“Then help us fix it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because it wasn’t only Kyle.”
My stomach tightened.
“Who else?”
Another pause.
“Frank, check Rosie’s charity account.”
My mind went blank.
My mother had created a tradition years ago.
Customers could quietly donate money to a meal fund.
No publicity.
No social media.
If somebody came in hungry and couldn’t pay, staff could use the fund.
Amber’s soup that afternoon should have been covered by it.
“What’s wrong with the account?”
“Check the balance.”
I opened the banking app.
The balance should have been around eighteen thousand dollars.
It showed $312.
I stopped breathing.
“Eighteen thousand dollars is gone.”
Eddie swore softly.
Amber covered her mouth.
“Nina, where did it go?”
Her voice cracked.
“That’s why Kyle doesn’t want poor customers served.”
I understood.
If needy customers used the fund, staff might notice the balance.
Kyle hadn’t thrown me out merely because I looked homeless.
