PBUY Chapter 03

 03

"There's some money in the drawer over there."

When she opened the spot he pointed to, the drawer was indeed stuffed full with stacks of cash.

Living with piles of money in the house, what would happen if a thief broke in?

Nellie picked out just a single bill from the haphazard pile of notes and shut the drawer.

"The grocery store is two blocks down. Buy mostly canned food that will last. Don't buy any fresh fruit or vegetables. They'll just rot and go to waste."

"That may have been the case when Mr. Coleman was living alone. But things are different now that the capable Nellie McKay is here."

At the grocery store, Nellie completely ignored Chester's advice and bought loads of fresh vegetables, meat, and fruit.

She even snuck a jelly dessert she liked into the already heavy shopping bag.

Even after buying all that, she still received a significant amount of change.

"If I just took a few more bills from the drawer…"

She could open her café in Newdane Harbor that much sooner.

But Nellie shook her head.

Her conscience wouldn't allow it. After all, she was already being paid a generous weekly wage by Mrs. James.

And if she were really the type to covet someone else's property, working at Mrs. Hudson's would have been much easier, because Mrs. Hudson didn't even know what was inside her own safe.

"Ughhh…"

Just as Nellie almost collided with someone vomiting while clinging to a wall, she quickly stepped aside.

It had already been years since Prohibition went into effect, yet the streets still had plenty of drunkards.

She could never understand how people drank to the point of losing consciousness, and with a sigh, she picked up her pace.

When she knocked on the door at 331 Fitz Street, Chester opened it, looking like he had just woken up.

"I can't keep coming to open the door for you every time. You should carry a key, Miss McKay."

"Oh my, are you giving me the house key? You're the first man to ever do that, Mr. Coleman!"

Nellie bowed her head with a shy smile. Chester looked at her like she was crazy.

"So, can I take that as permission to keep working here, Mr. Coleman?"

"Interpret it however you wish. The key is on the coffee table."

Indeed, there was a key quietly lying on the table.

Nellie picked it up and slipped it into her pocket, then said to Chester with determination.

"To commemorate receiving the key, I'll serve you an amazing breakfast. Just wait."

Chester waved his hand dismissively, as if saying, "Do whatever you want." It seemed he was thinking: Let's see what you can do.

Nellie set down her grocery bags in the kitchen and began organizing the items she had bought.

After putting everything away, she took out three eggs and some bacon and placed a frying pan on the stove.

She tossed in the bacon, cracked the eggs one by one into the pan, and soon, the kitchen was filled with the sizzling sound and a delicious aroma.

At the same time, she boiled water in the coffee pot and added finely ground coffee beans.

Once the bacon and eggs were perfectly cooked, she plated them neatly and set the table with proper tableware.

"Mr. Coleman, please come eat breakfast."

It was a beautiful, hearty breakfast.

Chester limped over slowly and, upon seeing the table, frowned.

"Are you trying to serve me dinner or something?"

"Is there a problem?"

"There's just too much food, Miss McKay. This amount is more than enough."

With that, Chester plopped down in a chair, pushed the plate toward her, and only took the cup of coffee for himself.

"If you haven't eaten, help yourself."

His tone was as if he were offering charity. At the same time, he took a sip of coffee with elegant poise.

"How unfortunate."

Nellie sat down across from Chester. It was an odd standoff.

I must turn this lunatic into a human being. That is the mission Mrs. James has given me…

"I already had breakfast early this morning, Mr. Coleman. And-"

"…"

"You're very tall, but you're far too thin. I bet you don't eat properly, do you?"

Without giving him a chance to respond, Nellie continued.

"You were probably up all night and only finally fell asleep around the time everyone else was already heading out to work. Am I right?"

"…"

"And when you did get hungry, I'm sure you just opened a can of something and called it a meal. Isn't that right?"

"…"

She spoke as if she could see through him completely.

"You sit on the couch all day without moving, listening to the radio. You don't meet people or even talk to anyone. Isn't that true?"

"Could you please stop saying, 'Isn't that true?'"

Chester weakly protested.

"It's actually impressive how neat your lawn is, considering all that."

He frowned deeply but didn't respond.

"Still not going to eat, Mr. Coleman? Then I suppose I'll have to call Mrs. James…"

Nellie played her trump card, invoking Mrs. James. The reaction was immediate.

"Please don't call my aunt. I just don't particularly enjoy eating breakfast, Miss McKay. So…"

Chester requested another plate from Nellie.

