The house had been a wedding present. More to the point, Starr had lived in the house for years, and a series of aunts, uncles, and cousins before him—his mother’s grandfather had bought the place brand new after the war, with a little help from his Uncle Sam, for forty-five hundred dollars—but the modifications that made it livable for Mark were undertaken in secret and finished by the time they returned from their honeymoon cruise. The back patio had been lifted flush with the back door, and ramps were added to the front yard and the back garden. The giant bathroom in what had once been the attached garage had a steam shower level with the floor and a bi-level vanity with sinks and mirrors at two different heights. The kitchen also had two sinks, countertops at two heights, and Mark’s fa
