The mail usually arrived at two o’clock. At half past two, Agnes took a break and walked over to the mail box at the end of her long driveway. As usual the mail was mostly junk — brochures from cruise lines, invitation for magazine subscriptions, and coupons for handyman and window washing services. There were a couple of bills which she kept in the study after putting the due date on the envelope.

It was way past six in the evening when Agnes closed the computer with a long sigh. It was October. The days were getting shorter and it was getting dark sooner. She came out of the study and walked to the kitchen. The red light on the telephone base pad was blinking. There was a message from Sally wondering why she had not picked up the phone. There were two robo calls from telemarketers. She deleted them.

She called Sally and told her that she had dozed off and didn’t hear the phone ringing.

“Why don’t you move with us to Melbourne?” asked sally. She was worried about her mom.

“You can have all the privacy you want. You can have your own room. You can cook if you want. Do whatever. The local library has a book club where you could meet new people.”

“I am fine here, Sally,” Agnes replied calmly. “For now, at least. Besides I have to take care of your father’s papers and stuff — close all the accounts, hand over the practice to a new buyer, if there is going to be one.”

Agnes didn’t tell Sally about her discovery of Owen’s diary. She thought it was best she didn’t know, at the time.