Free A Shared Confidence by William Topek Page A

lived several states away.
    â€œThere’s another part to this I haven’t told you,” Nathan said.
    â€œThen why don’t you tell me this other part, Nathan.”
    Whoever was responsible, he explained, had taken some pains to make my brother look like the culprit. I whistled softly into the mouthpiece.
    â€œThat’s a problem, all right.”
    â€œYes it is,” he agreed. “I was wondering, Dev…is there any chance you could come out to Baltimore for a few days? Maybe give me a hand with this?”
    I wasn’t sure what to say to that. I did a quick mental review of my my workload at the office. Nothing that couldn’t wait a few days but…
    â€œNathan, I don’t know a whole hell of a lot about banking. I’m not sure how much help I’d really be in this kind of situation.”
    â€œI’ve considered that. I still think it would be a benefit to me, your time with Pinkerton’s and heading up your own agency. I’d be willing to pay for your travel. You’d be welcome to stay with us. Or I could put you up in a hotel if you’d feel more comfortable there.”
    I managed not to drop the phone. So far he’d ponied up for a telegram and a long-distance telephone call. Now he was willing to come across for a train ticket and even a hotel stay? He had to be rattled good. I still wasn’t sure what help I could be, but I could remember clearly how many times Nathan had asked for my help in his whole life: This would make exactly once.
    â€œSure, I can come out if you think it would help. I have to tie up a few loose ends at the office. I could hop a train and be there towards the end of the week if that works.”
    â€œWould you have any objection to flying?” Reflexively, I gripped the phone a little tighter.
    â€œYeah, sure, I can fly out.”
    Nathan asked how long I needed to get my office in order. Hell, if it was this important to him, I could take care of things tomorrow morning and fly out in the afternoon. Nathan told me he’d have a ticket waiting for me at the airport, that he’d telephone my secretary with the particulars tomorrow.
    â€œI guess we’re all set then,” I said.
    â€œPlease telephone me at the bank if you can’t get away for some reason,” he asked. I wrote down the number he gave me on the pad I had ready. “Thanks for calling, Dev. And for coming up on such short notice. I appreciate it.”
    â€œNo problem, Nathan. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
    I hung up the receiver and went into the kitchen to warm up my coffee. My brother, who hadn’t spoken to me since our parents’ funeral (nor I to him, to be fair), wanted me to fly up to Baltimore and help him out with what sounded like a serious problem. Serious enough that he was willing to foot the bill for my travel, anyway. And what exactly did he expect of me? Figure out who the real embezzler was? Advise him on how to handle the situation? Or just be there for moral support? If a client walked into my office with a problem like this, I’d get rid of him fast. Sure, I’d give him a few suggestions on where he could go for help, maybe recommend some people, but that’d be it. Maybe that was all Nathan wanted, to have me hear him out in detail and help him work out his next move. Easier to do face to face than over the telephone. More breathing room that way, time to cover all the angles thoroughly.
    To hell with it, I thought. All I promised Nathan was that I would show up and listen. If he was expecting more for the money he was putting out, he should have said so.
    I walked into the bedroom and took a battered, brown suitcase out of the closet, quickly filling it with enough clothes for three or four days. I’d put some toilet articles in my shaving kit and toss that in tomorrow morning after I dressed for work. Next, I sat down at the kitchen table with a pad and pencil, making some