CHAPTER SEVEN B — THE TEST PIECE

Graham brought Kira’s unfinished welding project to the vocational college in a padded wooden box.
The project was a rectangular frame that had to withstand a measured load without twisting.
Kira inspected the joints and found a flaw she had not noticed at the workshop.
“I rushed this corner,” she said.
“Then tell me how you’ll fix it,” Graham replied.
She described the steps she would take and the safety precautions required before reheating the metal.
Graham listened without interrupting.
“Good,” he said.
“Now do it.”
Theo worked at the next bench, where he was practicing a different joint.
He had spent the previous evening trying to decide whether to quit the course and take a warehouse job that offered immediate hours.
The job paid more than his part-time shift,

but it conflicted with his remaining classes.
Kira noticed his silence and asked what was wrong.
He told her about the offer.
“You should take the work if you need it,” she said.
“I don’t want to waste the training.”
“Then ask whether the employer can work around your exam.”
Theo shook his head.
“Why would they?”
“Because they need people who can do the job.”
Graham overheard the exchange and offered to review Theo’s application before he called the employer.
He did not promise that the schedule could be changed.
At lunch, Theo made the call from the college courtyard.
The supervisor agreed to start him on a later shift for two weeks so he could finish the certification.
Theo returned to the workshop grinning.
“They said yes,” he told Kira.


“Good.”
“I thought they’d laugh at me.”
“You didn’t ask for a favor,” she said.
“You explained what you could do.”
Graham called the class back to the benches.
The rest of the afternoon passed in the ordinary rhythm of measuring, welding, cooling, and inspecting.
Kira completed her frame before the final bell.
She placed it on the table and waited while Graham checked the joints.
He marked one corner for additional work and approved the others.
“That’s progress,” he said.
Kira smiled and reached for her tools.
“Then I’ll fix the corner.”

CHAPTER EIGHT — THE CONTRACTOR’S VISIT

The following Monday, a black sedan parked outside Patricia’s house.
A man in a pale suit stepped out and entered without knocking.
I recognized him from a Northbridge quarterly presentation.
His name was Leonard Baines, and he was the company’s operations director.
I did not photograph him or follow him.
I wrote down the time in my personal incident log and continued sanding the replacement door.
An hour later, Leonard crossed the street.
“Ms. Vale?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m Leonard Baines.”
“I know who you are.”
His face changed almost imperceptibly.
“Then perhaps you understand why I’m here.”
“I don’t.”
“Mrs. Hollen tells me you’ve been approaching our residents.”
“A resident approached me.”
“We take boundaries seriously.”
“So do I.”
He glanced at the unfinished door.
“I hear you’ve had some trouble.”
“I have.”
“Neighborhood disputes can become unfortunate distractions.”
“That’s an interesting way to describe threats and vandalism.”
He folded his hands.
“I’m hoping we can resolve this informally.”
“Resolve what?”
“Misunderstandings about the workshop.”
“The residents have an independent advocate.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You seem familiar with the program.”
“You should speak to the appointed monitor about program matters.”
He went still.
“Which appointed monitor?”
“Dana Okafor.”
The name landed between us.
Leonard had presented information to Dana the previous week.
He looked at the door again, this time as though he had noticed something dangerous hidden in plain sight.
“Are you connected to the court review?” he asked.
“My appointment is public,” I said.
“But I have disclosed a potential conflict and will not discuss your company’s performance with you.”
He took one step backward.
“Mrs. Hollen didn’t mention that.”
“She didn’t ask.”
He left without another question.
Across the street, Patricia watched him drive away.
For the first time since I had moved in, she looked uncertain.