the box

Howard walked up to the door and knocked. A moment later a wizened older woman swung open the door.

"Wadda ya want?" she croaked

"Uhh... Susan Mayward?"

"Nope."

Howard shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Isn't this Susan Mayward's house?"

"Yeah," said the woman who wasn't Susan Mayward.

"Is Susan home?"

"Nope."

Howard considered whether he ought to admit defeat or continue this painful discussion.

"Do you know where Susan Mayward is?"

"Yeah."

"So... where is she?"

"She's dead."

Howard blinked. This visit wasn't going anything like he had hoped that it would.

"You a friend or relative of hers?" demanded the woman.

"Uh, well I..."

"Great."

The woman diappeared from the doorway. A moment later she returned with a box.

"I was Susan's landlady. Her lawyer came by and took acre of most of her stuff but the rest of this useless crap nobody knows what to do with. So you can take it."

She shoved the box into Howard's arms and slammed shut the door. Howard looked down at the box in his arms and tried to make sense of what the woman had just said. Not knowing what else to do he walked back to his car and drove to work.