“I think it was close to a million.”

“That’s a rather personal detail to share with a colleague, isn’t it?” Sam asked.

“He was torn up about the situation. He’d worked so hard to get where he was, to make the kind of money that most people only dream about. And everyone in his life wanted a piece of his pie.”

“Who else besides Carmen’s brother?”

“Her parents, her other brother, his parents, his siblings, his cousins, the friends he grew up with in the D.R. Everyone was after him all the time. It hurt him because it wasn’t in his nature to say no to the people he loved. But he said he felt more like a banker rather than a ballplayer. Sometimes I got the feeling that he thought no one cared about him. They only cared about his money.”

“Does that include Carmen?”

Jamie pursed her lips, as if she was trying to decide how much she should say. “Carmen enjoys the finer things in life. Willie was happy to provide them for her.”

“But?”

“No buts.”

“Did he include her among the people who wanted his money more than they wanted him?”

“I couldn’t say. He didn’t talk about her like that with me. He was always very respectful of her as the mother of his children.”

“He loved his kids.” The statement was intended to gauge Jamie’s reaction to the mention of Willie’s children.

Her eyes flooded with tears. “He adored those boys. He said everything he did was for them, so they could have a better life than he’d had.”

“Did he grow up poor?”

“Extremely. He worked so hard. No matter what anyone says, he was the hardest working member of the team. No one wanted that win more than he did. I just... I don’t know how he missed that ball. It was so shocking.”

“Who were his friends on the team?”

“Until the other night, I would’ve said all of them. But he was closest to Chris Ortiz. They both grew up poor in the D.R. and found their way out with baseball. They had a lot in common.”

“Do you know where we might find Ortiz?”

“Probably at his winter home in Fort Myers. He goes there the second the season ends and doesn’t leave again until spring training. I think I have his number in my phone. I can check if you’d like.”

“Yes, please.”

Jamie left the room and returned a minute later with a piece of paper that she handed to Sam.

“If you think of anything else that might be relevant, please call me,” Sam said, handing her another card in case she’d lost the other one from yesterday.

“I will.”

At the door, Sam turned back to Jamie. “I’m sorry for the loss of your friend.”

“Thank you.”