Once she handed it to him, he placed two strips of bacon and two eggs on it and slid the plate across to her.

"This much is more than enough."

In front of Chester was a single strip of bacon, one egg, and a cup of coffee.

"Eat with me. I know you can eat more than that, Miss McKay."

"…You've… gotten to know me quite well in such a short time."

Nellie pouted slightly, fetched her utensils, and cut into the warm bacon, popping a piece into her mouth.

Seeing her expression, Chester subtly raised his coffee cup to hide a small smile.

A temporary ceasefire had settled between them.

But it wasn't the end of the war, just a pause in hostilities.

***

Nellie, still unsatisfied after eating two strips of bacon and two eggs, had a grapefruit and two apples for dessert. She followed that with coffee and orange juice before finally rising from her seat.

As she stood, Chester also got up slowly. His plate had been empty for quite a while already.

"Just go about your day as usual. I'll wash the dishes and do some cleaning afterward. And for today, I won't be entering that room, so please keep that in mind."

Nellie fired off her message before Chester could say anything.

He gave no response and silently walked out of the kitchen. A moment later, the sound of the living room radio turning on could be heard.

A woman's voice flowed from the speakers, a popular song Nellie knew well.

[Loving someone is hard. It's even harder when they don't love you back. I'm sick of it.]

In the stillness of the house, piano notes and the sorrowful voice of a woman filled the space.

[I quietly despaired. I collapsed. There are three men who never loved me: my father, my brother, and the man who ruined me.]

Nellie began humming along with the tune.

Chester sat blankly, his expression unreadable.

Does he spend his entire day just listening to the radio? Nellie wondered, then tried to strike up conversation.

"Isn't Diana Gloomy's music just amazing? Even her name is perfect, both the first and the last!"

"…"

Suddenly, Chester's face stiffened.

"You know, Mr. Coleman, I sometimes think… what if my name weren't Nellie McKay, but Elizabeth Rose Barclays instead? What do you think of that name?"

"Woof! Woof!"

Right on cue, George barked from upstairs.

"Looks like George thinks that's nonsense."

"Excuse me?"

"I wholeheartedly agree with George's opinion. Also, 'Diana Gloomy' isn't her real name, Miss Nellie McKay. Try to remember the love and affection of the person who gave you your name."

"Well... I was told it was a name given by my father, but I don't even know what it means. He passed away before I turned two."

"…I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It's all in the past. It doesn't affect me anymore."

Nellie shrugged as if it truly didn't bother her.

"Woof, woof, woof!"

George suddenly began barking from upstairs, sounding unusually excited.

"Mr. Coleman, would it be okay if I let George come down to the first floor? She must be getting bored up there alone."

"No. Just leave her."

Chester's reply was curt.

"Calling my aunt won't change anything. Taking care of the dog isn't part of your duties, Miss McKay."

"Well, that's true, but-"

"Just leave the dog be and focus on your own responsibilities."

Goodness! So cold all of a sudden…

What was he, a moody teenager?

Just moments ago, they'd been having a friendly chat, and now, like it was all a lie, Chester disappeared into his room.

Nellie considered replying, but the image of his stern face made her hold her tongue.

She'd only been on the job two days. Just yesterday, she had been locked up in a small room. And no matter what kind of person he was, he was still the homeowner.

And the homeowner, clearly upset about something, had already retreated to his room.

"I guess I'd better get to work."

As planned, Nellie prepared to clean. But the broom was nowhere in sight.

"Mr. Coleman! Where's the broom?"

She shouted loudly enough for even George upstairs to hear, but there was no answer from Chester.

Oh dear. He must still be in a mood.

"Well, if he won't answer, I'll just have to find it myself."

Nellie muttered cheerfully and began searching around the house. It didn't take long before she discovered a broom covered in dust.

She noticed thick layers of dust on all the furniture.

She started by opening the windows in every room on the first floor, except Chester's room.

"This place looks like no one's been living here…"

Without complaint, Nellie swept up the dust.

It looked like the floors hadn't been waxed in a long time. And of course, there was no floor wax in sight.

She mentally added it to her already long list of things to buy.

After finishing with the broom, Nellie picked up a rag to wipe down the furniture.

As she moved toward the living room display cabinet, she noticed bundles of unopened letters tied with string.

She untied the string and checked the senders, they were all from military-related organizations: Veterans' Assistance Department, Veterans' Labor Union, Veterans' Job Placement Agency…

All except one.

[Barbara T. Rogers]

Clearly a woman's name.