The next morning, after I did my normal early morning chores and run, I came back to a quiet house. I assumed the professor’s late-night research had him sleeping in late, which suited me just fine. If I could get out of the house before running into him, I would count that as a good morning’s work. I was nursing my second cup of coffee in the kitchen when there was a knock at the back door. It startled me. As a rule, only students and friends came to the back door, while strangers and new comers used the front door. It was too early for students, and our friends weren’t in the habit of showing up without calling first. After a hasty check to make sure my outfit was decent enough for company, I opened the door. A young man I didn’t know stood there, dressed in a band t-shirt and worn jeans. His thick, curly blond hair was well groomed. The phone he was concentrating on was large and expensive, as were his designer sneakers. If I was to make a stab at his age, I’d put him a year or two in college.
