I sat by myself at the wooden dining table in my study corner and switched on the small adjustable desk lamp.

I unzipped the front pocket of Sophie’s pink duffel and took out the legal envelope.

Inside was Richard Hale’s formal draft settlement agreement, twenty-two pages long, bound in heavy blue backing paper.

I laid the document flat on the table and got out my yellow audit ledger and a red ballpoint pen.

The first five pages matched everything Grant had described at the Panera table.

Section Two said Grant would wire sixty thousand dollars straight into a new personal account in my name within two business days of signing.