He held the silver watch up to his ear for two seconds.

“Listen to that movement,” he said.

“The escapement is beating five ticks a second, sharp and clean.”

The watch lay on black velvet, its outer case polished until the copper and silver trim gleamed under the gray clouds.

“The full restoration comes to three hundred dollars,” Henderson said.

I opened my wallet, counted out fifteen twenty-dollar bills from my emergency savings, and laid the cash in his open hand.

Mr.