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Nine Tenants, Eight Keys
mystery◐ Mature5 contributors · 3 paragraphs deep
Edda goes straight to the ledger. The landlord, old Mr. Halloran, hands it over with shaking hands. Nine names, nine signatures. But the ninth name, in room 9, is smudged, like someone wiped a wet thumb across it on purpose. She can't read it.
Mr. Halloran suddenly snatches the ledger back. 'There were only ever eight,' he says, too fast. 'I miscounted the keys one year, that's all.' But his thumb is stained with the same blue ink that smudged the ninth name. He did it. The question is why.
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Edda grabs the landlord's wrist and shows him the ink. 'You smudged her name this morning, while the house was still burning. Why?' Halloran crumples. 'Because if anyone found out she was never really gone, they'd dig her up. And I couldn't let them.'
ED
Elif Demir
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