“I left it on his workbench yesterday so he could shut off the main valve himself if he had to.”

He went out onto the porch without a backward glance at the sunroom.

I went out to the front porch and sat down on the wooden glider.

The porch light caught the dark gleam of his sedan as it backed out past the privet hedge and turned south on the main road toward Westfall, leaving the driveway empty at six thirty on the dot.

By seven the next morning, Bob had the yellow ceramic mug filled before my shoes reached the bottom stair.