Our investigators had been completely unable to confirm any of the claimed services.

Now everything made sense. The business problem had never been a simple run of bad luck. Money had been moving somewhere Landen didn’t want me to look — and a large portion of it had been moving toward the woman currently wearing my clothes.

Part III — The Clause

Laurel reached down to grab one of the black bags full of my clothes. “We’re leaving right now.”

The deputy raised his hand, stepping into her path. “Ma’am, please set the bag back down on the floor.”

Laurel stared at him, her chest rising and falling. “These are family things.”

“They are my things, Laurel,” I said.