The gold nib remained steady between his fingers, reflecting the harsh fluorescent light overhead.

“Daniel made his own choices, Michael,” I said.

My voice sounded thinner than I wanted, scraping against the dry roof of my mouth.

“He did,” Michael said, his voice smooth and devoid of any warmth. “But family is a ledger, Elizabeth. We balance the debts.”

“This is not a ledger,” Mara said, her hand resting on the holster of her pager. “It is blackmail.”

Michael did not look at her.

He kept his eyes on me, his head tilted slightly as if evaluating a piece of property.

“The police are already processing the report from the emergency department,” I said. “The state has the file.”

“The state has nothing if the victim refuses to cooperate,” Michael said.

He reached into his inner pocket with his free hand and pulled out a folded document.

“This is a non-disclosure and retraction agreement,” he said, holding it out. “You sign this, and your statement to the police becomes an unfortunate misunderstanding.”

“An unfortunate misunderstanding?” I asked. “She hit me with a wine bottle.”