Fall Guy

living room.“
    Dashiell and I followed her out. I wasn't sure she'd believed he was house-trained. Some people who've never lived with a dog have trouble believing a dog can be unobtrusive and appropriate, even in a living room. But it was cool outside under the shade of an awning, and in no time Dashiell was down at the water's edge, turning back to catch my eye in the hope I'd throw a stick for him to retrieve.
    I put O'Fallon's briefcase across my lap, taking out the folder I'd brought along to convince the guy at the lot that it would be okay for me to take the car. But before I asked Maggie if she'd consider taking the car on Saturday, I thought of an even better plan.
    „I was wondering if I could leave Tim's car here? The payment at the lot is due tomorrow. It seems an awful waste of money. I don't know if you can use the car, or if you'4 want to sell it?“
    Actually, according to the will, the car was now mine. But the last thing I wanted to contend with was Tim's old wreck of a car that might not even pass inspection without expensive repair work. I'd have to take the time and trouble to sell it, paying to park it at the lot until I did.
    „Of course, if that helps. You can leave it.“
    „Perhaps Dennis might be able to help you sell it.“
    „Oh, I don't think Dennis would be wanting that at his Lexus dealership. The only kind of used car he'd sell would be a pre-owned Lexus.“
    I shrugged. „I have all the papers here.“ I tapped the folder. „I'll just need to know what you get for it if you sell it, for the final income tax form.“
    „You don't even get away with that when you're dead,“ she said. „You'd think ...“
    „The lawyer will take care of that,“ I told her. „She seems very efficient and most helpful.“ She must be dealing with all of this for her mother, too. Just the thought of handling two estates at once was overwhelming. I wonder if that had occurred to Tim, too. I wondered if that was why he hadn't named Maggie his executor, if it were that simple, nothing more than that he didn't want her to have to do this twice.
    „How will you get back to the city?“ she asked. „I don't think ...“ She was looking at Dashiell now, lying down on the slope of cool earth near the water's edge.
    „I can take a car service back,“ I said, thinking that if I hadn't been so preoccupied, I would have thought of this earlier, left Dashiell at home and taken the bus back to the city, a subway after that. But even if I ended up with a car service, it would be much cheaper than a month's worth of parking at the lot.
    „I doubt they'll take you with a wet dog.“
    Dashiell was wading in the creek. In no time, he'd find a reason to go swimming. I hadn't, after all, told him he couldn't.
    „I see your point,“ I said. „Well, I guess I could keep the car another couple of days. I could pay the day rate at the lot. It won't be so bad.“
    „How about if I drive you over the bridge? You can grab a cab there. Would that be okay?“
    „That would be great, if you don't mind.“
    „No problem. It's on the way to work anyway.“
    „Terrific.“ I put my hand back into the briefcase. „Even though you're coming Saturday, I brought some pictures from Tim's apartment. I thought you'd want them. I didn't see any reason to wait.“
    Maggie looked, but didn't say anything.
    „They're old ones,“ I said. „The only recent one was of your mother.“ I didn't have that one with me, the one Tim had left on the desk before taking his gun into the bathroom, before pulling the trigger on what should have been the rest of his life. „I was hoping we could look at some of the ones in the album and that you might tell me which one is Tim.“
    „Of course.“
    „I brought a couple of other things from the apartment as well. I'm sure there's more there you'll want.“
    She nodded.
    „I was thinking of sending the clothes and the kitchen things to Housing Works. The kitchen things are pretty inexpensive, not nearly as nice as the ones you have.“ I decided not to mention the scarf and the sweater. Maybe that was a dumb idea to begin with, picking out things for a person you didn't know. „Is there anything special that you can think of that you want me to put aside, because I'll be working there again tonight, and all day tomorrow?“
    „I'm not, I don't...“
    „It's awkward, doing this. I'm sorry if ...“
    „Don't apologize. It's all got to be done. Let's look at the pictures now, and