“He wants to understand. He doesn’t know who you are, Rafael. He doesn’t remember.” Sedgwick continued to pace and wave the revolver around. “How can he not remember?” He stopped and turned to glare at Luke. “The bank. Your father’s bank in Philadelphia. Rafael and I had found the perfect way to take money from you, and for the longest time no one knew. But you figured it out when no one else could even see it. You, a mere boy.”

The memories came rushing back. Luke had been working at his father’s bank before going to college. He had busied himself by doing an audit of the books and found a discrepancy. It had been so innocuous that no one else had noticed it. Luke had pointed it out, and after detailing his search, they realized that thousands upon thousands of dollars were involved.

“Rafael Clarington.” Luke remembered the old man. He’d worked for his father’s bank for years in the audit department. The perfect place to hide his plan. But Luke hadn’t realized Theodore had worked at the bank as well, much less been involved. Clarington had always sworn he acted alone.

“Yes.” Sedgwick raised the gun. “You put him in jail.”

“I’m sorry. He broke the law.”

“He was a good man,” Sedgwick retorted. “He was good to me. No one was ever good to me but him.”

“Theodore, put down that gun,” a new voice boomed.

Luke’s gaze darted to the door.

Pastor Sedgwick stood in the entryway, looking aghast. He moved into the office. “You heard me. Put down that gun.”

Theodore shook his head. “You don’t understand. You never understood. You never cared.”

“Of course I cared.” Pastor Sedgwick kept moving steadily toward the desk. “If I hadn’t cared so much, I would never have let you get away with the money you stole when you were younger.” He looked at Luke. “One of the local merchants hired Theodore just out of school. He was to be a clerk and keep the books. Unfortunately, he took some of the money for himself.”

“The man was rich,” Theodore said, seeming happy to change topics. “He had more than he needed.”

“Which was probably the only reason he was willing not to press charges so long as you paid him back.”

Theodore laughed. “So long as you paid him back.”

“Yes, that’s true. I paid him from my meager savings and salary.” Theodore’s father lowered his head. “I thought I was helping, but instead you learned nothing.”