"Ada is a city of about 17,000 people, the county seat of Pontotoc County, ninety miles southeast of Oklahoma City. Well known to crossword-puzzle addicts ("city in Oklahoma, three letters"), it was named after a dark-haired girl, Ada Reed, daughter of the town's founder, back when Oklahoma was Indian Territory. In a rural area of farms, rolling hills, thick woodlands, it is a small industrial hub." Chap. 1, pp. 1-2

"In Ada, as in many rural areas, convenience stores are a part of everyday life that scarcely exists in major metropolitan centers: Al's Qwick Stop, Beep & Buy, Butler's Mini Mart, Circle K, E-Z Mart, Love's, McAnally's, Sweeney's, We-Pak-Um, others. Main Street is still a busy shopping area, but except for the movie theater it is pretty much locked up and deserted by 6 p.m."
Chap. 1, p. 10

"More than a hundred calls were taken in those first few days. More than...