“I had no idea,” Dink said, wiping his brow with a handkerchief and loosening his tie.

“By the simple act of turning twenty-one and gaining access to your trust, you have entered a whole new world, son, one with a complex set of rules and regulations that govern the way you will earn, spend, and pay taxes. You had better accustom yourself to playing by those rules, and an accountant, along with your private banker, can help you understand how to do that.”

“I see.”

“Moreover, any profit on the sale of the securities that was necessary to raise your half-million-dollar withdrawal will be subject to ordinary income tax at the full rate, whereas if you had sold something you’d owned for more than a year, you’d have paid the much lower capital gains tax, so you cost yourself some more money there.”

Dink was sweating profusely now.

“Something else, Dink. If that money ended up in a drug dealer’s account in the offshore bank, it is very likely that either the IRS or the FBI, perhaps both, has an informant in that bank who will, you should excuse the expression, rat you out. So there is another federal agency you’ll be scrutinized by in the coming weeks and months. I strongly suggest that, in addition to an accountant, you call Herb Fisher and ask him to recommend a criminal lawyer.”

“Dad, let me explain all this.”

“Dink, it’s very important that you not explain it to me, because communication between us is not subject to any kind of privilege, and I could be forced to testify against you before a grand jury or in a court of law. You can explain it to your criminal lawyer, with whom such communication is privileged. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well, is there anything else I can do for you today?”

“No, sir,” Dink said, rising. “I’ll go see Herb Fisher right now.”

Marshall watched his son leave and tried not to weep.

60

THE EVENING of Mark Hayes’s party at High Cotton Ideas arrived, and Herbie hired a driver and picked up Marshall Brennan on his way there.

“No date tonight, Herb?” Marshall asked.

“You’re my date tonight, Marshall. How are you?”

Marshall sighed. “I’m afraid Dink may have gotten himself into some new trouble. Did he call you?”

“No, I haven’t heard from him since he stopped by my office for a drink last week.”

“I was afraid of that. He’s going to need a criminal lawyer.”

“What has he done?”

Marshall explained about Dink’s half-million-dollar error in judgment.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Herbie said.

“What scares me is that the money might already have been paid to a drug dealer, and that Dink may be taking delivery of something that could get him life in prison.”

“I understand your concern, Marshall, but I can’t pursue this with him unless it’s his idea. I hope he’ll call me, and if he does, I’ll do everything I can to help him out of this mess.”