my company.”
She stepped closer.
“What would you do?”
Jake thought.
“Delay.”
“The sellers could walk.”
“Then they walk.”
“My board would riot.”
“Boards recover.”
“A bad factory can kill people.”
Claire stared.
“You always this cheerful?”
“Only at galas.”
She laughed.
Then grew quiet.
“Jake.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for coming.”
He looked toward her.
“Despite the lie?”
“Despite the omission.”
Jake sighed.
“I’m still deciding.”
Claire smiled.
“Fair.”