He adjusted his silver tie and pulled back the heavy leather chair at the head of the table.

“Please, sit down, Mrs. Ralston,” Vance said.

The three creditors from Texas Commerce Bank looked at each other, frowning.

The oldest of them, a man with a thick white mustache named Richard Sterling, leaned forward.

“Mr. Vance, who is this?” Sterling asked. “We were told we were meeting the principal trustee of Vanguard to discuss the default.”

“You are,” Vance said simply.

He gestured to me as I took my seat at the head of the table.

I set my leather briefcase on the polished wood.

Graham laughed, a dry, nervous sound that echoed in the quiet room.

“This is a joke,” Graham said, looking at Sterling. “This is my wife. She doesn’t know anything about real estate or commercial finance. She stays home with our daughters.”

“Your wife is the sole shareholder of Vanguard Realty and the principal trustee of the Vanguard Land Trust,” Vance said.

The room went completely silent.

The only sound was the low hum of the air conditioning.