“Please,” he started, his voice uncharacteristically soft, “you have to help your brother—he’s about to lose his job.”

I raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. “Oh?”

“You know people, Virgil. Just a recommendation from you could save him,” Frank continued, his tone almost pleading.

I offered a thin smile, a calmness settling over me. “I know,” I replied softly. “That was the plan.”