Page 62 of His Wall

He lifted the glass again.

"I do not say that to excuse it. I say it because you came across town in the rain and you are owed an answer."

I sat with it.

"I am sorry, Julian. For all of it. I made my mistakes. You boys paid for them. I have lived with it every day for the last twelve months."

I drank.

He let me drink.

He waited a long second. He set his own glass down and folded his hands on the table.

"And the firm? Are Declan and Nolan keeping the lights on?"

"They're fine."

"Is Declan still — "

"Engaged."

"To the redhead?"

"Thea."

"Thea. That's her name. That is wonderful, Julian. He deserves it. I am very glad."

He smiled. The smile reached his eyes. He picked up the martini and drank half of it down.

"And Nolan."

"Nolan is Nolan."

"Of course he is."

He laughed. The laugh was small and warm and for half a second I was sitting with the man who had taken me to lunch every Thursday for nine years.

The waiter came back. Conrad ordered another round without consulting me. The waiter went away.

He turned to me. He folded his hands again.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Julian. Anything I can answer. You came here. You came here for a reason. I do not want you to leave without whatever it is you came for."

I almost did not say it.

I drank the rest of my martini. The new one arrived. I drank half of it.

"Did you take anything else, Conrad? When you left. Anything we haven't found yet?"

He looked at me. He did not look offended. He looked sad.

"Julian. I took the payout. I signed the NDA. I disappeared. Whatever you boys are still finding in the books — that's old paper. None of it is moving anymore. I would not do that to you again."

"Old paper."

"Old paper."

I let it sit.