Chapter 11: Everything He Owned

Dexter showed up at Marla's porch on Tuesday evening with a banker's box in his arms.

I watched him through the front window.

He didn't ring the bell.

He stood on the top step with the box held against his chest and waited.

"Do I let him in?" Marla said behind me.

"You can send him away."

"I would love to." She folded her arms. "But I think you want to hear it first."

She was right.

I pulled the blanket around my shoulders and opened the door.

Dexter looked terrible.

He had shaved badly and missed a patch under his jaw.

"I'm not here to push," he said at once. "I won't come in. I just need you to see what I did."

He set the box on the porch rail and took the lid off.

Inside were papers, and a watch case, and a set of car keys.

"I sold the Audi this morning," he said. "Fifty-two thousand. The watch my father left me, eleven."

"I've listed the house with an agent."

"I also put my company stock up for sale, and the first buyer is a hostile one, so they'll take it at a discount."

"You listed the house."

"It's half yours."

"It's yours. I signed it over."

"I know. I'm putting your half in an account with your name on it."

He pulled out a thick envelope.

"There's four hundred and twelve thousand dollars here. A cashier's check, in your name."

"For the transplant, or anything. You can tear it up. I just needed it to exist."

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