While he could understand why Wendy would want to keep him farther than arm's length, he was hoping that she wouldn't mind keeping him within shouting distance. And if she did mind, so be it. She could call the cops and have him removed. He picked at the pizza, now cold, that he regarded simply as a way to pass time while he waited for darkness to fall. He might be being overprotective, but the sense of unease that he felt was pervasive. He was too jumpy to continue lolling in the booth of the small downtown pizzeria, so he gave up and went out to his truck to call his sister. It was something constructive that he could do. "Hey, Zee," he said after she picked up. "So. How do you like your new stairs?" "What stairs?" she answered, which threw him. "Oh ... that's right. You fixed them. That was so sweet, Zack! I just forgot, that's all. I haven't had the chance to use them; I've been busy inside all day." Confused, he said, "You didn't go to work?" "Of course not!
