Maude rushed out of the library, almost dropping her books on the way out. Was Mrs. Smith the culprit? or just simply a nosy woman? did she know of Mr. Andrews passing at all? As curious, and horrified as Maude was, she decided to put it off as being simply shaken up from the day's past events. As Maude reached her boarding house, she had a deep thought. It sent chills through her spine.
"Do I really want to know who did it?"
Maude shamefully succumbed to the thought, and dwelled upon it, for what seemed like minutes.
"Perhaps I should leave this matter to the real authorities."
Her senses all came back at once. She gasped, and shook her head as though she had just popped up from a deep pool of water. Of course she wanted to know who did it. If she want even it the least bit curious, could she even call herself Maude Miller? She quickly regained control of her brain, and stood tall. she walked up the long staircase, and found herself at her door. Maude made herself comfortable, and settled down with her library-borrowed copy of Solving Murder with the Minds and Thoughts of a Criminal Mastermind, and found it to be awfully dreary. She found herself peering out the window, and wishing she was out-of-doors herself. Walking through the park, visiting brothels and night clubs. Eating, dinking, dancing, music. Oh, how the girl wished she could be doing it herself. but what more could she do? She had no files, no murder weapons, and no access to the body. She knew she would never be allowed into the morgue, but what harm could trying do? up on her feet again, Maude was off to the office of Dr. Byrd. By this time, Maude was so focused, that the next thing she heard was her own voice:
"May I come in?"
And the second:
"Why, of course!"
Still on her feet, Maude was now in a large Morgue and registration office, controlled all by a woman, not much older than her. Maude observed the woman, and took not of her enthusiastic personality. She had a big smile. A genuine smile. A smile that can only be gained through years of age and hard living. The woman stuck out her hand, to shake Maude's. There was a disturbing amount of blood under her fingernails.
"Dr. Viola Byrd. City coroner."