“Sadie said you told her welding work was dead until late spring,” I said.

“She thought you were having trouble paying the electric bill.”

Rory stacked another board on the cart and wiped his palms on his work pants.

“It’s a small cash job, Jodi.

Nothing big.

You know how seasonal work is around here.”

He let out a long, overdone sigh, shaking his head as though I were being totally unreasonable.

He took hold of the metal cart handle and started rolling it toward the exit, his heavy work boots hitting the concrete in quick strides.