“That’s why you’re leaving. Better opportunities, bigger paychecks.”

“I’m leaving,” said Ned irritably, “because I know I’m about to get hosed.”

“But Flynn wants you to stay.”

“Flynn doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself. He thinks I’ll work for nothing. ‘I’ll support you,’ he says. ‘I’ll take care of you’.” Ned balled his hands. “I’m not his fucking pet.”

I could see how Camilla’s suggestion that Sinclair Fabrics should hire Abella would leave Flynn enraged. His boyfriend was leaving because the business offered no long-term prospects, but Jasper’s girlfriend was deserving of a corner office? Sinclair Fabrics was floundering, and Flynn was at serious risk of losing Ned. Throw in a few glasses of scotch and Flynn had to be out of his mind. “What else did Flynn say?”

Again Ned rubbed his thighs. There was always a beat of hesitation before he spoke, as if he was grappling with what to divulge. “That Jas isn’t doing his part.”

“How could he not be doing his part? Didn’t Jasper come up with a whole new marketing plan?”

“A plan they didn’t ask for that spent money they don’t have. They hate that he’s around now, and they hate that he’s trying to help them.”

“If Flynn and Bebe don’t want his help, what do they want?”

Ned looked at me like I was a moron. “His money,” he said. “Flynn and Bebe are vultures, and they think Jasper’s an easy meal.”

Where there’s money, there’s someone reaching for the pot. What I’d told Camilla was true. She and Norton thought a ransom note was on the way . . . but what if this attempt at extortion was an inside job? Jasper was careful with his finances, and according to his grandmother, he had savings to spare. But all three siblings had received an inheritance just two years ago. It didn’t add up.

“Why would they need Jasper’s money?”

“I told you, the company’s tanking.”

“Bebe implied it’s a temporary slump.”

“She’s lying. After Baldwin and Rachel died, Flynn found out the company was deep in debt. He had to pay off a bunch of suppliers and creditors. Bebe pitched in, but it wasn’t enough. Flynn’s trying to keep it quiet, but I’m pretty sure they’re gonna declare bankruptcy. Long story short, they’re screwed.”

The Sinclairs’ wealth, the posh apartments in the city, their status as the heads of an iconic Garment District institution, the family legacy . . . all of it hinged on keeping Sinclair Fabrics afloat, and by Ned’s account, it was sinking fast. They were the picture of prosperity, among the Thousand Islands’ most elite residents, on par with railroad tycoon George Pullman and Isaac Singer with his sewing machines—according to Tim. I couldn’t imagine them losing it all. Or how desperate they must be to keep it.

I looked around the library I’d spent so many hours in. With its rich wood built-ins and enormous collection of hardback books, the room was stunning. The whole island was. “There has to be more family money than that. This place must be worth a fortune.”