Lily

The Richard Name

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*LILY*

*Chapter 7: The Richard Name*

Lily didn’t sleep.

She sat on the floor of her apartment until 4 AM, staring at the photo. Her and Lawrence, leaving the restaurant. Taken from across the street.

*HE’S NOT WHO YOU THINK. ASK HIM ABOUT MARCH 14, 2009.*

March 14, 2009. The day her parents died.

At 6 AM she was back at St. Mercy. Not for her shift. For the servers.

Lawrence’s admin access was gone. But Detective Bello had gotten a court order. 24 hours to copy anything relevant from Richard Corp’s archived emails.

Lily had one hour before the IT team wiped the backup drive.

She found it in 17 minutes.

*_To: v.richard@richardcorp.com

From: a.okeowo@blackstone-sec.com

Date: March 12, 2009, 11:42 PM

Subject: The Roland Problem__

*Mr. Richard,*

__As discussed, the issue will be handled. Discreet. No loose ends.

Payment confirmed. We move on the 14th.

- A.O.__

Lily read it three times. Her vision blurred.

_The Roland Problem.*

Her parents. Reduced to a "problem."

Her phone slipped from her hand.

---

*10:30 AM. Hospital bathroom, East Wing.*

She locked the door and slid down the wall.

She wasn’t crying. She couldn’t. If she started, she wouldn’t stop.

17 years. 17 years of digging, and it was right here. In an email. Casual. Like ordering lunch.

A knock.

“Lily?” Lawrence’s voice.

She didn’t answer.

“Lily, I know you’re in there. Rina said you came in early and haven’t spoken to anyone.”

Go away, she thought.

The door opened anyway. He had a key.

Lawrence saw her on the floor and his face broke.

“What happened?” He crouched in front of her. “Talk to me.”

Lily looked up. Her eyes were dry. That was worse.

“I found it,” she said. Voice flat. “The email.”

Lawrence went still. “What email?”

“March 12, 2009. Your dad. To Blackstone. ‘The Roland Problem.’”

The color drained from his face.

“That’s not—”

“Don’t,” Lily cut him off. “Don’t lie to me. Not now.”

“I wasn’t,” he said quickly. “I didn’t know. I swear to you, Lily, I didn’t know.”

“You’re a Richard,” she whispered. “How could you not know?”

“Because I was 8!” He slammed his hand against the tile. “I was a kid, Lily! My dad kept business from me. From everyone!”

She stood. Pushed past him. “I have to go.”

“Lily, wait—”

She walked out. Down the hall. Past nurses. Past patients.

She didn’t stop until she was outside.

---

*2:00 PM. Richard Estate. Ikoyi.*

She shouldn’t have gone.

But she needed to see their faces.

Victor and Margaret Richard were having tea on the veranda. Perfect. Polite.

Lily walked straight to them.

“Mrs. Richard,” she said.

Margaret looked up, smiled. “Yes? Can I help you?”

“You knew my parents,” Lily said. “Michael and Ada Roland.”

The teacup paused halfway to Margaret’s mouth.

Victor set his paper down. “I’m sorry. I don’t believe we—”

“March 2009,” Lily said. “St. Mercy Gala. You were in the photo. Two rows behind them.”

Margaret’s smile vanished. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken.”

“Am I?” Lily pulled out her phone. Showed the photo. “This you?”

Victor stood. “Miss, I think you should leave.”

“You approved it,” Lily said. To Victor. “‘The Roland Problem.’ That’s what you called them. My mom and dad.”

The word hung in the air.

Margaret stood too. “Security!”

Two men appeared immediately.

But before they could touch her, a voice cut through.

“What’s going on?”

Lawrence.

He was in the doorway, still in hospital clothes. He must’ve come straight here.

“Dad,” he said. “What did she mean?”

Victor’s expression shifted. Cold. Calculating. “Lawrence. This woman is trespassing. She’s delusional.”

“No,” Lawrence said. “What did she mean, ‘The Roland Problem’?”

Victor didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

Lawrence looked at Lily. At his parents. Then back at Lily.

“I’m sorry,” he said. To her.

And walked out with her.

---

*4:15 PM. In the car. Silent.*

Neither of them spoke for 20 minutes.

Finally, Lawrence pulled over.

“I didn’t know,” he said. “I swear on my life, Lily. I didn’t know.”

Lily stared out the window. “Does it matter?”

“Yes,” he said. “Because I care about you. And if my family did this, then I—”

“You what?” She turned to him. “What are you going to do, Lawrence? Testify against your own father? Lose everything?”

“If I have to,” he said.

Lily laughed. It wasn sounded broken. “You say that now.”

“I mean it.”

“Then prove it,” she said. “Because right now, all I see is a Richard. And I don’t know if I can do this.”

She got out of the car.

“Where are you going?”

“To the police,” she said. “With or without you.”

She walked away.

Behind her, Lawrence didn’t follow.

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*8:00 PM. Lily’s apartment.*

Her phone rang. Unknown number.

She answered.

“Lily?” It was Lawrence.

“Yeah.”

“I’m out,” he said. “Of the company. Effective immediately. I signed the papers an hour ago.”

Lily closed her eyes. “Why?”

“Because you asked me to prove it,” he said. “And because it was the right thing to do.”

Silence.

“Come to the station with me tomorrow,” Lily said. “As a witness.”

“I will,” he said.

“Lawrence?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

She hung up.

And for the first time since she was 10, she let herself cry.

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