Legs Benedict by Mary Daheim

fingered a chord. “What kind of notes?”
    â€œJust…names,” Judith replied. “On a slip of paper that had been torn out of a small spiral notebook.”
    â€œWhat were the names?” asked Marie, looking faintly disturbed.
    Judith had left the paper on her dresser. “I don’t recall exactly. I think one of them was Hoffa.” She uttered a feeble laugh.
    â€œHoffa?” Barney echoed. “What about him?”
    â€œWe don’t know any Hoffas,” Mal declared.
    Bea, who had recovered from her bout of tears, gave a disgusted shake of her head. “Heck, no. Wasn’t he some kind of union crook?”
    â€œTeamsters,” said Pete. “Hoffa disappeared several years ago. He was probably murdered.”
    â€œTough,” Mal grunted, then scowled at Judith. “He wasn’t staying here, was he?”
    Before Judith could utter an indignant denial, she saw Phyliss Rackley standing in the entrance to the living room. The cleaning woman’s sausage curls were practically standing on end and her face was a bright pink.
    â€œI quit,” she said, and stalked back into the dining room.
    â€œPhyliss!” Judith rushed after her. “Wait. Let me explain…”
    But Phyliss was vehemently shaking her head. “Godless doings, murder, blood lust, pillage, and the Lord only knows what else. I tell you, it’s that cat. He’s in league with the Evil One.”
    â€œPhyliss, please.” Judith tried to take the cleaning woman’s hand, but she yanked it away.
    â€œDon’t add lies to the list of sins. I can’t be around such infamy. Who knows, I could be next. That cat is always trying to put me under a spell. He wants me to do bad things, like fornicate and tap dance in short skirts.”
    â€œPhyliss…” Judith felt depleted. “Okay, let me write you a check.” She led the way into the kitchen. “Who would you recommend as a replacement?”
    â€œReplacement?” Phyliss seemed taken aback. “I’d never let anyone I know work here. This is Babylon, Sodom and Gomorrah, a den of iniquity. Better watch out, all you who enter here.”
    â€œAll right.” Judith feigned indifference as she started to write a check. “I’ll look in the classifieds, especially the Heraldsgate Hill weekly. It comes out tomorrow. Thanks, Phyliss. ’Bye.”
    â€œ What ?” Phyliss squawked. “Thanks? Goodbye? After all these years ?”
    Judith assumed a puzzled expression. “You want severance pay? A tip? A going-away gift?”
    â€œWell…” Phyliss’s weathered face was a mass of consternation. “No. No, ’course not. I just thought…well…maybe you might be able to save me.”
    â€œHmm.” Judith concealed a smile. “And all these years, I thought you were trying to save me .”
    â€œI don’t mean that way,” Phyliss said, waving a bony hand. “I mean, from Satan and all these other evil-doers.”
    Judith sighed. “Are you saying you might consider staying on?”
    Phyliss’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Well…the Good Book says we’re to be tested, doesn’t it? Isn’t this a test?”
    If so , thought Judith, I’ve passed a few already, but not always with flying colors . “Life is a test,” she replied. “I don’t blame you for being frightened, Phyliss. This is a scary situation. But except for its having happened on our property, it has nothing to do with us.”
    Nothing to do with us . Judith had heard that phrase before, several times, from different mouths. Her guests seemed eager to disassociate themselves from the crime. Judith could hardly blame them.
    â€œI suppose,” Phyliss began, tugging her housedress down over the telltale signs of her slip, “I could at least start cleaning. But don’t let that cat near me,” she