It was always thick with carp, and he'd find himself thinking of how much his cats loved these fresh-water fish.

and the confirmation

Cobwebs hung undisturbed in the corners, and the leaden floorboard dust was thick - - preserved with a frantic map of feline tracks, a life still in motion.

His daily excursion was a distraction from the radio silence at home - a silence so heavy it felt like an assault on his ears.