At three-ish the next day, Lionel dialed the wall phone.
“Tell Marie she needs to come over,” Miranda said, and Lionel nodded. “Tell Marie to tell Diz –”
“Hey, Marie, it’s Lionel,” and he waved his arm …

One Sunday afternoon, years ago, Miranda took Oppenheimer II out for a walk. A big thunderstorm had just passed through, and at each intersection, while Oppenheimer II sniffed around, Miranda eyed the storm drains to …

It’s looking like snow. Jenny hopes it snows; snow dulls the old smells, makes it easier for Rina to work, plus maybe they’ll open the bookstore late and she won’t have to go in for …

Lionel and Tjinder are standing on The Driver’s side porch. Lionel is on the phone with Diz; Tjinder is shifting from foot to foot. He looks at their car in the driveway, and at his …

Shelley comes out into the front office, glances into the cabinet, and snaps her fingers lightly. Olivia: “[Eyebrows?]” Shelley: “[Head flick.]” Olivia gets up and follows Shelley into the back office. She looks over her …

Years ago, Ro Jin lived with his wife and three children in a little house on the canal. His wife Ro Fan was known as a great beauty, and also for her startling hands, long …

Shelley told Olivia to sit on the brown couch in the office, so Olivia is sitting there, rubbing the strap of her bag with her thumb, watching Marie stick Post-It flags on a take-out menu. …

Outside, the light has guttered down to the horizon behind the scrub pines, and the air is cool and soft like a sheet.
Inside, it’s warmer. A loaf of bread is sitting on the counter, cut …

The first thing she notices about the bar is that it smells funny. It doesn’t smell bad — but that’s what’s funny about it. There isn’t that fug of slopped beer and secondhand cologne. Everything …

Diz hands the hen back to me and holds his hand out to —
Okay, can I — I’m sorry, I need to just stop you here for a second.
Shelley freezes, hen under her arm lineman-style, …