Response to trio challenge 36

A mystery. A pistol and a shawl

The visitor

Rating G

"Marta, have you seen my cameo broach?" Tessa asked as she waded through her room like a tornado.

"Tessa, I couldn’t find the floor if I tried," replied Marta as her eyes took in the devastation of the room. Every piece of clothing in the armoire and dresser had been scattered around the room. "I swear Tessa, you tore through all your clothing. Did you check the bed?"

Marta clasped her hand over her mouth at what she had just said and watched as Tessa turned and ripped the bedclothes from the bed, the sheet landing on Marta and covering her completely.

"Nothing," shouted Tessa and then turned to see a sheet shrouded Marta standing in the middle of the room. Giggling, she undraped Marta, who had a scowl on her face. "Marta this is getting to be a big mystery, one I don’t find amusing. There is a thief in this house."

"Does that thief wear a mask and a red sash?" Marta countered as she flipped her hair out of her face. The look she got from Tessa would stop a horse at full gallop.

"It isn’t funny Marta."

"Who’s laughing?" replied Marta stifling a giggle. "Let’s pick up all these clothes and start over."

The two women searched every piece of clothing again, replacing the items in their proper place and remade the bed. After two hours, they gave up. Tessa took off her hoop earrings and placed them on the dresser.

"After all of this, I want a glass of wine, Marta. Will you join me?"

"Most assuredly," replied Marta.

They went to the kitchen and as Marta opened a new bottle of wine, Tessa returned to her room for a shawl.

"Marta!"

Startled by the yell, Marta ran towards Tessa’s room to find Tessa staring at the dresser top.

"Tessa, what is it?"

"My earrings. I put them there not five minutes ago and they’re gone."

Suddenly they heard a soft scratching as if something was being dragged across the floor. They followed the sound to the steps of the cellar. As Marta lit a hurricane lamp, Tessa went and picked a pistol and loaded it.

"Let’s go," said Tessa.

Marta hesitated. Tessa looked at her; "he who hesitates is a damned fool Marta, come on."

Seeing the emotion of anger in Tessa’s face, Marta held the light high and followed Tessa down the dark stairs. The lamp illuminated the cellar. A scurrying was heard towards the back of the cellar.

Cautiously, Tessa approached the intruder with the loaded pistol cocked and aimed.

Marta suddenly started laughing hysterically as the light clearly showed a determined armed Tessa ready to engage in battle with the owner of 2 beady eyes. The pack rat stared back at her with the hoop earrings in its mouth.

"Bang!" Marta yelled causing Tessa to jump and fire the pistol toward the wall, the bullet striking a wooden post. The terrified pack rat dropped the earrings and high tailed it into a hole in the wall. Carrying the lamp to the wall she shone the light into the hole and looked in. Reaching into the hole she felt around and pulled out twenty gold reales, three forks, a small dagger and the cameo broach.

"To the victor goes the spoils," said Marta grinning and holding up the items.

Tessa looked at the items, the pistol in her hand and the hole in the wall and realized how foolish it looked. "Would that be called overkill?"

The women laughed and started back up the stairs. Two beady eyes looked out another hole in the wall four feet higher than the first hole. \I will get those gold circles back, \ thought the furry body sitting on top of a black piece of lace with eyeholes.