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finding another job in her field. She went to school for four years and got a

degree and she wanted to put it to good use.”

“That’s strange, because she told me that the jobs in her field were pretty

sparse and since the way to get in was mostly through volunteering, there

was no way she’d quit this job anytime soon. She also told me that out of all

the jobs she’s ever worked, this was by far her favorite.”

“People change their minds all the time.” Kiera narrowed her eyes just so

that her left one couldn’t twitch. Why had she never noticed that it did that?

“They don’t just disappear. That wasn’t Romi.”

“Well—”

“I noticed, when I looked at the check book yesterday when you ran out

to do a couple errands, that there was one for Romi. It said ‘severance pay’

on the bottom.”

Kiera swivelled so hard in her chair, trying to leap out of it, that it nearly

tossed her straight over the right side of it. “Wynn! Why would you—are

you…are you checking up on me?”

“I actually noticed it by accident. I was looking for the date stamp that

you keep in here since the one at the front broke and we use it for the

receipts, seeing as we use an ancient register and everything gets

handwritten. The book was open. Right to the page. I wasn’t snooping. I

just happened to see it.”

“My left eye doesn’t twitch, does it?” Kiera tucked her shaking hands

under the desk so Wynn couldn’t notice that.

“No. I already knew you’d written her a severance check. I was just

hoping I didn’t have to bring that up. I thought if I mentioned the eye, you

would just come out and tell me whatever it is that’s going on. You used to

trust me with things. More than work things. You used to talk to me like I

was a father or a grandfather. What’s happened?”

Kiera glanced at the close door. Suddenly her eyes were stinging and her

throat was on its way to swelling completely shut. The door wasn’t locked.