He understood. The Pawndex wasn’t a directory of pets. It was a morgue. Every paw print was a soul. Every ding was a summons.
Historically, the pawn industry was fragmented. A gold necklace pawned in New York had little data connection to a laptop pawned in Los Angeles. Investors and economists had no way to gauge the industry's aggregate health. pawndex
A cold knot tightened in Elias’s gut. He turned the crank again. He understood
“No,” Elias breathed.