Majid didn’t hear from Stavro. He was apprehensive about their next meeting—what would he say to Stavro, what would Stavro say to him? He dreaded the phone call, dreaded seeing Stavro walk though his door, but days went by, and he had other things to worry about. Even with Stavro’s money in Sterling, the firm’s situation was still precarious. One client, a fellow Emirati, had suddenly become devout (only God knew why), and Majid had to scramble to convert his portfolio to halal-compliant investments. Another client, a conservative Texan now residing somewhat ridiculously in an Alpine chateau, decided he wanted to go all in on gold, and Majid had to dissuade him from taking physical possession. There was also, of course, the reputational effect of his partner’s death. Conservative investors (and they were all conservative) tended to shy away from firms with dead bodies in their offices. Hands needed holding, calls and meetings conducted, condolences accepted, and the unfortunate passing of Ron Mayfield minimized as random and inexplicable.