Then she began to cry

I listened without interrupting

She said she had been afraid she would forget the sound of her brothers laugh

Seeing the compass reminded her of the road trips he took after his wife died

I told her that memories sometimes waited inside the smallest objects

Evelyn asked whether I would help her find a mechanic who could inspect the coupe before it was moved

I gave her the number of a trusted restoration shop and offered to be present when the car was released

I made the offer because Samuel had deserved the same care Laura had given our Mustang

The following Monday Marcus called with news that the warehouse investigation had expanded

He said several former owners had been identified through records and vehicle markings

He also said investigators had obtained documentation showing that some cars had been listed for resale before their owners received the notices required by the association

I asked whether Meredith had been charged

Marcus said no charging decision had been announced

He reminded me that evidence had to be reviewed individually and that an investigation was not a verdict

I thanked him for telling me what he could

He asked whether I was still keeping the Mustang off the road

I said the brakes were complete but I had not driven it

He said the vehicle had been photographed and documented and that he would check whether any additional inspection was required

I hung up and looked at the red fender through the garage window

The car had become the center of a fight I never wanted

I missed the simple days when the biggest problem was finding a replacement bolt that fit

I went outside and opened the garage

The smell of rubber and engine oil settled around me like an old familiar coat

I picked up Lauras notebook and turned to the last page she had written

She had drawn a crooked little heart beside a list of unfinished repairs

Under the drawing she had written that the first drive should be somewhere with a view

I had read that sentence many times

For the first time I began to believe I might actually keep the promise

The next day I called the restoration shop before sunrise

A man named Peter Walsh answered with the patient voice of someone accustomed to hearing bad news about old engines

I explained that I needed an independent inspection of the Mustang before I took it on the road