“Who decided Megan was an unpleasant thing?”

Walter set the folder on my desk.

“These are the outstanding contracts on your freight side.

Several partners are relying on our continued discretion.

You can go chasing ghosts, or you can protect what your father built.”

I opened the folder.

It contained shipment summaries I’d never authorized, references to cash collections and off-book storage.

It wasn’t a defense.