Samuel Reed Kept an Old Wooden Bat Behind the Pantry Door for Twenty Years

The pages were ruled in columns and dated back into the spring, and the writing was small and even.

On the third page, near the top, he had written Reed, S.

Parcel 14 087.

Beside that was a date in July.

“Claire.

That’s my parcel number.”

“I know what it is.”

“Why does your husband have my parcel number in a locked book?”