Chapter 6

All he could guess was that Tolbert came from money If not quite equivalent to the level of D.R. Constantine’s or Riki’s folks, still rich, the kind of rich Jerry doubted he’d ever even approach. A bitter taste hovered for a few seconds on his tongue. Life was so unfair. Why should he linger on the periphery of all this merely because his dad had died early and Mom came from very ordinary country folks?

Squaring his shoulders, he resolved to put resentment aside and make the most of whatever he encountered. There were still self-made men, even in these modern times, so perhaps he could become one, too. If finding the key to the first door meant playing midnight cowboy, he’d have to steel himself to do it. It would only be for a short time…

Riki raised a hand and pushed the doorbell. A raucous jangle sounded somewhere inside.

Ivan’s voice bellowed an invitation. “Come on in, guys. The door’s open.”