Chapter 6: Called In

Braden picked up the envelope with two fingers.

He opened it under the table, where he thought nobody could see.

Then he looked at his mother.

Joyce leaned down and read it over his shoulder.

I watched her lips move.

"This is a mistake," she said.

"There's no mistake, Mrs. Tully," the consigliere said. "The Lido's ledger is never a mistake."

"I'll write you a check."

"The Lido doesn't take paper from a family that's already behind on its building."

Joyce straightened up so fast her pearls swung against her chest.

She was not used to being told no in a room.

I could see her deciding whether the room was worth the fight.

Braden stood up.

His chair scraped the parquet, and two people turned to look.

"Give me till Monday," he said. "I'll get the cash. I swear, Silvio."

"You swore on Monday six weeks ago," Silvio said, without raising his voice.

"You can have Monday again. The Lido wants the car keys tonight."

"The Range Rover is in my name."

"It's in the Lido's name till Monday, Braden. You signed that too."

Braden's face went from white to red and back again.

Somebody at the next table whispered, "Oh my God, he's losing the car."