Millicent Avery was just like a grandmother to Courtney Winthrop. So when Courtney visited Millicent, she was glad to see that Alfred and Bess Madigan, the recently hired couple, were conscientiously looking after the frail old woman and her house in the Ozarks. Courtney was also happy to discover that Millicent s handsome young neighbor, Matt Devlin, enjoyed playing chess with her.

But Courtney began to worry when she saw or thought she saw Matt stealing a small item from Millicent s dining room. By that time Matt had stolen Courtney s heart, and her life would become unbearable if he turned out to be a lying crook "