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we’ll know the financial data like the back of our hand, you can be sure of that.”
    “For all the good it’ll do me on Monday,” Herb said. He stood up, briefcase in hand. “Eleven a.m., okay? If you find anything.”
    Everyone else followed suit and stood up.
    “Of course,” Greg said. Everyone shook hands again, and Michael and Herb left. After the door shut and the sound of their footsteps had faded down the hallway, Greg sat down and let out a huge sigh. “I swear, the way these people expect miracles.”
    Aiden smirked. “There’s no way that guy Roberts thought we had anything. He’s just appeasing his client, throwing his weight around like that.”
    “I guess,” Greg said. “Anyway, looks like we have another long night ahead of us. I hope neither of you had any weekend plans.”
    As we gathered our stuff, I threw out as casually as possible, “What do you think about him saying he’s been framed?”
    Greg chuckled. “They all say that.”
    “They do?” I asked.
    “Yeah, they all have some excuse or another. What it really is, is that they don’t want to take responsibility. Or they don’t want to admit to anyone that they’re a criminal. Most won’t even admit it to themselves. Don’t repeat that outside this room, by the way.”
    “Hmm,” I said.
    Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aiden staring at me with a serious look on his face, but he didn’t say a word.
    Greg had his mind made up, and I was sure he was right. I was the newbie here, and I was sure if someone had the mindset to commit a crime, it didn’t take much of a leap to lie and try to weasel your way out of it.
    But I wasn’t satisfied. Michael Patterson was scared out of his wits. I couldn’t discount that.

8
    Aiden
     
     
    “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said.
    “No. All the conference rooms are taken up,” Greg said.
    I checked my watch. “A little early for that, isn’t it?”
    Greg shrugged. “We’ve been busy lately.”
    “We should just work at one of our places then,” I said.
    “Let’s go to yours,” Greg said. “It’s closer. And nicer.”
    I glanced over at Xavier. He touched his hand to his mouth and swallowed. I couldn’t help smiling.
    “Perfect,” I said.
     
    I unlocked the door and let Greg and Xavier into my apartment. Then I closed the door behind me, never taking my eyes off of Xavier.
    He hadn’t spoken the whole cab ride. But just as always, he was hard to read. Was it just that he was nervous about coming to my place? Or was he still thinking about what Michael Patterson had said?
    I had to admit, I wasn’t as confident as Greg that Patterson was lying. He looked pretty scared, even for a rich man facing jail time. But I wasn’t sure Patterson was telling the truth either. Greg was right – rich, entitled men like Patterson were so accustomed to not having to take responsibility for their actions that when it finally does happen, it actually feels to them like they’re being wronged. Xavier was too new to understand that. Not that I blamed him. It wasn’t the kind of thing they taught in school. It was the kind of thing you had to learn on the job.
    “How about you put some coffee on, Greg?” I asked.
    “What kind of host are you?” he said, laughing.
    I gave him a stern look, glancing over at Xavier to make my point.
    “Fine,” Greg said, and headed to the kitchen.
    “The full pot,” I called after him.
    I heard clattering in the kitchen. I walked over to Xavier and leaned back on the wall next to him. He shifted position, shuffling away from me. I chuckled. It was only when I got close to him that he gave anything away.
    “You were pretty quiet on the cab ride here,” I said.
    “I didn’t have anything to say,” Xavier said.
    “Somehow I doubt that.”
    “It’s true.” He shrugged. “I said what I have to say.”
    “You mean about Michael Patterson saying he was framed.”
    Xavier sighed. “I guess it makes me a newbie, or naïve, or whatever, but