Page 85 of You Know Why

“That’s very magnanimous of you,” Theresa says. “You didn’t get along with your brother, is that correct? Brooklyn and Margot’s father?”

Gussin’s eyes are watery, whether the memories or the liquor, she doesn’t know. He shoots the rest of his Scotch. The maid appears with another, then melts into the background like a shadow. Theresa wonders, if his heart is acting up, why he’s self-medicating so aggressively. Granted, his company is on the brink of a huge scandal, the kind that ruins firms.

After a hefty sip, Gussin continues. “Roman and I had a falling-out a long time ago. It had to do with my father. It’s not relevant to our current situation.”

“Why don’t you let us be the judge of that?” Drake says.

But Theresa parses what she heard. “Your father? Do you not have the same father? I thought you were brothers? I thought you were Brooklyn and Margot’s uncle.”

“We are. Were. I am.” He shakes his head. “Not blood, though. I was adopted.”

“And that’s what caused ill will between you?”

Swirl, swirl, swirl. “When Roman found out, at the reading of our father’s will, he was not happy. I wasn’t, either—I had no idea until that moment that I wasn’t Papa’s biological son. It’s a very long story, but we fought. Roman took advantage of the situation and insisted I wasn’t part of the family. Our father had some tricky language in his will that ensured his holdings only went to blood relatives, so Roman insisted I take a DNA test, which revealed the truth. The thing is, I always thought Papa loved me best. I think Roman did, too. We were raised as blood brothers, but money makes people do crazy things. In the end, it all worked out. Self-made,” he says with a smile, tapping his chest. “Didn’t need to take a dime.”

“So you were cut out of the family, and that didn’t cause any animus between you?”

He clicks his tongue. “What was I supposed to do? Legally, because of the language in the will, I had no right to the estate. I’d been away from my father and brother for quite a while at that point anyway, just normal distance when a son moves away from home and starts finding his way in the world. We weren’t estranged. That came later.”

“What was it about your birth father that was an issue?” Theresa asks.

“Only that no one knew who he was, except my birth mother, and she wouldn’t share his identity. There was talk. Being illegitimate was a great shame, back then. When my birth mother died, Will Thomas very kindly gave me a name and a place, raised me as his own. Like I said, no one knew until he passed.”

“Gussin is your birth mother’s name?”

“Yes. I took it back when I found out about all of this.”

“And you’re sure you aren’t William Thomas’s kid?”

“Yes. DNA, remember? I’m telling you, my origins aren’t relevant to the situation we’re in now. It was a kind thing my father did, raising me as his own. Somewhere inside, I think I was returning the favor by helping Trey.”

“Until you realized he was stealing from you?”

A heavy sigh. “I had no choice then, did I? I asked him, and he lied to me. I love the boy, but this is business. Pat and I have clients, a reputation. We’re a multinational, high-profile firm. I hated to do it, but he put us in a terrible position.” He takes another deep draft of his Scotch and smiles like a pirate. “Have to admit, I admire the boy’s balls. He pilfered millions right under my nose.”

“You admire him?” Drake asks.

“Well, yes. I never expected Trey to betray me. As it turned out, he was no different than the rest of them. Makes me curious what else he’s capable of. If it’s true he killed his first wife and maybe his parents? The boy has some serious unresolved trauma. And now, with all this truth coming out, I can’t help but wonder whether he targeted my niece. Maybe his leaving is a blessing. Maybe my niece has been in danger this whole time, and we didn’t know it.”

That thought floats between them. The interview is over.

“Thank you for your candor, sir,” Theresa says, getting to her feet. “We’ll keep you posted with our findings.”

Drake follows, stopping just shy of the front door. “One last question. Our research shows that Roman Thomas’s money is all tied up in a trust. You’re the trustee. If the two of you weren’t speaking and he hates you, why put you in charge of his estate?”

Gussin laughed softly. “Because he’s not stupid. He knows how good I am with money.”

“And the same with Andrew’s parents? You’re the trustee of their estate as well, but have you ever met them? We’re under the impression he’d had a falling-out with them, too.”

He smiled sadly. “He did, when he was younger. But the Lockes’ lawyer reached out to me directly after Four was born. They were aware they had a grandchild, and wanted him taken care of, should something, God forbid, happen. And again with little Neve. It’s just devastating, their deaths. Devastating. Who could do such a thing?”

Theresa nods. “It’s terrible. Oh, before we go, does the name Aleksey Durov mean anything to you?”

Gussin’s brows furrow. “No. Who is he?”

“Not to worry. Just asking.”

In the car, they take some notes, feeling no closer to the truth than when they started.