“Yeah,” Lacey said. “There were three signatures. One was Derek’s, I assume, and the other was the woman Blaine mentioned, the one with an unusual name. Then there was a third.”

“A third?” Reid asked.

“Yeah. The agreement was between three people. I can’t remember the woman’s name. Not yet, anyway. But I’m pretty sure the other man’s name was James.”

“First or last?” Reid asked.

“First. I can’t recall the last name. I just remember thinking at the time that it was the same name as James Earl Jones. I’d just watched a documentary that he narrated, so he was in my head. You know, his voice kind of permeates you.”

“You don’t think it was James Jones, though?”

“No. That I definitely would have remembered. It just came to me while Rock and I were eating, and we had a documentary on TV.”

“Narrated by James Earl Jones?”

“No, someone with an English accent, actually. But you know how things just remind you of something and then pop into your mind, right? That’s what happened. I’d watched a documentary, I can’t even remember what it was about, the night before, and James Earl Jones’s voice was in my head, and I saw the name James on the page.”

“James,” Reid said. “James. Who did Dad know named James?”

“Probably about a million people,” Rock said. “But at least it’s a start.”

“Someone with whom he’d be entering into some kind of confidential settlement under the table,” Reid said. “That might narrow it down a little. I know most of his business contacts.”

“Any named James?” Lacey asked.

“Several that I can think of offhand, and I’m sure there are more. I guess I start making calls.”

“James,” Charlie said softly. “I always liked that name. It sounds so strong and regal.”

I smiled. She was sweet.

“Of course,” she went on, “we have the most regal name of all right here in this room. You know that Roy means king, don’t you?”

I nodded. “In French. Yeah.”

Rock and Reid both stared at me.

“What?” I finally said.

Rock cleared his throat. “Okay, so Reid’s going to search for contacts named James. You might want to add Jim, too.”

Jim.

I jerked my head.

Jim.

Father Jim.

And I knew who we were looking for.

35

Charlie

Roy went white.

I stopped myself from showing my surprise.

No one else seemed to notice. Was it possible I already knew this man better than his own brothers did?

I itched to touch him, to soothe him, offer him comfort. Comfort for what?

Why had he tensed up? Gone pale?

Rock and Reid kept talking, Lacey adding bits and pieces as well, but I’d stopped listening. I focused on Roy, his needs, though I had no idea what those needs actually were.

My phone buzzed, and I nearly jumped out of my seat.