James Milligan
James Milligan is from old Seattle money. His parents were an arranged marriage to shore up two families after some disastrous investments. There was active dislike between the two, and a child was actually a requirement of the pre-nuptial agreement, so James wasn’t wanted so much as required. Given the tight finances, there was a lot of scrounging for funds among the extended families to keep up the lifestyle they deserved. This led to a great deal of scheming, plotting, mind games and manipulation. James was never properly nurtured growing up and had to learn quickly how to tell when someone was lying and how to unravel schemes to make him a pawn. Fast forward through boarding schools and the like and James finally reaches adulthood and makes his break with his family. In payback for the “life” they gave him, James pulls off a scheme on his own family that gives him leverage over them. He spends that leverage to get himself a nest egg and make a break from the family so he doesn’t have to bother with them anymore. Needing to keep himself occupied now that he doesn’t have his family to worry about, James tries his hand at solving mysteries. Unfortunately for him, one of his first “consultations” ends up being part of the planning process for a major crime. James quickly realizes that the people out in the world can be just as dangerous as his family, and becomes much more discerning in his clients. But he still holds that early mistake close to himself.
