Harvey shook his head slowly. “He told me Friday. He said there’d be a severance package. He said corporate was consolidating operations to the Oak Ridge branch. Thirty miles from here.”
“Thirty miles,” I said.
“He said customers could bank online,” Harvey said. His voice cracked. “Online, Dot. Half our customers don’t have internet. Earl Lindquist doesn’t own a computer. Ruth Abernathy still uses a flip phone.”
I turned back to the glass.
“Where’s Shelly today, Mr. Pierce?”
He didn’t want to answer.
“Mr. Pierce.”
“Home,” he said quietly. “She took a personal day. She was upset.”
“I’ll bet she was.”
The phone on his desk rang.
He grabbed it. “Brandon Pierce.” He listened. “Yes, sir. She’s still here.” He looked at me. “He wants to talk to you.”
He held out the phone through the little gap under the glass. The cord stretched tight.
