Antler Crown, Silent Departure novel · Chapter 18 of 24

Chapter 18: With Interest

Zack's father came to Dot's house at seven that evening, wearing the overcoat from the courthouse, with his hat in both hands.

Dot let him in and pointed at a kitchen chair.

"Sit," she said. "Don't touch my pie."

"I wouldn't dare, Mrs. Blythe."

"It's Dot. You're in my kitchen."

He sat.

He put an envelope on the table and slid it across to me with two fingers.

"I said I'd write it tonight," he said. "It took me until Monday. I apologize for that."

I opened it.

The check was for thirty-five thousand dollars.

I stared down at the number, doing the math in my head.

"The account was twenty-three four," I said. "That's not what I'm owed."

"The hotel deposit was nine eight. Zack had you put it on your card."

I had not told anyone about the card.

"How do you know about the deposit?"

"Poppy sent me the hotel's invoice this morning," he said. "She copied her broker. She's thorough."

"The rest?" I said. "That's three thousand extra."

"Interest. You were out of your money for six months, and you lost the use of it. I'd call it a fair rate."

"I don't want a favor."

"It isn't one." He turned his hat once in his hands. "A favor is something I do because I feel bad. This is something you're owed, and you'd have gotten it from a judge in a year with a lawyer's bill attached. I'd rather you got it now."

I looked at the check.

I thought about the six months I had spent hunting for the best price on napkins.

I picked it up and folded it into my pocket.

"Thank you," I said.

"Don't thank me for paying a debt."

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