I read the email three times.
Then I handed my phone to Noah.
He read it. Passed it to Adrian. Neither of them spoke immediately, which was the right response. The email had the quality of something that required a moment before it could be addressed as a practical matter.
My mother had gone back to the sitting room. I hadn't shown her. Not yet. Some things needed to be placed correctly before they could be shared, and I didn't yet know what shape this was.
"She says she was never his enemy," Noah said finally.
"Yes."
"That's a significant claim from someone who spent fourteen years in the operation targeting his company."
"I know." I took my phone back. "But she didn't move against us. Thirty days of watching and she didn't move. She could have network access. She chose not to."
"
