I sat on the foyer floor with the invitation in my lap and traced the raised silver serpent with my thumb. The gathering offered privacy, armed men, and guests who trusted the same symbol. Arthur and Damon would feel safe there. Safe men talked and carried things they should have locked away.
The trust paid for our properties, but the numbers had never quite matched Arthur's declared income. I had noticed the gaps before the medication made sustained work difficult. Reese's clean dock and Damon's claim about Senator Miller gave those gaps names.
Damon said he held Arthur's leash. A man like Arthur would never tolerate a subordinate's word alone, so Damon had to own records he could release. He had patted his inner pocket at the villa. Whatever he carried would be small enough to hide the
