A grin came to my face. “Hell no. He’s been waiting to sell. Selling after the wedding would put Wade at a high. Marlin Butler would’ve cashed out and tripled the worth of each share.”

“So your rush to purchase wasn’t about owning Wade’s private stock but about stopping Butler from cashing in.”

“Now, I need to get Butler’s stock,” I said.

“Why do you want a tiny pharmaceutical company located in the Midwest?”

“Maybe I want to be philanthropic and provide low-cost medication to the masses.”

“Right,” Lena said, “your philanthropic desires have always dictated your financial moves. Besides, you know, Butler’s portfolio includes more than his shares of Wade. He’s diversified. If Wade drops in value as I anticipate, he’ll dump it.”

That gave me another thought. “There’s the issue with him being one of the original stockholders when Herman Wade offered stock to new investors.”

“If you’re insinuating that Marlin Butler will go down with the ship out of some sense of loyalty, your recent desire to help the masses has clouded your judgment.”

“I don’t just want his Wade stock, Lena, I want everything. I want to watch him standing on the bow of that sinking ship as it slips into the depths of Lake Superior.”

“I hear it’s cold.”

“Not where he’s going.”

Marlin Butler’s most recent sin was his plan to screw Julia. The nail in his coffin was Julia’s and my meeting. Yes, he’d been on my radar, but now that radar was laser focused.

My mind went to Julia and to her parents. I didn’t know them. My knowledge was coming in slowly. What little I’d learned in the last forty-eight hours gave me the feeling that Gregg McGrath had worked hard over the last decade, perhaps out of a sense of duty to his wife’s family, working to keep Wade liquid and profitable. I had a private detective digging for more information.

The McGraths weren’t big contenders in the financial world or even in the world of pharmaceuticals. Wade’s claim to fame began with one of the first patents of insulin. Julia’s grandfather made his mistake by putting too much time and money into fighting generic distribution. Instead of fighting, he should have jumped onboard, accepting the fate of generics and profiting from both sides.

“Marlin Butler is close with Gregg McGrath,” I said, “even though he was planning on screwing him.”

“It’s always easiest to screw those closest to you.”

She was right.

Lena sighed. “I’m going to ask one more time. Why are you, Donovan Sherman, devoting time to this small company?”

“I have an interest.”

“Beyond Butler?”