There were no names, but the references to a troubled daughter-in-law were obvious.

The statement did not mention the planted handgun.

It did mention the money.

According to Lorraine, the company had been under severe pressure and had approved confidential payments to prevent layoffs.

She claimed I had never understood the difficulty of keeping a hospitality business solvent.

It was a clever story because our hotels really had struggled after a difficult tourist season.

I could not simply respond with righteous outrage.