PART 3 At first, I genuinely thought he was joking. “I’m sorry?” Walter chuckled and tapped the folder with one finger. “The bill. Your retirement money. You have twenty-one thousand dollars sitting around doing nothing, and we have a birthday dinner to pay for.” The conversations around us began to fade. Rachel, who had been…

PART 3 Then he turned to me. “Mr. Miller, I need you to come with me. I promise you that I will explain everything I can.” “Everything you can?” The words came out sharper than I intended. “I came here because I need medical insurance. I didn’t rob a bank. I didn’t use someone else’s…

PART 3 “Claire?” Adrian asked again. “Talk to me.” “My violin is broken.” There was a brief silence. “What do you mean, broken?” “My sister destroyed it.” I heard him inhale sharply. “Is it repairable?” “I don’t know.” “Are you hurt?” “No.” “Then listen to me carefully. Don’t touch the strings or try to force…

PART 3 At first, I genuinely thought he was joking. “I’m sorry?” Walter chuckled and tapped the folder with one finger. “The bill. Your retirement money. You have twenty-one thousand dollars sitting around doing nothing, and we have a birthday dinner to pay for.” The conversations around us began to fade. Rachel, who had been…

PART 3 Then he turned to me. “Mr. Miller, I need you to come with me. I promise you that I will explain everything I can.” “Everything you can?” The words came out sharper than I intended. “I came here because I need medical insurance. I didn’t rob a bank. I didn’t use someone else’s…

PART 3 “Claire?” Adrian asked again. “Talk to me.” “My violin is broken.” There was a brief silence. “What do you mean, broken?” “My sister destroyed it.” I heard him inhale sharply. “Is it repairable?” “I don’t know.” “Are you hurt?” “No.” “Then listen to me carefully. Don’t touch the strings or try to force…