Howard, the country club’s venue manager, walked through the double glass doors carrying a narrow leather folio.

He went straight to table one and stopped beside Gerald’s shoulder with a flat, professional expression.

“Mr.

Ulette,” Howard said, opening the leather folio.

“I have the official bank notification receipt regarding your forty-thousand-dollar venue deposit.”

Gerald glanced at the paper, his raspy laugh freezing as his eyes hit the bold print across the top.

It was the formal receipt confirming that Greenfield Bank had processed Arthur Vance’s cashier’s check and returned Gerald’s forty-thousand-dollar deposit in full.

Gerald reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his personalized Ulette Insurance checkbook.