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

“The alley is clear,” Howard said in his low monotone.

“Eleanor is at the front counter.”

“Did Carl reach you?” I asked.

Howard tapped his pocket notebook against his knee before he spoke.

“Carl called me at eleven-twenty,” Howard said.

“I ran a preliminary search on Stevens Holdings LLC through the secretary of state database at eleven forty-five.”

“What did you find?” I asked.

“The LLC was formed on November twelfth, 2017,” Howard said.