“Ethan told me about the blank signature card Richard forced him to sign last week,” I said.

Bradley paused on his threshold.

He checked his gold cufflinks and smoothed the cloth of his sleeve down over his wrist.

“Your brother is a minor with an overactive imagination,” Bradley said.

“If you set foot on the Pine Street property again, I’ll have a civil restraining order filed before noon.”

He went inside and closed the solid oak door between us.

I walked three blocks through the damp morning air to the corner of Maple Street.