“I didn’t say she killed anyone. I said she left bodies in her basement.”
“Oh,” Bertha said. “I thought you meant she killed someone.”
“No. I haven’t said that — not yet.”
“Then there’s nothing for me to get concerned about.”
“I take it you want to be of every assistance to the police.”
“Why should I?”
“Because you’d like to stay in business.”
“Sure,” Bertha said, her eyes watching Sellers’ face for any tell-tale flicker of expression. “I’ll help the police clean up a murder case, but I see no reason to get steamed up over the fact that the woman’s a sloppy housekeeper. How many bodies?”
“Only one.”
“Give her a chance. You shouldn’t accuse her of being a sloppy housekeeper on the strength of one body. I’ve read of cases where people have had as many as a dozen; and then again, if it hadn’t been there too long, it might mean she merely—”