Chapter 9: The Roof

The man with the paper in his hand was waiting on my front step when I came out.

"Dee Kozak?" he said. "Roof job. We're early, I know. The order says to start at five so we're off the road before the traffic."

"What order?"

"Paid in full, ma'am. Tear-off, new deck, shingles, and the skylight. It came through a foundation, Ellender something."

Behind me the stairs creaked.

Cal came out of the dark of the office with his shoes in his hand and his face the color of the sky.

"I ordered it the day you voided the check," he said.

The man on my step looked from me to him and took a very careful step backward.

"Boys," he called to the crew, "give us a minute."

I waited until the street was clear.

I waited another second, until I could trust my voice.

"Seven weeks ago," I said. "You ordered a roof for my gym, and then you came up my stairs."

"I didn't think it counted as money. It wasn't a donation. It was a repair."

"You told yourself that."

"Yes."

"And you stood at the river this morning, and I told you about my father, and you said you understood."

"I did understand."

"I do."

"I just-" He stopped.

"I should have called them last night."

"I didn't."

"I thought if you saw the new roof you'd see it as a place with a good roof, not a place I'd bought."

"Did you think I wouldn't know?"

"I thought you might not mind."

"Cal, I mind." My voice came out low and shaking. "Your name's on a work order over my door."

He looked wrecked.

"It's not on the work order. I made it anonymous."

"It's the foundation you started with your own money."

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