Ten days later she called me into the room with the broken chair again and didn’t sit down.

“They flagged something,” she said.

The report was three pages. Ridgeline had run it through a company called Verdant Screening Solutions, and Verdant had done what those companies do, which is call every employer on the form and write down what they’re told.

OAKRIDGE MANAGEMENT LLC — Contracted custodial services. Verified dates of service. Reason for separation: TERMINATED FOR CAUSE. Employer notes: multiple internal complaints, unprofessional conduct, allegation of theft of company property. NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REHIRE.

I read it four times. The letters kept rearranging themselves.

“I didn’t steal anything,” I said.