SHAKESPEARE’ SECRET by Elise Broach

matter.”
    â€œDoesn’t matter?” Hero demanded. “Of course it matters! It changes everything.”
    She felt a surge of anger that surprised her. They had been in this together, she and Mrs. Roth, trying to find the diamond, helping each other, solving the puzzle. It had been their secret. But now it wasn’t true. And wasn’t the whole point of a secret that it was true, so true and private you couldn’t tell anyone, or at least couldn’t tell anyone except a friend you could trust?
    Mrs. Roth gripped the fence. “It doesn’t change anything.” Hero saw her knuckles turn white. “Now listen to me, Hero. I’m sorry you had to learn that particular piece of information from someone other than myself. But it has no bearing whatsoever on anything I’ve told you about the Murphys or the diamond.”
    â€œYou lied to me.”
    â€œI did not. If you had asked me about Arthur, I would have told you the truth.”
    â€œOh, sure. Like I would have thought to ask that. Like anybody would! You don’t even have the same last name. It’s crazy. You live next door to your ex-husband and you’re best friends with his new wife? Who’d believe that?”
    â€œNo one.” Mrs. Roth looked away, dropping her hand from the fence. “Which is why I didn’t tell you. I went back to my maiden name years ago, though I never quite gave up the ’Mrs.’ At any rate, I was surprised when the police found out. But then, I suppose that’s their job.”
    Hero shook her head bitterly. “It must’ve been a lot easier to fool me.”
    â€œI wasn’t trying to fool anyone. Hero, stop this.”
    â€œWhat else haven’t you told me? I bet you already know where the diamond is. It’s not like you were so upset about your friend dying that you couldn’t even think about it.”
    As soon as the words left her mouth, Hero regretted them. Something in Mrs. Roth’s face changed, crumpling, closing. She stepped back from the fence.
    â€œAll right, Hero. That is quite enough. I’m sorry you believe that I lied to you. It was never my intent to deceive you.”
    Mrs. Roth turned away. She slowly retraced her steps through the thicket of shrubs and flowers, stifflyclimbing the porch stairs. Her short silver hair capped her head like a soldier’s helmet, glinting in the morning sun. She walked into the house, closing the door behind her.
    Hero was left to stare at the jubilant tangle of the garden, dewy and sparkling in the morning light. She wondered why she suddenly felt so bad. She wasn’t the one who’d lied. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
    She walked slowly back to the house. Hero ducked through the kitchen before her parents could waylay her and climbed the stairs to her room, flopping backward on the bed. The colorful glass bottles on the window seat caught her eye. Mrs. Roth would like those, too, Hero realized. She would fill them with her flowers.
    She stared at the ceiling, studying the etching of roses on the old light fixture, all the while thinking about Mrs. Roth. It had been so exciting, to imagine the diamond, to consider its hiding place. It had been the one good thing about moving here, the only good thing. And now it seemed to be something else entirely: a lie, a scam, a hoax. Probably Danny’s father was right. The diamond wasn’t here anymore. Mr. Murphy and Mrs. Roth had taken care of that long ago.
    Hero glanced at the green book on her nightstand. Much Ado About Nothing. That’s the story of my life, she thought.
    Beatrice leaned her head in the doorway. “Can I borrow your jean shorts?” she asked.
    â€œNo.” Hero rolled on her side, looking out the window.
    â€œWhat’s the matter with you?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œThen let me borrow your shorts. Mine are in the laundry.”
    Hero sighed. “Okay. But leave me