For Seven Years I Sent Forty Thousand Dollars Every January, Until Emma Finally Spoke

“Seven years of your deposits, funding the Sea Star.”

“Listen here, Howard,” I said.

“Mark is expecting his next check on December 15.

That’s five days from now.

He thinks I’m beaten.”

Howard laid a state tax record next to the bank statements.

“Stevens Holdings LLC has an automatic draft set for the sixteenth of January,” Howard said.

“If your money doesn’t land on the fifteenth, his marina partnership defaults on its fees.”