Bradley Collins held his heavy fountain pen against the window frame, his eyes locked on the green ledger sheets lying on our table.

“Your father always manages to find a legal phrase to cover every dollar he takes,” Arthur said, following my eyes to the window across the street.

“And what legal phrase covers two hundred thousand dollars walking out of a boy’s inheritance?” I asked.

Arthur tucked the bank statements back into his satchel and snapped the brass latch shut.

“Educational expenses,” Arthur said.

“The charter allows emergency trust payouts for private instruction, specialized equipment, and elite academic transportation.”