Summary

In the chapter “Friends and Neighbors,” the narrator describes how Viola’s walks would play out if she, instead of Emerence, walked the dog. They always wound up at Emerence’s house where the narrator was surprised how all of the old woman’s guests obeyed the rules that no one was allowed inside her house.

The narrator learned that the Lieutenant Colonel had been inside Emerence’s house once. It was during the time of the pigeon deaths that slanderous things were being said about Emerence. The police had insisted they be allowed inside the house only once to make sure she was hiding nothing related to any crime. She had shouted at the officer after they had found nothing out of order and left the house. It was the search dog, who allowed Emerence to pet...