The board voted on the fourteenth.
Kendrick retained full operational authority.
The motion for shared leadership — the one Richard had been building toward for three weeks — failed by two votes. Marcus abstained rather than vote against his cousin, which was its own kind of statement. Edwin Peters voted no. James Okafor voted no. The two board members who had been sitting on the fence came down on the side that the Walker heir's leadership had not been demonstrated to be impaired.
Kendrick called Damian from the lobby of Walker Tower at eleven forty-seven in the morning.
"It passed," he said.
"You retained authority."
"Yes."
A pause.
"How do you feel," Damian said.
"Like I want to be somewhere that isn't this building." A beat. "Are you at the shop."
"Yes."
"I'll be there in twenty minutes."
He arrived in fifteen.
