“The board signs off on temporary hires at its meeting tomorrow night.”

“I’ll take the job,” I said.

“Bring your ID paperwork to my office before four today,” Vance said, turning back to his clipboard.

“And don’t lose those paper wrappers.”

At eleven thirty I left the school kitchen and drove straight over to Heckert Auto Repair.

The customer waiting room smelled of burned motor oil, stale coffee, and exhaust.

Dale Heckert sat behind the glass counter window, tapping an aluminum pen on his desk blotter.

I looked past Dale’s shoulder into the garage bay.