Is there even a clinic?”

The dog started barking at the back of his house, two rooms off, and he said, “That’s the other line, I’ve got to go,” and the call went dead in my hand.

I sat there watching the dumpster lid bang in the wind.

He didn’t call back that night.

On Wednesday evening I drove out to Paradise Valley, parked three houses down under the palo verde, and turned off the engine.

The porch light was on.