Chapter 21: Boxes and Bags

The morning light provided just enough clarity to give me an idea where to look. The slab was still there. I bent down, pried it loose, and grabbed a deflated bag of nothing. I yanked out the bag and stuck my hand in to be sure. No money. When I turned, my mother was standing at the base of the stairs, her arms folded, a smile on her face.

“Jesus,” I said. “How did you know?”

“He thought I was an idiot,” she said. “He thought I sat home all day painting my nails and reading romance novels.”

I st...