clothes. For a week she wore only what was left in her closet, out-of-fashion
things she’d never moved to college with her. She met with several prospective
rental management companies she found online, made her selection, and drove
all her father’s records, including the ledger for this year, up to the company’s
Fresno offices. First, however, she’d written a note explaining that Lonnie
Cadell was paid through the end of the year, and a second note that eviction
proceedings should begin against Donald Hillsicker. She still had to decide what
to do with her own house, but it would need cleaning out either way, and asked
Cadell for his help.
“Of course I can,” he said. “Figure this means you’ll be on your way again.”
“One more year of college,” she said.
“I see.” His head hung, and he turned so Neda couldn’t look up into his
long face. “I figure your daddy’s things, some will fetch a nice price.”
96
“You’re welcome to have anything you want, Lonnie.”
He wagged with embarrassment. “That’s not what I meant at all,” he said.
Neda threw away her father’s Irish post-its. The cans from his cupboards were
piled in the breezeway to be donated to a food bank. Together she and Cadell
carried out the living room furniture. He drove her father’s pickup to the county
dump. She stripped the sheets from the bed, and when Cadell returned, they
carried out the king-size mattress, the box springs, bedframe, and headboard.
Neda boxed the few pictures on her father’s dresser and carried them to her
bedroom, stacked them with the other few things she meant to save. Cadell
returned from the dump a second time. They were going to the get her father’s
chest of drawers when the phone rang. It echoed, all the different phones in
the house ringing from different rooms, each with its own chime, its own delay,
climbing out and back in the open windows. It rang again. Cadell filled the
hallway, looking at Neda. Third ring. “Won’t you answer?” he asked.
On the fourth the machine picked up and Ed Fleming began speaking. Neda put
a hand on her mouth. Cadell’s pose didn’t change. He waited respectfully for the