The Night Eleanor Switched On the Clippers Was the Night Three Years of House Payments Came to an End

I didn’t answer him.

I walked to my sedan, opened the driver’s door, and sat down in the quiet interior.

The engine caught on the first turn of the key, sending a steady plume of white exhaust into the cold afternoon air.

I adjusted the side mirror with my right hand, put the car in gear, and pulled away from the curb.

In the rearview mirror, I watched Maple Street fall away as the car turned toward downtown.

The keys to the fourth-floor apartment on Wacker Drive felt light in my palm.