Death by Chocolate

cap, and a
little girl. All three were holding hands, the girl in the middle. Behind them,
suspended beneath a beaming sun and a slightly crooked rainbow, was a long
black automobile that must have been the classic Jaguar in the garage.
    Savannah thought of what
Louise had said about throwing his belongings into the Dumpster, and she
winced.
    Everybody lost a job from
time to time. But these people were losing more than a place of employment;
they were being torn out of their homes, as well. It was a lot for anyone to
handle on top of the previous week’s stresses.
    “I’m so sorry,” Savannah
said, “for you and for Marie, too. But, you know, you have certain rights as a
tenant, and Louise can’t demand that you vacate the premises in a matter of
hours. As much as she likes to think she’s in charge, she has to play by the
rules, too.”
    He gave a wry chuckle.
“Since when? When you’ve got the money—or your parents do—you’ve got the power.
That’s the way of the world.”
    “Not always. You and Marie should
stand up for your rights. Don’t take it lying down.”
    He shrugged and moved some
of the pictures off the sofa. “I guess I’m folding, but I don’t really want to
be around here anymore. I’ve had enough. The only reason why I was staying was
because of little Gilly. With Marie and me gone—and her grandmother, too—I hate
to think what life’s going to be like for her. That pup is cute, but it doesn’t
take the place of a human being who cares about you. And we all know that
Louise doesn’t give a damn about the kid.”
    Savannah opened her mouth
to say something about the legal system stepping in on Gilly’s behalf, but
decided to keep it to herself. What could she tell him anyway? According to
Angela, there wasn’t much anyone could do at the moment.
    “Maybe Gilly’s situation
will improve,” she said. “Either way, you and Marie aren’t responsible for her.
I’m sure you’ve already given her all you can in the way of love and support.”
She nodded to the picture on the wall. “Looks like it made an impression on
her. She’ll keep that sense of having been loved, even after you’re gone.”
Sydney glanced at the picture, and Savannah was pretty sure she saw the glimmer
of tears in his eyes.
    “How’s Marie taking it...
being let go, that is?” she asked.
    “Better than I am. At least
she didn’t get into a screaming match with Louise.” Having moved most of the
pictures from the sofa, he plopped down on it. Motioning to the other end, he
added, “Have a seat if you want. I’m not in the mood to start packing yet.”
    “Listen, Detective Coulter
is on his way here—I just spoke to him on the phone—and you can explain your
situation to him. He can put the fear o’ God into Louise, make her go through
the proper procedures to evict you, buy you some time.”
    “I only need a couple of
days to find another place and pack up.”
    “I understand.”
    Savannah heard a car in the
driveway, and she was pretty sure she recognized the wheeze and sputter as the
driver killed the engine. “Speak of the devil, and he’ll appear,” she said,
going over to the screen door and looking out. “Yes, it’s Coulter all right.”
    She opened the door and
leaned out. “Dirk. Up here,” she called.
    Dirk quickly climbed the
stairs and entered the apartment. He looked tired and aggravated, but Savannah
didn’t read much into that. Dirk was frequently both. “What’s up?” he asked,
looking from her to Sydney. “Louise is cleaning house, so to speak,” she told
him. “She just canned both Sydney here and Marie, the housekeeper.”
    “Why? She’ll still need
help with this place.... assuming she inherits it,” Dirk said. “I can’t imagine
her mowing the grass and washing the windows.”
    “That’ll be the day, when
that spoiled brat does any kind of real work,” Sydney said. He was still
sitting on the sofa, looking dejected, his head in his hands.
    Dirk took a couple of steps
toward him. “I was going to talk to Marie about this, but you might know as
well as her.”
    “What’s that?” Sydney
looked up, mildly interested.
    “I was wondering what
pharmacy you guys used. Not Eleanor; I know she got her prescriptions from
Sav-Mor on Nelson Highway. But how about everybody else around here?”
    “You mean me.... and
Marie?” Sydney asked.
    “And Louise.”
    Sydney shrugged. “I’m not
sure about Marie. She’s asked me to pick up aspirin for her