"Maroussia, don't go too far from the house!"The little girl shrugged. The old lady was calling to her from the cottage steps, waving her stick like when she rounded up the goats at nightfall ... [+]
"Mrs. Crump?" The man frowning at Madge through the screen door had stolen a letter from the mailbox earlier in the week, so he knew the surname. "Yes," Madge replied. "I'm Harold Bates from the Debt Collection Agency. I'd like to have a chat with you about your telephone bill." "A chat?" Madge reached for the screen door handle, but Bates turned it, opened the door, and brushed past her. He walked down the hall and into the living room. He didn't see a telephone, so he walked through to the adjoining kitchen, the next most likely place. Madge hurried after him. "Norman!" she called. Spotting