“I don’t even know. Millions. Kinley knows there’s money missing, but she don’t know how much or why. She did accuse me of spending it on Regina, but as a mistress, not a fuckin’ grifter.”

“That’s right! Why in the hell were you bangin’ that evil thing? What were you thinkin’?”

“She made me.”

Duke looked at him sharply. “Roland, you the biggest pussy I know.”

“What are you going to do?”

“No, Roland, what are you going to do?” Duke leaned in. “You don’t confess, Regina keeps on taking money from you. Me, there’s nothing left … But she doesn’t know that we’ve found out her double deal. She doesn’t know I’ve seen the video, that I know how she put one over on Pops. She is going to panic when she finds out—you know that, right? She’ll turn it over to the cops. They’ll think it was me, Roland. Me. My shoes. She’ll say it was me. Then she can keep bribing you while I’m in fuckin’ jail. So. What are you going to do?”

Roland stood up abruptly. “I gotta think.” His eyes were rolling like a wild horse.

Duke jumped up. “Easy there. Keep your head.”

Roland took off at a run, leaping over the side gate on the back fence as Duke watched in astonishment. Only seconds passed before he heard a car door slam and a car peel out from in front of his house.

Willis came out of the house. “That was some messed-up shit.”

“Did you get it?”

“Yeah. I got him.” His father held up a small recorder. “But you really going to turn him in? He’ll go away for a long time, everything he’s done.”

“Pops, I’m gonna let him turn himself in. That’s what I’m hopin’, anyway. But if Regina tries to turn on me before then, I gotta be ready. I’m not goin’ down for something I didn’t do.”

“Can you believe the balls on that woman? How she ever thought she was going to keep a double scam going is beyond me. I can’t believe I fell for it in the first place. I should have known that wasn’t you on the video. You aren’t a killer, Duke. I know that. You’re a decent boy.”

Duke waited quietly, knowing there was a dig coming. Willis wasn’t going to let this end without explaining to Duke how this was his fault.

“I let fear of losing money get in the way of common sense. Of family. I’m ashamed of myself. I’m gonna make this right.”

Duke was shocked. “We’ll do it together, Pops.”