I had asked the question twice and been given, twice, a sentence that was not the answer.

“You’re right,” I said.

She took another spoonful of cereal and seemed to turn something over, the way she does, and then she said, almost idly, “Maybe she wants a hundred and fifty thousand.”

I looked at her.

“Why would you say that?”

“Because I saw the number.

Before you did.”

I reached for the tablet.