“Hello? Sir? I… I appreciate you seeing me. I know my financials look complicated right now, but I have a proposal…”

I let the silence stretch until it was agonizing.

“As I mentioned to your assistant,” Daniel went on, “my firm had a verbal agreement with the late Ms. Whitmore — a strategic partnership, a lease acquisition. Unfortunately, due to some… unforeseen personal sabotage by a vindictive ex-partner, my accounts are temporarily frozen. I’m looking for a bridge loan. Just two million. I can offer equity in—”

“Equity in what, Daniel?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

He stopped. I heard him take a staggered breath. “Who… who is that?”

I pushed off the edge of the table with my foot. The heavy chair rotated smoothly on its axis, and I faced him.