A Rare Visit

“Hi, nice to see you again. Won’t you sit down?

Ahh, I have sent all our chairs to be refurnished. The floor is pretty comfy, I sleep on it frequently.

Yes, I should have it swept, I’ll take care of it one of these mornings.

Why morning? Well, that is the time for sweeping floors. In the afternoon, I’m pretty busy doing my reading.

Oh, I thought you would remember. I love Shakespearean tragedies. Othello, Macbeth, King Lear in particular. Agatha Christie is also such a favorite.

And in the evening, to be perfectly frank, one can’t see well enough to do a proper job. Sweeping is sweeping, after all. Isn’t it?

I used to have a woman who came in once a month.

Yes, she was one of them, I admit. Quite a specimen. I don’t get many visitors these days. You’re the first in about sixteen years.

You’re right. It must have been over twenty years ago, before I went to prison.

Well you know, there are days and there are days.

Of course I have my regrets.

What do you mean? Oh, no, not that.

What do I regret? I’ll tell you. Keeping all the fingers as souvenirs. That did incriminate me in the end. Although I took care to obliterate the fingerprints. Who would have thought that you can get DNA samples from fingers in formaldehyde?

Well, they did take all that they could find. But I kept a few pinkies hidden away. Would you like to see them?

Oh, why are you leaving in such a hurry? I’ve got almond flavored tea, it’ll be ready in just a jiffy.

Oh well, if you must go, you must go. But you do have such lovely fingers.”