“It forgives a thief,” Martha said, setting the paper back down beside a pile of brass site keys.

“I spent four weeks on the Project Four warehouse ceiling, Mr.

Whitmore.

I hung ninety sheets of fire-rated plasterboard by myself.”

“Your name had a red star next to it on his job board,” Nathaniel said.

“Because I refused to mud over uninspected junction boxes,” Martha said.

“He wanted the ceiling closed up before the township inspector walked the floor.

I told the site foreman I wouldn’t cover open copper.”