She heard the familiar chime of the doorbell and put the silk blouse she was pressing over the end of the board, then walked toward the front of the house. Looking through the glass in the door, she could see a tall, heavy-hipped woman, with thick dark hair held tightly in two buns, behind each ear. She wore an indigo blue linen suit with mauve piping and navy pumps, which spoiled her otherwise New-York-smart image. She’d obviously finished off a cigarette, because the butt lay smoldering on the walk. Penny felt a prickle of anger at the insult to the environment.

She called through the door. “We don’t buy door to door. You’re wasting your time.”

“I’m not selling anything,” came the husky-voiced answer. “In fact, I’m buying.”

Penny thought, I’ve heard that before, “What do you want?”

“I’m here about your article. I represent EARTH-be-WARE Magazine.”

Penny opened the door.

“I’m Dorian Orsini from Orsini and Kern. If you are Penelope Olsen, I want to talk to you.” She stepped over the threshold into the house.

Cufflynx arched his back and made a beeline through the living room and into the first open closet. Bilgewater let out a whistle and called, “Get the friggin door.”

Dorian looked surprised, “If you have company, I could come back.”

“No that’s our pet mynah bird. He has bad manners. Sorry.”