"You're late again."Alphonsus stepped through the apartment door, still wearing his work uniform, a polo shirt with a coffee stain on the collar that he'd tried to wipe away during his lunch break. He'd stopped apologizing for being late months ago. It never changed anything.His wife, Vivian, was sitting at the kitchen table with her arms crossed. She was still wearing her office clothes from the marketing firm downtown. Expensive blouses, tailored pants, the kind of outfit that cost more than what he made in a week. Her hair was pulled back tight, the way she wore it when she was angry."My shift ran over," he said, setting his work bag by the door. "The coffee shop was packed, and...""I don't care about your damn shift. Do as I say."He moved toward the kitchen, thinking about the leftovers he'd seen in the refrigerator that morning. Chicken and rice. Cold, but it would be better than nothing."Alphonsus, sit down."Something in her voice stopped him. He turned to look at her pro

The drive home took fifteen minutes. Alphonsus's hands were shaking on the steering wheel. He'd just walked out of a job that he needed, and for what? To sign divorce papers? To listen to his wife tell him again that he wasn't enough?But there was also the possibility that something was actually wrong. That this wasn't about the papers at all. The urgency in her voice had been different this time, not angry but determined. Like someone who'd made a decision and was moving forward with it.He pulled into the parking lot at 5:47 PM. There were three cars there instead of two. Alphonsus recognized his father-in-law's BMW immediately. The car that had picked up Vivian from their apartment exactly twice: once on their wedding day to take her to the photographer, and once on a weekend when her mother had been in town. The car that Vivian had mentioned cost more than his annual salary.He sat in the parking lot for a moment, gripping the steering wheel, trying to understand what her family

His phone buzzed at 6:47 AM with a payment reminder from the hospital.Alphonsus opened his eyes on the apartment couch, still wearing yesterday's clothes. For three seconds, before full consciousness arrived, the panic of the previous night felt like a dream. Then he checked his bank balance and understood it was all real.$127.43.His mom's next treatment cycle: due in five days.His rent: due in seven days.He got up and showered in the dark, not wanting to see his reflection. By 7:30 AM, he was at a warehouse on Fifth Street, filling out an application even though Marcus Webb had already terminated him. This was a different warehouse. The manager who took the application didn't even look at his face."You quit your last warehouse position?" the man asked, reading the form."I was terminated," Alphonsus said.The manager's expression hardened. "Why?""It's complicated.""Not interested in complicated things." He set the application in a trash bin next to his desk. Not on top of

Alphonsus almost didn't answer. But something in Eleanor's voice, the certainty, the knowledge, the way she said."I believe you may have something that belongs to my employers," made him pick up the phone instead of letting it ring."I'm listening," he said."Good. I'm going to be direct because I respect your time. There is an object that was in your father's possession. It's extremely valuable to my employers. We believe you may have inherited it or know where it is. If you do, we'd like to discuss a mutually beneficial arrangement."Alphonsus's hand tightened on the phone. "I don't know what you're talking about.""Your father's name was..."He hung up.His heart was hammering. He set the phone down on the nightstand next to the yellow envelope with the photograph inside. Who the hell is this woman? How does she know his father? She didn't just know his father's name. She was obviously working for people looking for him.He thought about calling his mom. But she needed more rest,

Alphonsus didn't acknowledge Eleanor. Instead, he stepped in front of Cindy and their mom, blocking the doorway. "You need to leave. This is a hospital room, not a place of business."Eleanor didn't seem bothered by his refusal. She simply set her portfolio on a nearby chair and folded her hands."I can wait. But Mr. Jameson, I should tell you that what I have to discuss will affect your entire family. Running from me only delays the inevitable."A nurse appeared in the hallway behind Eleanor, looking uncertain. "Is everything okay here?""Yes," Eleanor said smoothly, turning on a smile. "I was just leaving. I'll be in touch, Mr. Jameson. Very soon."She left, the security guard following behind her like a shadow. The nurse lingered. "Do you need me to call security?""No," their mom said quietly. "We're fine."But they weren't fine.Ten minutes after Eleanor left, a cardiologist named Dr. Patel came into the room. He wasn't the usual doctor. Alphonsus had never seen him before."Your