She sat down and put both hands flat on the table.

“I’ve been asking myself that since Thursday, and I keep getting the same answer, and I don’t like it.”

I laid the ledger page next to the August loan inquiry and put both under the lamp.

The same backward slant.

The same flat bar driven through the t.

The red ledger sat open on the oilcloth with my parcel number facing up at the ceiling light.

“Dad,” Claire said.