“These things are usually simple,” he said.

“Usually somebody’s just moving money around.”

“Is that what this is?”

He picked up his pen again and didn’t answer.

There was a glass bowl of suckers by the front door for the children.

I took one without thinking and then put it back in the bowl.

The gas station sign across from Kroger said three dollars and nine cents a gallon.

I sat in the parking lot with the engine off and dialed Ethan’s number again.