Then:
“You’re Mack.”
Everybody knew him except the people he had avoided.
“Yeah.”
“Jenna told me what happened yesterday.”
Mack exhaled.
“Then you know I’m not calling to surprise her.”
“Good.”
“I need to ask whether she’ll take a call from the Sentinel Riders treasurer.”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Money?”
“Information.”
“About money.”
“Yes.”
“She’ll say no.”
“I know.”
“Then?”
“Tell her it isn’t charity.”
Rebecca became quiet.
“What is it?”
“Something Aaron paid for.”
Jenna called three hours later.
Mack answered from the shop.
“You found my sister.”
“I asked her to ask you to call.”
“That distinction is doing heavy work.”
Mack almost smiled.
“You’re right.”
“What did Aaron pay for?”
Mack looked toward Pete across the office.
“The Sentinel Riders Road Home Fund.”
Jenna said nothing.
Mack continued:
“He helped start it.”
“He contributed every month after he left.”
“Up until he died.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Neither did I.”
“You were president.”
“Not then.”
“What is it?”
“Mutual relief.”
“Members and some former members pay monthly.”
“Family gets support after death, serious injury, displacement, medical crisis.”
Jenna’s tone hardened.
“We’re not members.”
“Aaron was eligible under the charter because he maintained contributions.”
“I don’t care about a charter.”
“He did.”
Silence.
Mack continued carefully.
“This isn’t me giving you money.”
“It’s not the club deciding you look poor.”
“It’s a benefit Aaron funded.”
“How much?”
Mack glanced toward Pete.
Pete mouthed the number.
Mack said:
“Immediate survivor grant is six thousand.”
Silence.
Jenna laughed.
Not humor.
Shock.
“No.”
“Jenna.”
“No.”
“He paid thirty dollars a month.”
“I don’t care.”
“Then think of it like insurance.”
“It’s not insurance.”
“No.”
“But same principle.”
“He paid into a pool so somebody’s family could use it.”
“Now the qualifying family is his.”
Jenna’s voice broke.
“He never told me.”
Mack closed his eyes.
“I know.”
“How many things did my husband not tell me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did all of you know him better than I did?”
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
Jenna became quiet.
Mack continued:
“We knew one version.”
“You knew another.”
“Neither cancels the other.”
She breathed.
“He hid this.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I can guess.”
“Don’t.”
“Okay.”
Silence.
Then Jenna asked:
“What else?”
Mack looked toward Pete.
“What?”
“What else does the fund do?”
Pete leaned closer.
Mack explained.
Up to three months temporary housing in certain cases.
Vehicle emergency.
Childcare bridge.
Job relocation assistance.
Not unlimited.
Not a rescue fantasy.
Structured support.