They laughed when a ragged boy walked into the bank with a worn bag—until he opened it, and the manager’s face went pale as he realized who the boy was

a small laugh. “People change.”

Hale’s voice dropped, still pleasant but edged with steel. “Sometimes they only pretend to.”

He stepped closer to the office door, angling his body to peer inside. Caldwell shifted slightly, blocking his view.

“I’ll be honest,” Hale said. “Corporate flagged an unusual access ping. One of our older deposit box systems. You continue reading …