THE PAPER TRAIL.

Chapter 1 The Envelope at the Diner By the first week of January, the snow along Becker’s Main Street had turned gray at the edges. Sheriff Amos Bell stamped his boots outside the diner, brushed snow from his coat, and went inside. Nora Ellis was already pouring his coffee. “Your usual booth?” she asked. “Unless someone bought it.” “Not yet. Though you spend enough time there to owe rent.” Amos smiled and walked toward the back. A brown envelope lay beside the sugar bowl. He stopped. “Who left this?” Nora glanced over. “It was there when I opened. I thought Clara brought it.” His daughter had brought him newspaper clippings, misplaced gloves, and more questions than he could count. But she usually signed her name. This envelope had only two words: Sheriff Bell. Amos sat down and opened it. Inside were a faded bank receipt, a page torn from a ledger, and a short note. You found the missing money. Now find the people who were owed it. He read the note again. The robbery at First Becker County Bank had ended weeks earlier. Lucy Price, her brother Daniel, and their friend Martin Hale had re turned every dollar. They were serving probation and helping establish the county’s agricultural relief program. The old wrongdoing had been admitted. Amos had hoped that meant the hardest part was behind them. He lifted the receipt. It was dated October 6, 1944. 2 At the bot tom appeared a signature he recognized. Samuel Price. Lucy and Daniel’s father. Nora arrived with his breakfast. “Bad news?” “Old news,” Amos said. “Sometimes that’s worse.” He looked down at the note. “Sometimes it is