He stood there a moment, then went back to the living room.

My phone lit up with Brandon’s name.

I let it ring until the screen went dark.

Then I clipped the last brass paperclip onto the yellow binder.

Carl slid the top binder back across the mahogany table until it stopped in front of Brandon.

Brandon didn’t look down at it.

“You’re wasting my mother’s afternoon.”

I adjusted my watch strap and left my hand there.