“I sold a house I owned.”
“You removed our perceived collateral.”
“Perceived collateral is not collateral.”
“No. But perception has value.”
“Not to me.”
Victor slipped one hand into his coat pocket. Santos shifted.
Slowly, Victor removed an envelope.
“I’m not here to threaten you,” he said. “I’m here to ask whether you intend to cover Brandon’s obligation.”
I laughed.
The sound surprised even me.
Victor waited.
“No,” I said.
“He is your son.”
“Yes.”
“And you’ll let him fall?”
I looked past Victor to the trees, bare-limbed in the February cold.
“I let him stand for years,” I said. “He chose where to walk.”
Victor studied me for a long moment.
Then he placed the envelope on top of the stone gatepost.
“In that case, you should know what he signed.”
“I already know enough.”
“No,” Victor said. “You don’t.”
Something in his voice stopped me.
