Ms. Adams tried to rally the block into the same frenzied curiosity that plagued her, but the mystery of Mr. Wardley’s mail was losing its shine. She began to pray before bed, something she had not done since the incident with the lonely nun in Catholic school when she was fourteen. (Jeeeesus! she wailed, sounding very un-catholic. Just let that Wardley fella show his face! One-time! That’s all I’m askin’! Let his wrinkled old ass – sorry – let him come on outta that house and get his damn packages!) Then, when Jesus did not answer those prayers after a month had passed, she stopped again. Jo-Jo’s mom continued to go to her business meetings; Jo-Jo knew they didn’t make much sense, but she had just bought him Skyrim, so he didn’t mind. Kelsey Rainer had broken up with him, and he had a hunch she was steppin’ out (a term he remembered his father had used on occasion) with Jason Williams. He started skipping school with increasing frequency, but his mother had yet to bring it up. Mr. Adams (of no relation to Ms. Adams) still hadn’t finished the work on his Bronco, but now he was dating a woman whose arms (creamy-dreamy white, he
explained) were nearly as bulky as his own. The old lady in the trailer park on the other side of Chestnut died. The report in The Longview Daily News said her body had been found three weeks “post mortem” by a man who claimed to be her nephew (but wasn’t). He could not be reached for the obituary, which was one of the stock ones the paper printed when no family or friends could be contacted. Mr. LaFever and his wife bought a new car. (One of those hoity-toity hybrids, Ms. Adams explained to Mrs. Harlowe.) The hubbub on 11th Avenue settled back to normal. In the ball park, anyway. But then Jo-Jo had to go and kill his cousin. *********** It was April, and school was closed for spring break. Carter came from Cle Elum with his family to visit Jo-Jo and his mom. The days were filled with X-box and some porn that Jo-Jo had hidden high up in his closet. Downstairs, his mother and Uncle Brian discussed what Jo-Jo guessed (correctly) were her business meetings. For some reason, Uncle Brian didn’t approve of her work life. 49