What I had allowed myself to forget was the difference between helping his company survive and giving away everything used to help it.

I called Howard.

He had represented me in the original transaction and continued to handle company matters.

He was not Ethan’s lawyer, though Ethan had sometimes spoken of him as if a household could share legal advice the way it shared a gardener.

Howard answered with a question.

“Is this about the party or the company?”

“Both, perhaps.

I found a Northbridge envelope in the car.