Six months later, a former business partner called, demanding clarity about an unpaid guarantee. Mr. Carver negotiated, offering documentation and proof of past payments. The partner’s tone softened when faced with dated receipts and ledgers showing Daniel’s efforts to repay the obligation.
But gossip was less rational than the claims. At a family gathering, someone suggested Anne Carlisle might be a claimant. “You should ask her directly,” suggested the sister in law, with a sly smile. Maggie hesitated, then, with a tremor in her voice, invited Anne to tea, desperate for the simplest of truths: who was she?