yourself.'
'It's me,' she said, moving closer.
'Not so "itsy",' he said gruffly. 'You're fat. Who are you?'
Sarah looked affronted. She had put on a few pounds after quitting the cigarettes and then tennis. Smoking she'd participated in for thirty years. Tennis, thirty days. Food, a lifetime.
'I didn't say "itsy", you deaf old fart,' she growled. 'I said, "It's me." Sarah.'
She turned my way. 'This is Kornell Eisvogel. He was married to Auntie Vi. In addition to not hearing well, he's blind as a bat and mean as a snake.'
'Snakes aren't mean. Just misunderstood.' I stuck my hand out to the old man. 'I'm Maggy Thorsen. It's nice to meet you.'
Eisvogel ignored my gesture. In fairness, though, I wasn't sure he saw it through his cataract-clouded eyes.
Instead, he pointed a bony finger at Sarah. 'You're Vi's brother Roger's girl.'
'Once upon a time. My father has been dead for more than ten years.'
Eisvogel didn't seem to care. 'What are you doing here?'
'I asked you first. You know you're not supposed to drive at night. Ronny will hide your car.'
'That son of mine don't know jack-shit. Still can't even close a door.'
'Are you on that again, Kornell?' Sarah snapped. 'Ronny was five at the time. Leave him alone.'
I didn't see the big deal. Even at nearly twenty, my Eric left doors open, including the one shielding the refrigerator. All of that paled in comparison to the time he traced the television image of Barney the Purple Dinosaur on the screen with a Sharpie. When they say 'permanent marker', they're not kidding.
'Damn right he was five.' Spittle flew from Eisvogel's lips. 'Old enough to know better. His brother was only three, rest his poor baby soul.'
'Ronny's brother?' I asked.
Eisvogel didn't answer, but Sarah leaned in. 'It was before Vi and Kornell got together, but I guess the three-year-old wandered out of the house and into the street after a ball.'
The old man swiped at tears. 'My Tommy, gone. His brother was supposed to be taking care of him.'
' Not Ronny's fault,' Sarah said in a tone that indicated they'd had this conversation before. 'You just want to blame him because you were the one who should have been watching both boys.'
Ouch. Eisvogel looked like he'd been punched. 'Ronny knew damn well not to go out,' he said, lashing back. 'They was supposed to be taking naps.'
I could understand why Eisvogel would want to hold someone else responsible for the tragedy. Knowing that it was your fault a child died had to be devastating. But to blame another, slightly older son? Inconceivable.
'Yeah, yeah, yeah,' Sarah was saying, holding up her hands. 'I've heard it all before, Kornell. Now don't you think it's time to leave?'
'I'll leave when I damn well please. Besides,' Eisvogel gestured toward the clocks, 'it ain't sundown yet. The sun sets at seven minutes past eight tonight. I keep that middle one there set just right.'
So it had been Sarah's uncle who cleaned her clock.
Sarah didn't seem to appreciate the gesture. 'If you get caught driving at night, you'll lose your license. For good this time.'
I turned. Three minutes to eight o'clock on the Brookhills clock. The hands on the other two hadn't budged. Judging by the old man and the ancient Buick I could see parked on the street, he'd best get rolling.
'The sun is getting pretty low out there.' I pointed out the windows. 'Do you need a ride home?'
'Hey, now, who are you?' Eisvogel said, like he'd just noticed me. 'You ain't looking to buy this place, are you?' As he spoke he moved menacingly toward me.
I reflexively took a step back and then held my ground. He was eighty, mostly blind and deaf. I should be able to take him.
But he confronted Sarah instead. 'You know you can't sell this place. Your aunt left everything to me before the accident.'
'The "accident"?' Sarah asked. 'You mean the one you caused?'
She turned to me. 'Vi was getting out of the car. She still had hold of the door handle when this idiot pulled away. The fall broke
'It's me,' she said, moving closer.
'Not so "itsy",' he said gruffly. 'You're fat. Who are you?'
Sarah looked affronted. She had put on a few pounds after quitting the cigarettes and then tennis. Smoking she'd participated in for thirty years. Tennis, thirty days. Food, a lifetime.
'I didn't say "itsy", you deaf old fart,' she growled. 'I said, "It's me." Sarah.'
She turned my way. 'This is Kornell Eisvogel. He was married to Auntie Vi. In addition to not hearing well, he's blind as a bat and mean as a snake.'
'Snakes aren't mean. Just misunderstood.' I stuck my hand out to the old man. 'I'm Maggy Thorsen. It's nice to meet you.'
Eisvogel ignored my gesture. In fairness, though, I wasn't sure he saw it through his cataract-clouded eyes.
Instead, he pointed a bony finger at Sarah. 'You're Vi's brother Roger's girl.'
'Once upon a time. My father has been dead for more than ten years.'
Eisvogel didn't seem to care. 'What are you doing here?'
'I asked you first. You know you're not supposed to drive at night. Ronny will hide your car.'
'That son of mine don't know jack-shit. Still can't even close a door.'
'Are you on that again, Kornell?' Sarah snapped. 'Ronny was five at the time. Leave him alone.'
I didn't see the big deal. Even at nearly twenty, my Eric left doors open, including the one shielding the refrigerator. All of that paled in comparison to the time he traced the television image of Barney the Purple Dinosaur on the screen with a Sharpie. When they say 'permanent marker', they're not kidding.
'Damn right he was five.' Spittle flew from Eisvogel's lips. 'Old enough to know better. His brother was only three, rest his poor baby soul.'
'Ronny's brother?' I asked.
Eisvogel didn't answer, but Sarah leaned in. 'It was before Vi and Kornell got together, but I guess the three-year-old wandered out of the house and into the street after a ball.'
The old man swiped at tears. 'My Tommy, gone. His brother was supposed to be taking care of him.'
' Not Ronny's fault,' Sarah said in a tone that indicated they'd had this conversation before. 'You just want to blame him because you were the one who should have been watching both boys.'
Ouch. Eisvogel looked like he'd been punched. 'Ronny knew damn well not to go out,' he said, lashing back. 'They was supposed to be taking naps.'
I could understand why Eisvogel would want to hold someone else responsible for the tragedy. Knowing that it was your fault a child died had to be devastating. But to blame another, slightly older son? Inconceivable.
'Yeah, yeah, yeah,' Sarah was saying, holding up her hands. 'I've heard it all before, Kornell. Now don't you think it's time to leave?'
'I'll leave when I damn well please. Besides,' Eisvogel gestured toward the clocks, 'it ain't sundown yet. The sun sets at seven minutes past eight tonight. I keep that middle one there set just right.'
So it had been Sarah's uncle who cleaned her clock.
Sarah didn't seem to appreciate the gesture. 'If you get caught driving at night, you'll lose your license. For good this time.'
I turned. Three minutes to eight o'clock on the Brookhills clock. The hands on the other two hadn't budged. Judging by the old man and the ancient Buick I could see parked on the street, he'd best get rolling.
'The sun is getting pretty low out there.' I pointed out the windows. 'Do you need a ride home?'
'Hey, now, who are you?' Eisvogel said, like he'd just noticed me. 'You ain't looking to buy this place, are you?' As he spoke he moved menacingly toward me.
I reflexively took a step back and then held my ground. He was eighty, mostly blind and deaf. I should be able to take him.
But he confronted Sarah instead. 'You know you can't sell this place. Your aunt left everything to me before the accident.'
'The "accident"?' Sarah asked. 'You mean the one you caused?'
She turned to me. 'Vi was getting out of the car. She still had hold of the door handle when this idiot pulled away. The fall broke
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