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Spencer Barnes was having a pretty bad week. Only one job so far, and it had been open-and-shut. A simple, boring "find out if my wife is cheating on me" case. Spencer was a PI, a pretty good one at that, but he always seemed to have the worst luck. Not to mention, he was slowly turning to dust from boredom. His last interesting case had nearly gotten him killed but he missed the action. He had gotten drummed out of the Army after an insubordination incident. He had saved up his money and bought a nice .45, with an ammunition fabricator and a screw-on silencer. But he never got any action. His secretary, Elizabeth Cole, knocked on his glazed glass office door and walked in. "Mr. Barnes, there's a young woman waiting outside for you. Very pretty, but also very nervous. Of course, she's trying not to act like it." "How can you tell?" "I've worked in this office long enough to know when someone's hiding something Mr. Barnes. Oh, and she says its urgent." "Well, it's almost closing time Mrs. Cole. You know that." "Your the one who moans about not having cases." "Fine, show her in."
She leaned out the door for a moment and said "Mrs. Winters? Mr. Barnes will see you now." She quietly slipped back to her desk. It wasn't her job to get involved.

Scarlett Winters was a stunning woman. She was tall and thin, but not too thin, and just a bit pale, enough to make her dark red hair and poison green eyes stand out all that much more. She wore a black dress under an elegant fur coat. Her hair billowed out in smooth silken, waves, her eyes were like pools of green poison, stunningly beautiful but secretly toxic. Her voice sent shivers up Spencer's spine. "Good evening Mr. Barnes. I'm Scarlett Winters, and I need a private eye for a very....." She paused for a moment before continuing "discreet job." "Ya came to the right place Mrs. Winters. Pretty dame like you, you've probably got a lot of guys after you. What's the matter, a few guys trying to worm their way into your heart, and now you want me to rough em' up for you?" "No. I want you to kill my husband."

Spencer blinked a few times and said "What?!? I may be many things, but I ain't no hit man!" "Look, I have good reason. I'm afraid he's going to kill me." "Ok...why?" "It's a long story." "Lay it on me doll, we've got all the time in the world."

"Before I married my husband, I was a private nurse. I took care of an older woman, Mrs. Danielle Howard. Mrs. Howard's husband, James, had always fancied me, I know, but I thought it was just an innocent attraction."
A year ago:
The house was large and relatively quiet. The silence was broken by a loud buzzer blaring over an intercom. An irritated voice barked out "Where's my medicine?!?" Scarlett calmly replied "I'm getting it now Mrs. Howard, I'll be there in a moment." "Hurry up and bring me my medicine!" She sighed and walked up the stairs with the tray. There was a small glass of a thick pinkish fluid, a vitamin supplement, and several pills of varying sizes, as well as a tall glass of water, crystal, with an H engraved on it. Her hair was neatly done up under a white nurses cap and she wore a practical but smart outfit. She balanced the tray on one hand and opened the oak door with the other. The bedroom was large and old-fashioned, a four poster bed with two bedside tables, each of them with a very old lamp on it. A woman who looked as old as the furniture sat propped up in bed, visibly annoyed. She was the kind of old woman who was never really happy with anything or anyone, the kind who was always sick, the kind of person who looks like they have dust in the lines of their face. Danielle Howard barked at Scarlett. "What have I told you about knocking!?" "I couldn't knock, I was carrying your tray." "You opened the door didn't you?" "Yes, but-"' Mrs. Howard broke in "But nothing! You lack manners young lady! Now let's get this awful medicine down." She grimaced and nearly gagged as she drank the fluid. Between gags she said "It's vile! I hate it! It tastes like chalk!" "It's a vitamin supplement Mrs. Howard, you have to take it. Doctors orders. Now then, time for your pills." She nearly gagged again but kept it all down, although she had to have four glasses of water to try to keep it down. While she was drinking, Scarlett fluffed and rearranged her pillows to try to make her more comfortable. She smiled and asked "Is there anything else I can get you?" "Yes! My husband! See that he comes here at once!" Said Mrs. Howard as she adjusted her pillows back to the way they were.
Scarlett walked down to the study where Mr. Howard was. She knocked and entered. "Mr. Howard, your wife would like to see you sir." "Of course. Thank you Mrs. Winters. I must say, she seems much better in your care than with our previous nurse." "With respect sir, she hates me. I find patients generally heal better with nurses they like." "Mrs. Winters, I assure you, my wife has never been happy with her care, but I'd say she's infinitely better off in your care than anyone else's." "Thank you sir, but all the same, it still think it'd be better if I left." "I won't hear another word of it Mrs. Winters! You will not be quitting any time soon." "If you insist sir. I'll head to my room now sir."

Spencer said "A charming story Mrs. Winters, but I fail to see how it has anything to do with the death of your husbands first wife." "I'm getting to that Mr. Barnes."

