It had been in there for two years and four months and it had gone through the wash once and the number was still legible.

Ruben Duran had an office over an insurance broker in Norwalk and a waiting room with four chairs and a print of a lighthouse.

He was fifty-six.

He did employment law and some commercial work and he had never, in thirty years, taken a deposition in a Delaware derivative action.

He told me that in the first nine minutes, which is how I knew to hire him.

He said: “I’m going to be honest with you, because Ceci says you’re a straight guy and because you’re going to find out anyway.