“Why should she?”
“Stripping up linoleum, scraping off wallpaper …”
“Most likely she will be doing that while I am away at work.”
“Yeah, but she looks …”
He cocked his head, his black eyes as inquisitive and direct as those of a wary crow. “Yes? Looks? How does she look?”
“Noisy.”
He studied me over his raised teacup, as he tilted it and took a sip. Then he said, “You do not mean noisy.”
“I don’t?”
“You do not.”
“Then what do I mean?”
“I await the revelation.”
“Nasty,” I said. “Maybe a little crazy. She’s a little nasty-crazy.”
He put down his teacup and leaned forward. “I met this woman on the stairs yesterday. I said good afternoon, but she did not.”
“What did she say?”
“She made a suggestion I will not repeat. Nasty—I am sorry to say, yes. Crazy—maybe.” He leaned forward even farther. “May I share this with you, Jonah Kirk, and be certain you will never quote me?”
I raised my right hand. “Swear to God.”
“The best word to describe her is dangerous. I have known dangerous people in my life. Please believe me that I have.”
“I believe you, sir.”
“If you are intrigued by this Eve Adams, resist your curiosity. She is only trouble. We must hope she will be gone without damage.”
For a moment, I considered sharing my experience with the woman, but it seemed that if I told him about her threats, I’d have to tell him also that I had seen her in a dream, strangled and dead. I didn’t want him to think that the best word to describe me was nutcase.
I allowed myself to say only, “I think maybe she’s a witch.”
He raised his eyebrows. “How extraordinary. Why do you think this?”
“Sometimes she just … appears.”
“Appears what?”
“You know, sort of like out of thin air. In places where she couldn’t be.”
“I myself have not observed this.”
Having said too much, I rose to my feet and added only, “It’s freaky. Anyway, if you hear anything funny up there … I mean anything suspicious …”
“I expect to hear many suspicious things, Jonah Kirk. But I will not listen.”
“Huh? Won’t listen?” I tried to puzzle out his meaning. “Don’t you care if she’s up to no good?”
“I am concerned. But I want no trouble. I have had enough of trouble, you see. More than enough.”