Richard rose halfway out of his leather chair.

“Sit down, Mr.

Miller,” Captain Morales said, her voice dropping into a flat military order that froze him halfway up.

Richard sank slowly back into his seat, his face pale and gray.

“He took out the second mortgage three years ago because his trading account fell apart,” Evelyn went on, the words pouring out of her without a pause.

“He told me Arthur wouldn’t mind, because the house was worth three times that much anyway.

He said Leah had plenty of army pay coming in.”