The bathroom smelled of bleach and old pipes, but the warm air seemed to soothe his breathing.

My mind was spinning with what Lydia had told me.

An internal audit would strip away Julian’s mask completely.

The partners at Vanguard Crest were ruthless men who only cared about their reputation and their returns.

They would not protect him if he had put their firm at risk.

He was cornered.

And a cornered Julian was someone I had never had to face before.

At ten o’clock, I dressed Harrison in his thick yellow raincoat.

The fog had not lifted from the harbor.

It clung to the streets of the small town, turning the cedar-shingle houses into grey, ghostly shapes.

We walked down the main street toward the small local pharmacy.

The wind off the Atlantic was sharp, carrying the smell of salt and rotting seaweed.

Inside the pharmacy, a small brass bell chimed above the door.

The air inside was warm and smelled of peppermint and cough drops.

An elderly woman behind the counter smiled warmly at Harrison. “Nasty cough he’s got there.”