I find it passing strange that convicts understand honest folk, but honest folk don't understand convicts.

Elly had ratcheted up the pressure with her threats of leaving early. I had no other bites on the ad. “Bird in the hand” and all that . . . . So much for negotiating.

First, it’s ineffective, because the country will never be ziplocked as tightly as he wants it to be.

“Bread!” called a busty woman who pushed her way into the kitchen. She held a wooden tray above her head with one hand and thrust a bowl of peppered and parmesaned olive oil toward Angel.