“And she helped you cover it up,” I said.

“She did her job,” Daniel said. “She created the dummy entities to absorb the debt.”

“And now she wants her payout,” I said.

“She has already been paid,” he said. “She got the title to the gold coast property last week.”

“The one you told me was sold to an independent buyer,” I said.

“It was a private transfer,” Daniel said. “It didn’t require public disclosure.”

I let my hand fall from the sculpture, satisfied.

The recorder had caught every word, every admission, every name.

Outside, the rain began to fall in earnest, drumming against the tin roof above us.

A car door slammed in the street below.

Then another.

I looked at the window, seeing the reflection of blue and white headlights bouncing off the brick walls of the alley.

“You should go, Daniel,” I said. “Your two hours are up.”

“I’m not leaving without those files,” he said, pointing to the desk.

“There are no files here,” I said, though we both knew it was a lie.

He stepped toward me, his face dark.