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business. When you see the coins over the next few days, you’ll understand the gamble. I think we have the potential to secure our profitability for the next several years if we manage this carefully. We need to expand vault space so we can hold more inventory—I’ll be focused on fixing that.”
    Bryce settled back in his chair, his coffee in his hand. “One last thing. I’m not going to tell you much about the estate, or the lady selling. She’s got some sting to her.”
    Devon appeared to think about that. “Sounds interesting.”
    Bryce laughed. “Oh, she is that.”
    He finished his coffee, then the last of the crepe. He hadn’t enjoyed a breakfast meeting more than this one in ages. He glanced at the time and made a decision. He set aside his napkin,pushed back his chair. “I’m going to let the three of you enjoy your breakfast and plan the details of this while I go get the first hundred coins. I’ll meet you back at the shop in, say, an hour and a half.”
    Sharon smiled at him. “I don’t think you’re bored anymore, Bryce.”
    “Not so much.”
    “We’ll be ready for the coins. It’s going to be fun,” Sharon promised.

    To his surprise Bryce found that Sharon was right about the fun. With Charlotte out of the picture for a couple of weeks, he could focus on what needed to be done and was enjoying the work. He arrived at Bishop Chicago the third day just after nine, carrying yet another box of coins. The store was humming with activity. The front window display had been changed, photographs of coins in the vault were strategically placed, and fresh coffee and donuts were set out. Kim, on the phone, looked over, smiled, and held up two fingers.
    Sharon had the center display case open, and Bryce stopped beside her to see what had just sold. “Kim placed the 1866 Gold Liberty ten and the 1880 Gold Indian three,” Sharon told him, moving the coins into archive-quality sleeves and placing them into sales boxes.
    “Two of the best coins in the group.”
    “And priced accordingly,” Kim said, smiling as she hung up the phone. “Jim wants to see anything else we get in Indian threes.”
    “I’m carrying another four.”
    Kim did a bit of a dance. “I love sales days.”
    Bryce laughed. “Where are we at, total?”
    “Twenty-nine sales, and strong prospects on the others we have graded and photographed so far. Current clients shouldabsorb the first hundred coins without much problem. Devon thinks he’ll have the grading finished today.”
    “I’m carrying the beginning of the second hundred. It’s going to be a good day. Find me if I can help you with anything.”
    He left the coins with Devon and headed to his office. He wanted every coin Charlotte planned to sell. Four million in thirty days was his goal, and his plan on how to get there was coming together. Selling current inventory, some of the estate coins, adding another equity slice of his own personal cash were pieces of the answer.
    The final piece was to put together a group of buyers for the coins so their cash was available if necessary. He planned to buy aggressively for Bishop Chicago. But the one thing he could not afford was having Charlotte go into business next door. Having a syndicate of buyers as a backstop would mitigate that risk. Bryce opened his address book and picked up the phone. He’d be ready within thirty days.

    “Bryce, this got couriered over.” Kim caught him in the hall to hand off a package.
    “Thanks, Kim.”
    The package was from Chapel Security. Bryce took it back to his office, slit open the envelope inside, and pulled out a single page.
    Interesting request, Bishop. Charlotte Graham is the owner of Graham Enterprises, Trust, Wisconsin. It’s the third largest transportation, warehouse, and storage business in the country. She inherited ownership of the business from her grandfather, Fred Graham, who passed away in May of 2011.
    Fred Graham never married, but the grandfather/granddaughter