“Frank was only trying to help,” Lauren said, watching me put her mug down on the blue trivet.

“He happened to be at the hardware store when I figured out I couldn’t get the safe out of the closet on my own.”

“You don’t call a commercial real estate developer to help you move family storage,” I said.

“He offered to look over the property valuation for free,” she said, gazing out the window toward the garden shed.

“We’ve got big bills coming, Claire.