“He isn’t mad at you, Hannah.

He’s making bad choices right now, and it’s my job to fix them.”

I drove us to the north end of town, far from our neighborhood and the roads Richard usually took to his suppliers.

The Pine View Motel sat just off the highway, with a glowing red vacancy sign on a tall metal pole.

I parked beneath the faded front canopy.

I told Hannah to lock the doors, and I went into the small glass office.