“At the gravel entrance I cut left into the break of the oak forest. The trees were leafless but the overhang of their heavy branches darkened the road. In the clearing I stopped my car beneath the single oak that stood near Crane’s cottage. Crane’s F-150 wasn’t there. I cut the engine. Outside the car, I removed my overcoat, folded it on the driver’s seat, and closed the door. I fastened the top button on my wool shirt and called out Crane’s name twice. For several minutes I listened to the sou...nd of animal movement in the compound and waited for a human response. When there wasn’t one, I walked across the hard earth and hopped up onto the porch of Crane’s cottage. I opened the screen door and knocked on the solid door behind it. From behind the door I heard nothing. I stood there in the cold and stamped the porch with my work boots to circulate blood into my feet. Five minutes later there were still no signs of life, and I tried the knob on the door. It turned and I looked behind me, and then I stepped into Crane’s cottage.MoreLessRead More Read Less
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