Chapter 29 · The Debt Comes Knocking

The lawyer showed up at seven in the morning.

I was still in yesterday's dress. Still hadn't slept. Claire had spent the night running traces on that five million dollar wire and coming up empty. The money was clean. Too clean. Routed through six jurisdictions, all of them places where asking questions got you politely escorted to the airport.

The doorbell rang. Claire looked up from her laptop, eyes red. "You expecting someone?"

"No."

I opened the door anyway. Stupid, maybe, but I was too tired to care.

The man on the other side wore a gray suit that cost more than my car used to. Fifties, European, with the kind of smile that never reached his eyes. He held a leather briefcase in one hand and an envelope in the other.

"Miss Su," he said. His English had a French accent. "My name is Matthieu Renard. I represent Lacroix Financial Holdings. May I come in?"

I didn't move. "Never heard of you."

"Your father did." He held up the envelope. "I have documentation."

Claire was already on her feet, phone in hand. I waved her back and stepped aside.