Sigismund expected the interior of Becky's house to be light green, but the scale of light greenness took his breath away. Light green plates were on a light green kitchen counter, next to a light green platter shaped like a chicken. There was light green linoleum on the floor. The sofas and easy chairs were light green. The TV was light green. Even the waste baskets were light green. Becky saw him staring at them and said, "I divorced my husband because he dared to use orange waste baskets at a party.

Of course, there are a few things that are not light green," she confessed, picking up a saltshaker in the shape of a chickadee.

"Those are Winterwood accessories," Sigismund said. "But the plates in the pattern are light green."

"I see I'll have to get up pretty early to put one over on you," Becky said.

The phone rang. It looked like a green bunny. "Okay, I'll be right over," Becky said into the mouthpiece. "That was the library," she told Sigismund. "They have a book I ordered. I'm going over to get it. I'll be back in five." She poured a cup of – what else? – green tea into a Winterwood cup and handed it to Sigismund along with a plate of pistachio cookies. "Enjoy, Ziggy. I'll be back before you know it. " She threw on her green trenchcoat and breezed out of the door.

Melissa came in as she was leaving. Sigismund bent over to pet her, but she moved to the foot of the stairs and looked back as if to beckon him.

"Melissa, by any chance are you saying I should follow you upstairs?" he said. The cat ran up the stairs and pushed a door open.

Sigismund could hear Renfrew's voice. "What in heaven's name is going on up there?" he exclaimed as he took the stairs far faster than his joints were used to. He found himself in the room where he had seen Becky that day he took Tintinella to the library. On the computer's monitor was a live video of Sigismund's condo. Renfrew and Curlew were hanging decorations. A big banner was taped to the wall. "Happy birthday, Sigismund," it read. Off to the side, Beatrice was mixing cake batter in the kitchen. Betty Boop and Orly were mixing something white and gooey in a big bowl. Wait a minute, wasn't Orly dead? And why have a birthday party now? His birthday was three days ago.

"Oh, Becky!" Sigismund said with a sigh as he descended the stairs. "I never dreamed that you would be spying on me. He was eating one of the cookies when Becky came back inside with a book about the history of Betty Boop.

"Did you like the cookies?" Becky asked.

"Yes, very nice. I just remembered I was going to get another video at the library."

"May I ask what tickles your fancy today?"

"I thought I would look for 'Rear Window.'"

Paulh

15.05.23 Front Page

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