Jeff Ford said, “Rosie Howard? Why on earth—?”
“I know, she’s honest and reliable. I guess too many years of working your buns off for two desperately ordinary kids and getting nowhere gets you to the point where you’re ready to trade a lot of that good karma for a little something nice. She thought she’d find it in the lockbox. Unfortunately, my grandfather came home early. Tonight she tried to turn me into a crispy critter because I’d said I wanted to find out all about the old guy’s death and she was afraid I was going to accuse Virg and Kathy.”
Jeff Ford said, “Can you prove any of this?”
“None of it. I’m hoping the cops’ll be able to. Or that Mrs. Howard does something to give herself away.” Dave dredged up a painful grin, pointed to where Jan was hanging onto her husband. “You’re going to cut off the circulation in that poor man’s arm. If you can let go long enough to lend me a plastic trash sack I can carry my treasure box in...”
“Oh. Sure.”
She let go of Jeff’s arm and found Dave what he needed in a kitchen drawer.
Jeff asked, “Any chance you’ll move back into the neighborhood?”
“No chance at all.” Be too hard. I think I’ve been in love with your wife since I was fifteen and never knew it. “I can’t take the weather.”
Jan held the plastic sack open while he slid the lockbox into it.
“I’m sorry about your house, Dave.”
“Thank you. Yeah. Me too.” And all the chessmen and the music and the memories, even the bad ones. He headed for the front door.
Jeff Ford opened it for him. It was still raining. The trucks were gone, but there were now two cop cars in front of his grandfather’s house. They weren’t wasting any time.
Jan said, “Let us know where you’re staying.”
“Call you first thing.”
“Drive carefully. Good night.”
The door closed behind him. He felt terribly alone. He didn’t feel like a ghost, or like someone who’d come comfortably home, but like someone who finds himself in an inexplicably alien country.
For a few moments he stood and watched the rain and breathed the smell of wet charcoal coming from what was left of his grandfather’s house.
Yesterday he wouldn’t have been able to care less.
Maybe he was going to get nostalgic about yesterday. Or was that just his grandfather being disapproving?
Knock it off, Grandfather.
He stepped out into the rain and crossed the street toward his car.