Millicent folded the letter and slipped it into its envelope. She ran her tongue slowly over the glue and sealed it tightly. Never in the history of Garbo Towers had she found it necessary to pen an apology to anyone doing business with her. She addressed the letter to Pierre Boussar care of La Petite Bouchée. Enclosed was the full amount for his services plus a generous bonus for the embarrassment and inconvenience he and his staff had endured.

A little unsteadily, she rose from her desk and made her way to the lobby, placing the letter in a special basket marked, Pick Up. The postal people had long ago surrendered to her insistent suggestion that it was good for public relations as well as a convenience of service. Haggis yelped and scratched at the inside of his apartment door and she made herself knock to register her disappointment with such abuse of her premises.

"Molly, what brings you a-knocking at my door?" Stanley unrolled his sleeves and fastened the cuffs, a gesture not lost on Millicent.

"I just wanted to ask if you could please prevent Haggis from scratching at the wood on the door."

"Aha! Step in a moment, would you, Molly." He stepped back and swung the door wide. Hesitantly, and after glancing up and down the hall, Millicent entered his apartment. "Please look here." Stanley pointed to the bottom of the door where a sheet of scored leather was carefully hung to protect the finish. Haggis bounced back and forth for emphasis.

"Oh my! I had no idea. How wonderfully thoughtful, Stanley." She grabbed his arms and hugged him briefly. "I should have known a gentleman such as yourself would automatically be considerate of the property of others."

They sat at Stanley's kitchen table overlooking the street in front of the building. The young woman delivering the mail dutifully made her pick up and Millicent smiled stirring the tea, Stanley had insisted on making, with a dainty silver spoon.

"I'm afraid our little community will never be the same again, Stanley."

"Don't despair, Molly. As bad as things look now, there will always be something rosy to take their place. The fact that that boor, Spade won't be around is already an improvement."

"Isn't that a little harsh, Stanley? The man was murdered."

"Good riddance, I say."

She smiled at her teacup and spoke without looking up. "Stanley, that young woman that stayed with you the other night, did you- was she..."

"Just a guest, Molly. Just a guest. I called her a taxi after making sure she had a decent breakfast, and sent her off to work." He saw a question forming on her lips. "She keeps a uniform at work, Molly."

He shared her self-conscious laugh.

*****

"I insist you tell me what went on, Emily." Regina pulled her dressing gown around her ample frame and set her reading glasses on the table.

"And I insist you let me alone, Regina." They faced off across the table; a common scenario except this time the perennial underdog had grown some teeth.

"You told the police that you were having a drink with that young man tending the bar, Emily he was a child for heaven's sake."

"He was more of a man than I've ever known." She snapped nastily, biting her lip at the veil of sadness that crossed her mother-in-law's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that the way it- came out."

"My son would have been more of a man had his father not run off."

"Regina, don't. Don't go there, it's all over and in the past. Ryan was- he was just one of the young unfortunates."

Regina turned her attention to the window, seeing nothing but the reflection of a bitter old woman. "So now you're turning your attention to just the young is that it? Hiding in bushes?" Her stinging remark caused Emily's cheeks to colour.

"We were in the shadows of the arbour we weren't hiding." She fibbed. "Besides, when I arrived for the tribute you weren't even there. Where were you, Regina?"

"In here looking for you. I was just checking to make certain you were all right."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, Emily, stop acting so foolish. Something happened recently that prompted a big change in your attitude. Instead of the mousy little widow, you're suddenly all bubbly daring."

"Bubbly daring—I decided to have fun for a change, Regina, instead of hanging around like your personal handmaiden. And speaking of hanging around, why didn't you come back outside when you saw I wasn't there?"

"Let's not make this about me, shall we."

The in-laws stared to a draw.

*****

"Geena, for cryin' out loud, what are you doing?"

"Packing, what does it look like."

"Packing for what? Where are you going? You can't go anywhere, the cops said—let me get this." He held out his hand for time while he answered his cell phone.

Geena shook her head and kept on filling a small suitcase with a selection of clothes. She listened to Gary with one ear, surprised at how disinterested she had become in his wheeling and dealing. When he said goodbye, instead of returning to his questions, he booted up his laptop and fiddled with some files. She closed the bag and set it on the floor, looking around for anything else she thought she might need.

"Babe, now c'mon. What's going on?" He still had a headset on fastened to his answer phone and his eyes flicked back and forth from her to the computer screen.

"I'm staying with Brenda for a while."

"BRENDA! Jesus, Babe, why? She's a- she's—"

"A damn sight more considerate than you, Gary." Geena planted her fists on her hips and smoked him with a look. "That incident in the garden drove home a very strong point to me, about you and I and all this- this stuff."

"Geena. Honey. This is what we do! This is what's real!" He turned his head to listen to his phone and then looked back. "I had Galloway Enterprises on the line, Babe. I couldn't just hang up."

"No, you couldn't, Gary. And that's the point that hit me so strongly."

"I was gonna brace the guy," Gary said, "but he went right over and hit on Sophia. She sorted him out and he went inside." He tapped a few keys on his computer and watched the screen out of the corner of his eye. "You walked off angry, so I came up here to do some business." He watched her cross the room to her dresser. "Geena?"

She picked up a few items from her dressing table, lifted the small suitcase and went to the door. "Would you get this for me, please."

He winced slightly and held out his hands. "I'm on the line. I- I..."

Geena put down the bag, opened the door and left without closing it.

"Babe?"