“If that affidavit isn’t in my inbox by five o’clock, your county wage record will be the least of your worries before Monday morning.”

The elevator doors slid shut between us, cutting off his voice as the car dropped smoothly to the underground parking garage.

I walked straight to my sedan, unlocked the driver’s door, and sat inside with the engine off.

The quiet darkness of the parking garage closed around the car as I took the cashier’s check out of my coat pocket.

I held the blue paper under the dome light and studied every line of black ink on it.