“I can have you killed anywhere in the world outside prison. I do lots of favors for friends, and once in a while I ask for one in return.”

The transfers were done over a period of nine months. They were among many transfers from crowded maximum-security prisons after Weldonville had been reclassified to accept prisoners convicted of more-violent crimes.

Mr. Mundt continued to be on the guest list for various events hosted or sponsored by the Duquesne family’s companies. After a lull he attended some of them, but he seemed to be testing the temperature and found it had cooled, so his visits tapered off. After July 19 two years ago, he never attended another, and never called, wrote, or emailed anyone connected with the Duquesne interests.

On July 19 Paul Duquesne also learned that his situation had changed while he was away. When he arrived at the rendezvous in Denver driving a car stolen from a murdered prison guard, he was met by an emissary of the family, his cousin Charles, son of his uncle Philip. Charles explained the rules and conditions of Paul’s new life, set by the elders of the family who controlled the family money and, therefore, its power.

Paul would live in Southern California, a place he had never visited in his life except for airline terminals and hotels during stopovers while traveling to and from Asia or the Pacific. He must never go near any of the family homes in the Northeast and Europe, and never attempt to contact any member, friend, or employee of the family for any reason, either in person or through intermediaries. In return, the expenses incurred in defending him in court, freeing him from prison, and maintaining him for life would be forgiven.

The elders had selected Charles as the one to deliver the family’s message because he and Paul had been companions in childhood and adolescence before Paul had disqualified himself from attending any of the schools and colleges where the family sent its sons and, increasingly, daughters. Paul and Charles had remained on speaking terms long after most others had begun pretending Paul didn’t exist, simply dropping him from the lists, which became easier after he had gone to prison and wasn’t likely to show up at a family event. But Charles shared a quality with Paul, being a pragmatist who believed that it might be to his advantage to keep a cousin’s friendship—a small, nonperforming asset that cost him nothing. The two shook hands and thumped each other on the back when they parted the morning of July 20.