“Did you know he was a thief?” he asked, studying Claudia’s face for a reaction.
She sneered. “If he was, he sucked at it. I’m not sayin’ I’d have put it past him, but if he was stealin’ s**t, he sure as hell didn’t reap any rewards. In case ya missed it, this place ain’t exactly the Ritz. As far as I know, any money he had was from cleanin’ pools. He had plenty of that work keepin’ him busy.”
He nodded. He’d only known Claudia for a few minutes, but she struck him as a straight shooter—a lot like his late uncle. He believed she was telling him the truth.
“Worked a lot of hours, did he?” he said, scratching the back of his head. “Where did he do most of his work? Around here?”
“Nah,” she said, letting out a cough. “He was all spread out. Most of his work was up north, closer to Myrtle.
