Whatever Marlene had planned was no longer confined to our family.

PART 10

Ruth met me outside a diner near the factory.

Her hair was still pinned back in the severe style she wore on production days, and there was blue dye beneath her thumbnail.

“They’re saying you caused the inventory discrepancies,” she told me.

“They claim you approved vendor substitutions when we were short on cash.”

“I didn’t have approval authority.”

“I know.