Chapter VI

The police had no leads in the death of Sheila. Detectives came and went at all hours at the union now. The kitchen was a taboo place to enter, most ate at their desks now. Anna rarely moved out of her office unless necessity compelled her to visit Jerry. She no longer talked to anyone in the office, often her mind would wander to that day in the kitchen. Sheila's eyes looking at the toaster, her murderer-well at least the murder weapon. It had been Sheila burning toast in the kitchen. That mystery was solved, a loaf of rye bread had been found in her desk along with a coordinated plan to create the smell in the office. The police told Anna that she had been the target of this petty annoyance, she had been the victim of an unknown and unfathomable grudge.

As the months passed life began to return to normal for Anna. The yellow tape that crisscrossed the doors of the kitchen was removed and a new girl, Laura, had been hired to take over Sheila's old job. She was a quiet unassuming girl, she seemed neither to want or seek out the company of her co-workers. She paid them no attention, and in turn they ignored her. Because of this she hadn't been told of what had happened to Sheila so every lunchtime she sat blithely unaware over the slight stain in the linoleum where blood had leaked through the floor. Gradually other workers began to eat in the kitchen again, although always sitting as far from the door as possible.

Anna's work steadily improved as their was no mystery to solve now, beyond the larger one of Sheila's death, which Anna felt incapable of solving. She decided, for once, to let a professional handle it. Mr. Brisnell was speedily dealt with and Jerry complimented her on a job well done. Without the mystery Anna also grew increasingly dissatisfied with Steve, unable to remember why she had ever gone out with him she broke up with him. She returned to her happy, normal life, she even began a cautious flirtation with Sean who had broken up with Connie in the weeks following Sheila's death. Content with her life she expected no more mysteries or death to come her way.

Unfortunately for Anna, life has a funny way of doing exactly the opposite of what you expect.