“How much does Cole owe Whitmore Capital right now?” I asked.

Daniel paused, looking down at his legal pad, where three long columns of handwritten figures were lined up in black ink.

“We’ll have the final numbers when the forensic audit wraps up on February fifteenth,” Daniel said, his voice flat and deliberate.

“The law takes patience, but the numbers won’t hide.”

“And until February?” I asked.

“We turn down his offer,” Daniel said.

I picked up the multi-page proposal, turned it over in my hands, and slid the deceptive custody agreement back across the table to Daniel Harris.