“You took it out of my mother’s estate account,” I said.

“I was going to pay back every dollar once the spring hardware shipments came in,” Bob said.

“I kept two households going because I couldn’t stand to lose your inheritance or Ruth’s income down here,” he said.

“Get your hand off my door,” I said.

He kept hold of the chrome rim for two more seconds, his eyes darting toward the lit porch, where Ruth stood watching from behind the screen door.

I yanked the car door shut hard against his fingers, pushed down the lock button, and turned the key in the ignition.