Fifteen thousand dollars in certified bank funds lay three inches from my knuckles on the table.

“You got this cashier’s check this morning?” I asked.

“Certified by nine o’clock,” Julian said smoothly.

“I want you to be comfortable, Eleanor.

I know things have been hard since David passed.”

“Where did the money come from?” I asked.

Julian leaned back against the mantel and smiled without showing any teeth.

“My main client ledger cleared three big corporate transactions yesterday afternoon.”