“I asked Valerie to stay late so we could get all our numbers straight before the board meeting,” Garrett said, laying a silver carving knife beside the bird.

Valerie gave me a bright smile that didn’t reach her gray eyes.

“We just want to make sure you don’t have to worry about the daily grind right now, Raymond,” she said, tapping a nail against her water glass.

Garrett reached into his leather binder on the sideboard and took out a sleek blue folder.

He set it down right next to my cloth napkin.

Inside was a printed itinerary for a private wellness resort in Santa Fe, with daily schedules for rest, mountain views and private physical therapy sessions.