Her face was younger than I’d thought it would be, based on her posture and the slumped, tired-seeming shadow she cast from behind the beads. She was pretty, petite, with straight blonde hair and big brown eyes that shifted around the room. In the light, I could see she had dark circles underneath them, like it had been weeks since she had slept well. She held out one of the business cards.

“I found this blowing down the street.” Her voice was soft, with a trace of a Southern accent. The card trembled in her hands. She was afraid. Of what—who? Me?

I stood and pulled out a chair. She sat and fiddled with a silver locket around her neck, working her thumbnail into the charm so it opened just a sliver, then pinching it back into place with a tiny click.

“So you found the card. But you made the choice to visit. Why did you decide to come here today?”

She was quiet for so long that I wondered if she had heard me or if maybe she had only come in because she wanted a place to sit. I eyed her bag—a tooled leather purse with an oval-shaped piece of turquoise embedded in it—and immediately my mind went to the best way I could snatch her wallet. The clasp looked like it would slide open soundlessly. Then it was just a matter of getting under the flap and hoping her wallet was on top. She wasn’t wearing any jewelry, other than the locket, though I noticed a pale space on her finger, maybe where a wedding band used to be. She was so distracted that it would have been easy. But I had a rule: no stealing from clients. Des might double-dip, but I tried to have a little more integrity, at least in the shop. I thought it was what my mother would want. Though I wondered if I had broken my own rule when I took Julie Zale’s bandana.

I was trying to be patient but couldn’t wait too long—that bag was calling to me. I had $200 saved, a long way from my goal. I was restless, watching her sit and stare. “There are benches out on the boardwalk, you know,” I said.

“Huh?” Her mouth parted in surprise.

“If you’re looking to rest. You seem tired.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I was wondering. Jesus. I was wondering about … maybe you could help me.” I felt bad about snapping at her. Seeing those girls, Des mentioning that date, had messed with my mood. I made my voice soft again.

“Of course. I would be glad to help you. What are you hoping to find out?”

Her hand closed around her locket again, her fist swallowing up the heart-shaped charm.