Then, when the threats bounced off, he bargained: numbers, arrangements, quiet exits.

And finally, inevitably, he begged.

I took only one of those calls, with Catalina’s permission and with Kurt and another attorney listening on the line, because there are things a person is entitled to hear the other say, and things a case is served by having on record.

“Tell her I’ll pay whatever she wants,” Dalton said.

The polished voice had gone ragged; the machine that produced his charm had finally run out of fuel.

“And Louisa — we can fix this.