WHEN MY 59-YEAR-OLD NEIGHBOR KNOCKED AT MIDNIGHT, I THOUGHT I WAS FIXING A PIPE, BUT I WAS REALLY SAVING MY OWN LIFE…

But the second we stepped inside, the illusion shattered. Water streamed across the linoleum in silver ribbons, spilling from beneath the sink cabinet and spreading toward the table legs.

“Oh, hell,” I muttered.

“I tried the valves,” she said, clutching a bucket she clearly had no use for except to keep her hands from shaking. “They’re stuck. I can’t continue reading …