Desmond placed the drawing in a folder for investigators, documented the exact words, and resisted asking leading questions.

A week later investigators found that Nolan Cress had used one Ashcroft vessel’s maintenance account to hide payments to Halcyon.

The company’s internal audit expanded.

The news reached the staff before anyone could prepare a statement.

Rumors flew: Vivian was a thief; Rosalind had been murdered; Pearl knew everything; Desmond had lost the empire.

Most of those claims were untrue or unsubstantiated.

I asked Celia to stop gossip inside the children’s rooms.