"That night Mrs. Barnes had a relapse. She was slowly getting better, but then, suddenly, that night, her body just...crashed. It was out of nowhere."
Scarlett rushed into the bedroom, immediately took her pulse and promptly picked up the phone, dialing with one hand and opening a medkit with the other. She immediately informed the doctor of the situation and started trying to revive her. It was no use. The next day, Mrs. Danielle Howard was declared legally dead, cause of death being a heart attack.

"You just said it was a heart attack." "Give me a little time Mr. Barnes! You have to know the whole story."

"James was devastated by his wife's death. I stayed on a few days after the funeral, and helped him how I could. A few months later, he called and requested my services. I arrived to find no one was sick or injured. He took me to a concert. A few months later he proposed and I said yes. The reason I'm here is this. A few nights ago I was getting in bed a bit late and heard him talking in his sleep." "What did he say?"
Scarlett slipped into her gown after getting out of her shower. She saw James had dozed off, a book on his lap. She turned off the lamp and, as she grabbed the book she heard him mumbling. She leaned in and listened more closely. "Yes dear, I know you've already taken your pills. You've got to take it again. Doctors orders. I know you don't like it, but it's for your own good." Scarlett was horrified. She dare not speak or let out a sound, but as she backed away, in her fear she knocked over the clock. It crashed to the floor and James sat bolt upright in bed. "What was that?!?" He cried out. He looked around and asked "Why are so you close to me Scarlett?" She smiled "I was going to kiss you goodnight, but I knocked over the clock instead. I'm so clumsy in the dark."

"He's been talking about his wife nonstop recently. He might be feeling regret or guilt, but I think he knows I heard him. I love James to pieces but I'm scared he's going to do something." Spencer smiled and said "And that's all you've got? Something you overheard in the middle of the night? They'd laugh your attorney out of court for that! And as you know, a wife cannot testify against her husband in court." "I swear, I'm not making this up! It's too horrible to make up! I would go to the police if I had more evidence, but I don't." "I'm sorry, but I can't just bump off your old man for nothing more than something you heard. But keep it touch."

Scarlett pressed play on her husbands tape recorder. His voice played over the speakers "This is the audio log of Spencer Barnes. The following is a full and true account and is totally accurate in all respects. I first met Scarlett Winters when she asked me to murder her husband. Within a month he had died. The police ruled it a suicude by overdose. I am not so sure. We developed a relationship within the year. A few nights ago, I heard my beloved say something that made my blood run cold. She was asleep and mumbling to herself. She said, and I'm quoting now "Mrs. Howard. Take the pills. I know. Take them again, doctors orders. Take them Mrs. Howard. Take the pills." I know now that she poisoned Danielle Howard and I strongly suspect she also poisoned her husband. Having gotten away with two murders, I see no reason why she would stop at a third. I must not let her know I heard her talking in her sleep, for she will surely kill me. I cannot allow words or actions to give me away. End log." Scarlett set down her cocktail on the table and cocked her .45. She really didn't want to kill her husband. Sure, he was a Yankee, but he was a cute one!

Spencer Winters opened his front door. He saw his tape recorder sitting on the coffee table. Before he could do anything, he heard a click. A gun being cocked. "Hi honey. Welcome home." Spencer gulped and said "Scarlett, put the gun down. You might hurt yourself." "Oh my darling Spence. I know how to use a gun. I'm dead accurate. I hit a pin-sized target at 70 yards with my first shot. And I rarely miss. So sit down. Take a load off. Relax. And let's talk this through like civilized adults." They sat on opposite sides of the coffee table in the leather armchairs. Scarlett lit a cigarette using her lighter, keeping the pistol trained on Spencer's chest. She put it between her lips and blew out a cloud of smoke a moment later. "Now then, there are two options. Forget all about what you think you heard, or I will shoot you in the head. Understand?" "Yes dear. I love you. I have an obligation to turn you in." "So you choose to die then?" "No. Let me finish. I have an obligation. But I'm not going to turn you in. I want to stay alive, and I want us to keep what we have alive. I won't tell anyone, but if I die unexpectedly, Mrs. Cole will release the tape to the police. Understand?" "An insurance policy? No no, that won't do. We'll have to destroy that too. But for now, let's just have some coffee and cigarettes." "How do I know you won't just kill me like James?" "Simple. I love you. If I didn't I would have shot you already. But I didn't, because I love you." She put the gun away and walked into the kitchen, poured some coffee and put two cups and a bowl of sugar on a tray. She set it down, and said "Now that that unpleasantness is out of the way, let's have some coffee. Oh, and light a fire. It's cold, and I also need to burn your tape." Spencer spooned in six spoonfuls of sugar and stirred it before getting up and walking into the garage to get some firewood. Soon there was a roaring fire. After Scarlett tossed the tape into the fire and watched it melt she turned on the TV and together they watched The Maltese Falcon.