“I know, sir. Go on.”

Vance swallowed thickly. “When I get home tonight, one of two things will happen. Either Vincent will not remember any of this…amnesiac bouts can come with certain concussion cases, I have been told…or he may break down and cry and apologize. I am not generally a demonstrative man, Mr. Hammer, but I will hold my grown son in my arms. Hold him like a baby.”

And he began to weep.

I went over and sat next to him. Put a hand on his shoulder. It made me uncomfortable as hell, but I did it. Maybe it was the ten grand in my pocket. Maybe I’m a human being after all, not that being one is anything to brag about.

“Your son is correct, I take it,” I said, when he had composed himself, still sitting next to him, “that you want me find the hit-and-run driver.”

He nodded. “I do not feel the police have done nearly a thorough enough job on what is to them, I’m sure, just a routine hit-and-run. They have very little to go on, admittedly. But I fear they’ve dismissed this, or at least downplayed it, due to a victim who was not badly hurt.”

I shook my head. “You’re not helpless in this. Someone like you could make noise. You could make it known that Vincent’s injury was anything but ‘routine.’”

He turned to me alarmed. “That kind of publicity would have a terrible negative effect on this business! Daltree and Levine, the two partners of mine on our masthead, are deceased, and I am semi-retired. My son is the moving force behind our operation. I do not want his condition getting out. It would compromise the firm horribly.”

“Okay.” I got up and resumed my seat opposite him. “I get that.”

Slumped, hands clasped, he stared at the floor. “Also, I feel there’s a chance that something more might be behind this.”

“You think someone might have been trying to kill Vincent.”

He looked at me, his eyes hard now. “I do. My son has made enemies in business – he can be ruthless, which is necessary in this business. And you heard him talk about his own suspicions, though I’m afraid I have my doubts—that may be delusional behavior, another concussion symptom. But just the same, I’m already exploring that possibility.”

“In what way?”

“As you surmised, I employ a major security firm.”

He mentioned the outfit by name and I nodded, said they did good work. Assured him, on that score, they would do better than I could.

“So if this is related to business,” Vance Colby said, “we’ll assume they will find out. But if it’s a personal matter…you will find out. Is that agreeable?”

“It is. Sir…”

“Vance. Please.”

“Vance, your son may be involved in a love triangle of sorts, which provides me with an immediate avenue to go down.”

His eyes tightened. “I knew nothing of that. Had no idea.”

“I only have a vague sense of it myself, but it’s a start. Is there anything else you can think of? I make no judgment when I ask this, but could he have been involved in drugs? Or any other illegal activity that would put him in contact with criminal elements?”