Page 43 of Parting Shot

“It’s business,” he said frankly. “Losses are to be expected.”

“Okay,” I sighed. “So, after Evan got nowhere with Nick, then he comes knocking on your door?”

“Correct.”

“And what did you say?”

He fell back in his chair. “I don’t have money that’s just mine, Detective. I mean, I have my trust fund, but it’s locked up until I’m thirty.”

“So how did you get the money to give Evan to begin with?”

“I borrowed against what’s mine.”

“From a bank?”

He shook his head. “No, from my brother.”

“Aaron gave you the two hundred fifty thousand dollars?”

“Yes.”

“And he didn’t care what you did with it?”

“No. Why would he?”

Rich people. It was beyond me.

I leaned forward. “Okay, walk me through this. Evan went through his own money, yours, and Nick’s.”

“Yes.”

“Lance was smart enough to get his back before the ship sank.”

“That’s right.”

“Go on.”

“Okay, so then Evan needed money because he had borrowed some from people who weren’t his friends, and they wanted it back, like, immediately.”

“And who was that?”

“I don’t know who he borrowed from.” He shook his head. “He wouldn’t tell me. But he was really scared.”

Of course he was. “Then what?”

“Well, then he was gone, and I was worried and thinking the worst, but all of a sudden, there he is. He showed up and he was fine.”

“Just like that?”

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“And the last time I saw him, he told me he was in real trouble, but that he had met someone who was going to throw him a lifeline. He said this guy was saving his life.”

“Does this Good Samaritan have a name?”

“Yeah. Clay Wells.”