RING OF POWER

pped an inch

re line, at Vivian's decisive cursive w

ything was waiting for him

mb. He uncapped it. The smell of ink filled

Jameson. His full name, formal and final, like something from a le

room. He placed it on the nightstand, on his side of the b

g and listened to the apa

distant sound of traffic outside. T

idn't

er it was midnight or three in the morning, he

the lock, for her footsteps, for her to come

d deliberate. She was being careful not to wake him. He listened as she moved throug

ething. Finding i

. The parking lot

up and walked

e was gone fr

the divorce pa

e to his warehouse job. The warehouse shift started at 6 AM. Alphonsus

med overhead, casting everyt

trucks or from trucks to pallets, depending on whether it wa

d his way up from the ground level and made sure everyone knew it. He had a permane

n Alphonsus started toward

oving. Nobody looked at him. This was a ritual in the warehouse. Wh

seventeen through twenty-three to the

Alphonsus anything specific, which suggested

in the south sect

d carefully. "I ran out of time before my shift ended, and I le

n't see

n the supervis

s face gr

one. Pallet twenty-three is supposed to be in the north section, and it's not.

e quiet. The other workers were list

phonsus said. "I'll

damn right

ring his voice just enough fo

work you didn't do yesterday. No overtime

illegal. Not paying overtime for time work

bout it would get him fired, and

ood," Alph

-three and started moving

ast four hundred pounds. His body was

t fifteen minutes. By the twenty-minu

spoken rule. If Marcus was punishing you

honsus's phone bu

s didn't allow phones on the warehouse floor. At 2:

n-minute break,

ed: "Call me when

essage: "It's im

wice, but the calls h

was wrong. Was it his mother? Had

Vivian back

?" she demanded. She did

ng. What happe

tonight. Come hom

t's wrong? Is

he's fine. But we need to finish this. Sign the papers, Alphonsus. St

ix. I'm staying late today

to work it out with you

, controlled, and comp

ck, Alphonsu

e hu

room, holding the phone

:07

d told him to stay late, working unpaid overtime for a

d at the c

before he was supposed to be

e floor and found Marcus reviewing

eave at four,"

t look up from

you to s

rgency. I have t

oked at him. Hi

mergency when you were the one respons

d stopped moving. Ever

ve," Alphonsus r

Marcus said. "You want to be unreliable? Fine.

omething cold move

eded th

eded th

o finish at six o'clock. Was she ending the marri

e full of people pretending not to watch him make a deci

f here," Alp

rehouse floor without