In the Shadow of Shakespeare by Ellen Wilson Page A

the money.”
    Alice
frowned, cocked her head.  “The money?  Who?  I don’t get your
drift Derrin.”
     “Well,
once this place started pulling in the bucks…that’s all they were concerned
about.”
     “By
they…do you mean the board?”
    He
nodded.
    She
looked out the window.  A robin flew into a tree with a worm in its beak –
gulped it down. 
    “Looking
for easy pickings I suppose.”
    She
thought it strange there were so many robins around.  She did enjoy their
song. 
    “I’m
sorry, what did you say Alice?  Easy pickings?” 
    “Oh…I
guess I was thinking out loud.”
    There
was the sound of thunder in the distance.  The sky turned a murky grey,
threaded with a venomous yellow. 
    “Looks
like a doozy.”  Alice said.
    “Yeah. 
I’m out of here.  Thanks for the pep talk boss.”  Derrin stood.
    “Just
let me know what you’re thinking.  Okay?”
    “Sure. 
See ya.”
    A
boom of thunder echoed throughout the sky.  Alice closed the window as the
wind whipped rain drops over the desk.  She noticed the silk faux curtains
were fading, turning a shade of dark pink where the sun had been baking
them.  Alice fingered them between her fingers, thought of what Derrin had
said.  She wondered how much he really did know  but didn’t want to
tell her. 
    She
watched the rain, and thought she would wait for it to pass before she ventured
outside to her car.  Lately she had been thinking of Kit when it had rained. 
    She
thumbed through a pile of bills on her desk. The phone rang.  She picked
it up and explained to the person on the other end that this was the Lion
Theatre, not the Lion Strip Club.  The person on the other end seemed to
think that they were one and the same, a theatre is a theatre.  Disgusted,
Alice hung up the phone.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw a number
written on a piece of paper tucked under the phone.  She picked it up and
examined it.  Not recognizing the handwriting she frowned.  Turning
the scrap of paper over she noticed the initials D.J.  Derrin James?   How would he have gotten into my office?  Alice made a mental note
to ask him about it when she saw him again. 
    No,
no, I want to know now.   She dialed the number.
    “American
Bank and Trust.” 
    American
Bank and Trust?
    “Sorry,
wrong number.”  She hung up the phone.   Looking out the window
she noticed the rain had stopped.  She carefully closed the blinds and the
curtains.  She crumpled the paper, and her hand hovered over the waste
basket.  Instead, she shoved the scrap in her pocket.
     ***
    The
address that Jeannie had written down for her lay in the console of her
car.  She picked it up.  It looked like it was by the school. 
Backing out of the parking lot she turned down Lake Lansing, towards the west
end of town. 
    The
road was the link between two different worlds.  If you lived on the west
end you were most likely Mexican, and if you lived on the east end you were
most likely white.  Somewhere in the middle the houses became
smaller.  Yards started to contain Plastic Virgin Marys.  These were
placed in grottos with masses of fake roses or geraniums in bright blue
pots.  Children littered the unkempt yards.  Some toddled in diapers
with bare feet.  Young girls sat on the porches watching them.  Alice
became lost looking for the address that Jeannie had written down for
her.  She stopped by a yard containing small children chasing a
kitten.  A young girl sat on the porch steps with an older girl sitting
behind her.
    “Do
you know where Maria Serna lives?” 
    They
looked at each other, then at her.  The young girl giggled.  She had
on blue eye shadow and had a red ribbon tied at the end of her long braid.
    “ No
lo se.”   The young girl said.
    “Oh,” 
The older girl appeared lost in thought.  “You mean Mimi?” 
    Alice
didn’t know.  She nodded her head yes.
    “She
lives on Baker.  Go up three streets, go left.  You’ll see