“And you knew she was paying the bank every month.”

Linda turned toward the window where Richard sat with his hands folded in his lap.

“Richard, tell your son what happens when a family tears apart its own property,” Linda said.

Richard didn’t answer right away.

He took his cell phone out of his inside coat pocket.

The screen lit up with a missed call alert from an Elm Street landline.

Richard held the power button on the side until the screen went black, laid the phone face down on the glass side table, and rested his hand on top of it.