She was proud enough to be tiresome about it.”

I looked at the plate, and the plate looked back at me.

“Helen.

Did he ask you to sign something?”

She took a long time with the strap of her purse.

“A page about your car being gone from the driveway most of last spring.”

“My car sat there the entire time I was on leave.

I moved it twice, both times so the mower could get by.”