of all of the little things that most residents didn't want to be bothered with.
“Hello?” Eddy called out as he walked further into the recreation hall. He could smell the strong scent of a floor cleaner so he knew that someone had recently been cleaning.
“Working,” a muffled voice called back from the bathrooms. Eddy walked towards the bathroom. He had just about reached it when the door swung open. Dale, one of the janitors on staff, glared at him.
“Seriously? I just cleaned that floor,” he said with frustration. Eddy glanced down at his shoes. They weren't very dirty, but they had still left small marks on the clean floor.
“Sorry about that,” he said with genuine remorse.
“No one is supposed to be in here while I'm cleaning,” Dale said impatiently. He was a young man, in his early twenties. He carried a chip on his shoulder that reminded Eddy of the delinquents he used to deal with on a regular basis.
“Take it easy, Dale,” Eddy said. “I just wanted to ask you a few questions.”
“I'm a little busy,” Dale pointed out as he picked up the mop that had been resting against the wall beside the bathroom door.
“It's about James,” Eddy explained.
“Oh,” Dale lowered his eyes. He gripped the broom handle tightly. “That was a sad thing.”
“Yes, it was,” Eddy agreed and noted the way that Dale was hanging onto the broom handle. “I just thought you might have noticed if he'd been out of sorts. Or maybe if someone asked about him.”
“I don't exactly keep track of those kinds of things,” Dale said and looked up at Eddy. “What does it matter anyway? He had a heart attack.”
“Oh, I know he did,” Eddy nodded. He didn't want to alarm Dale with the notion that it could have been murder. “However, someone went into his room after he passed and stole his watch. A watch that his son was meant to inherit.”
“So?” Dale asked grimly.
“I thought you might have noticed if someone had been in his room. Or maybe you would know who cleaned it?” Eddy suggested and took a step closer to the janitor.
“I cleaned it,” Dale said and narrowed his eyes as he looked at Eddy. “I've got nothing to say about the watch.”
“Did you notice anyone going in or out of his room after his passing?” Eddy asked as he stepped even closer, essentially pinning Dale between himself and the wall.
“I didn't see anything,” Dale insisted, but his eyes flicked away from Eddy when he spoke. Eddy knew exactly what that meant. When someone wanted him to believe something because they meant it, they would look him right in the eyes. But when someone wanted him to believe something that was a lie, they would do everything but.
“Who was it?” Eddy pressed, ignoring the denial. “Did you see the person, did they pay you off? Is that it?” he asked, his voice escalating slowly but hardening with intensity as well.
“Look, old man, I don't know what you're talking about,” Dale growled and tried to move past Eddy. Eddy shifted in the same direction. It prevented Dale from getting past him, without ever touching him. It was another trick he had learned in his days of wearing a badge.
“Not so fast, Dale,” he said sharply. “I'm asking you a simple question. I expect an answer. I know you know something, you might as well tell me now, because I will find out.”
“Why should I tell you anything?” Dale snapped. His forehead was dotted with shiny drops of sweat. His face had gotten a little pale as they spoke. “It's not like you're the police or anything. I don't have to talk to you. Besides, I saw the way that guy, Mike, talked to his dad. He didn't deserve that watch.”
“What do you mean you saw the way Mike talked to James?”
“A couple of weeks ago,” Dale replied. “I was cleaning the villa next to James' and I heard arguing. So, I ducked my head out to see what was going on. James and Mike were standing there shouting at each other about money. Mike was talking
“Hello?” Eddy called out as he walked further into the recreation hall. He could smell the strong scent of a floor cleaner so he knew that someone had recently been cleaning.
“Working,” a muffled voice called back from the bathrooms. Eddy walked towards the bathroom. He had just about reached it when the door swung open. Dale, one of the janitors on staff, glared at him.
“Seriously? I just cleaned that floor,” he said with frustration. Eddy glanced down at his shoes. They weren't very dirty, but they had still left small marks on the clean floor.
“Sorry about that,” he said with genuine remorse.
“No one is supposed to be in here while I'm cleaning,” Dale said impatiently. He was a young man, in his early twenties. He carried a chip on his shoulder that reminded Eddy of the delinquents he used to deal with on a regular basis.
“Take it easy, Dale,” Eddy said. “I just wanted to ask you a few questions.”
“I'm a little busy,” Dale pointed out as he picked up the mop that had been resting against the wall beside the bathroom door.
“It's about James,” Eddy explained.
“Oh,” Dale lowered his eyes. He gripped the broom handle tightly. “That was a sad thing.”
“Yes, it was,” Eddy agreed and noted the way that Dale was hanging onto the broom handle. “I just thought you might have noticed if he'd been out of sorts. Or maybe if someone asked about him.”
“I don't exactly keep track of those kinds of things,” Dale said and looked up at Eddy. “What does it matter anyway? He had a heart attack.”
“Oh, I know he did,” Eddy nodded. He didn't want to alarm Dale with the notion that it could have been murder. “However, someone went into his room after he passed and stole his watch. A watch that his son was meant to inherit.”
“So?” Dale asked grimly.
“I thought you might have noticed if someone had been in his room. Or maybe you would know who cleaned it?” Eddy suggested and took a step closer to the janitor.
“I cleaned it,” Dale said and narrowed his eyes as he looked at Eddy. “I've got nothing to say about the watch.”
“Did you notice anyone going in or out of his room after his passing?” Eddy asked as he stepped even closer, essentially pinning Dale between himself and the wall.
“I didn't see anything,” Dale insisted, but his eyes flicked away from Eddy when he spoke. Eddy knew exactly what that meant. When someone wanted him to believe something because they meant it, they would look him right in the eyes. But when someone wanted him to believe something that was a lie, they would do everything but.
“Who was it?” Eddy pressed, ignoring the denial. “Did you see the person, did they pay you off? Is that it?” he asked, his voice escalating slowly but hardening with intensity as well.
“Look, old man, I don't know what you're talking about,” Dale growled and tried to move past Eddy. Eddy shifted in the same direction. It prevented Dale from getting past him, without ever touching him. It was another trick he had learned in his days of wearing a badge.
“Not so fast, Dale,” he said sharply. “I'm asking you a simple question. I expect an answer. I know you know something, you might as well tell me now, because I will find out.”
“Why should I tell you anything?” Dale snapped. His forehead was dotted with shiny drops of sweat. His face had gotten a little pale as they spoke. “It's not like you're the police or anything. I don't have to talk to you. Besides, I saw the way that guy, Mike, talked to his dad. He didn't deserve that watch.”
“What do you mean you saw the way Mike talked to James?”
“A couple of weeks ago,” Dale replied. “I was cleaning the villa next to James' and I heard arguing. So, I ducked my head out to see what was going on. James and Mike were standing there shouting at each other about money. Mike was talking
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