“I checked the public county registry during my lunch break,” Edward said.

“There’s no record of a tax lien against your name or his business for that tax year.”

“Maybe I read the statement wrong,” I said.

I tugged at the bottom hem of my shirt, pulling the faded cotton down over my waist.

“You read the statement correctly,” Edward said.

“The number was forty-one thousand two hundred dollars.”

“I feel like I’m making something out of nothing,” I said.

“Maybe I should just stop digging and let Gary close the file before I waste five hundred dollars.”