Shakespeare's Landlord

"I knew it was the Yorks," I said calmly. "Because of the curtains."

"You figured it out that way?"

"If Alvah's curtains were missing, there had to be a reason. And only T. L. would grab curtains down from their hooks. If Alvah had known what he was doing, she would have run and gotten a sheet or tablecloth that I wouldn't've missed. But I missed the curtains," I said drowsily, "and I knew someone had watered the plant."

"Why... Lily, why did you go to the camper?"

"I wanted to see what was in it," I said, and let my eyes close.

"Oh, yeah," I said thickly, hauling my lids up again. "How come you didn't know T. L. was in there?"

"I did," he said, trying not to sound angry with me. "I was waiting for him to come out with some evidence. He couldn't destroy it in the camper; he would've had to take it into the apartment. I couldn't get a warrant to search the camper. I didn't have enough evidence."

" 'Kay. My mind's at rest."

"One more thing."

"Mmm?"

"What about the handcuffs on the Drinkwaters' steps, Lily? What about the dead rat?"

"Oh, that was Thea. I was pretty sure as soon as Marshall told me what her secret life was like. And I knew for sure after I realized you'd threatened everyone who worked for you with death if they talked about what happened to me. But Tom David had already told his honey bunch. He didn't let her tell anyone else. But she knew, and she wanted to torment me. Once I figured that out, I didn't worry about it anymore. I can handle ole Thea."

I rolled an eye at Claude.

"Secret life?" he said hopefully. "Thea Sedaka has a secret life?"

"Maybe tell you sometime," I said.

"I hear Marshall's coming back tomorrow, Lily," Claude said when I was almost drifting off. "What are you going to do?"

"Go to sleep," I mumbled, and did.

[The End]