One of them was stabbed, a sharpened toothbrush thrust up under his rib cage into his heart. The second victim was choked out and then drowned in a mop bucket. The third had his throat slashed with something that left cuts clean as a razor’s, but was never found.

After these incidents, other inmates began to reinterpret the fact that Paul Duquesne was from a wealthy family. They decided the money should have been a warning. The rich protected themselves and each other, even if their efforts had to be blatant and obvious. If they had let this one be caught, convicted, and sent to prison for life, he must be a kind of throwback who frightened even them.

Duquesne made a few allies over time—selected them, really. They were men whom other inmates feared. There were rumors that he kept their loyalty by having his family send money to support their wives and children. There were observations that made this theory seem accurate. He didn’t talk to his companions much. They would simply be around while he followed his routines—passing from place to place, reading books from the prison library, exercising, and practicing his skills. During an especially long stay in solitary confinement, he taught himself to walk on his hands like a circus performer. After that he would spend time each day in his cell walking upside down. His arm muscles grew strong and thick.

Once a prisoner in Danbury saw him walking on his hands and said aloud, “What’s he doing?” His companion said, “Training himself to kill you quicker.” Now that the inmates understood him better, that didn’t seem unlikely.

Today as he walked along Wilshire Boulevard from his office, he was Brian Louis Summers, and he had no plans to harm anyone again. He had no plans at all beyond today. The plans for the long term had been made and were not alterable. The Duquesne family had transformed one of its many shell corporations into an entity devoted to his welfare. It was called 467 LLC, after the suite number of its Los Angeles office.

They had begun the transition as soon as he was convicted in federal court. At first 467 LLC had made investments in the stocks of reliable companies, corporate and municipal bonds, real estate that provided rental income, and other quiet activities. In time the family had 467 interact with other Duquesne corporations, buying from them, selling to them, or merging with them to increase the company’s assets.