“We need to find the deeds,” Arthur said. “The banks won’t clear the final liquidation until we bypass the maritime trust. Gavin, do you hear me? Evelyn wrote down the passcode for the First Star files somewhere in this house.”

First Star.

The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it in the fog of my panic.

“I’ll keep digging,” Arthur said. “Just make sure the wire transfers to your account are finalized by morning. If the lawyers freeze the assets tonight, we both go down.”

I heard the click of the phone call ending.

A desk drawer slid open with a loud screech of old wood.

Papers rustled.

I looked down at my hands. They were shaking violently.

I wanted to storm into the room and scream at him.

I wanted to ask him how he could stand there and ruin my life for a man like Gavin.

But I needed the proof first.

Arthur sighed loudly inside the study.

His footsteps moved toward the door.

I panicked, looking around the dim hallway.

The linen closet was two feet to my left.