“You’re early,” he said, without raising his head.

“You told me two o’clock.”

“Two is early.” He checked his phone, set it face down on the steel, and picked it right back up.

I laid page four on the counter between us, flat, and turned it around to face him.

“Want some coffee?” he asked.

“It’s not the diner, but it’s free.”

“I want to know why your receipts dropped by half in a year when the dining room is packed on a Tuesday.”

“My accountant files late.