Her Bargain Rental Favor

“Three hundred dollars for rent just went through. Thanks, Claire.”

A text popped up on Claire’s phone from a contact saved as “Mark.”

I grabbed the phone before she could react and froze.

“Rent?” I asked. “You’ve been telling me every month that money was from your side job.”

Her face went stiff. She reached for the phone, trying to take it back.

“He was my sister Emily’s husband,” Claire said quickly. “After Emily died, he was left with two kids. I was only trying to help.”

My hand brushed against the anniversary gift in my pocket, and something inside me went cold.