“You cleaned these yourselves?” he asked.

“Every last one,” I said.

Principal Vance took off his wire-framed glasses and rubbed them on the end of his silk tie.

“The district audit closes Friday at four, Mrs.

Lindahl.

The policy is strict about sending unpaid balances to collection agencies, but I can hold off on those calls until noon Friday if you bring them in clean and rolled.”

“Will you take the whole amount in pennies?” I asked.