“Don’t send a single dollar back to Manhattan, no matter what.”

“If a federal judge signs a formal freezing order, we’ll have to comply,” he said, clearing his throat.

“No federal judge is going to sign it,” I said, getting up from the chair.

“Because their own corporate board approved the source account.”

The hotel conference room smelled of polished oak and sea air when Nora Miller’s speakerphone call came through at one o’clock.

“You have no legal standing whatsoever to claw back funds that settled through the Federal Reserve system four days ago,” Nora said, her voice crisp and level.