“A careful mother would have noticed it was missing before the middle of the week.”

She hung the jacket over the back of a kitchen chair and looked around at my small counters.

I took the certified state corporate registration form out of my folder and laid it next to her leather handbag on the laminate table.

“You’re the one who incorporated Apex Consulting three years ago, Margaret,” I said.

Margaret didn’t pick up the paper.

She smoothed the lapels of her lavender jacket between her thumb and forefinger.