Free Act V by Ansley Adams

pantomimed
holding a shield and sword. “That kind of sword had to be light
enough to handle with one hand.”
    Addison nodded. “That makes sense. How
do you know all this anyway?”
    She gave him a direct and somber stare.
“I didn’t dream it if that’s what you’re getting at.”
    “ No, I just wondered how a
woman that obviously doesn’t go around collecting implements of
warfare would have gathered this much background about
swords.”
    “ Okay, fair enough,” she
acknowledged. “I’m a director, executive director of the Clearview
Players, but I imagine you’ve already found that out. We’re the
only professional troupe in town. I specialize in Shakespeare
though we do a little bit of everything. Naturally, if you do
Shakespeare, you have to know something about swords.”
    Brice and Addison both nodded. “Okay,
go on then.” Addison prompted.
    “ Anyway, as armor became
more sophisticated, the need to carry a shield became less
important. That left both hands open for weapons. Swords that were
heavier but could be thrust through chinks or between plates in the
armor, or maybe through the armor itself, were developed. The long
sword was held in two hands and had a very pointed tip that could
impale one’s opponent.” She pretended to jab the broom handle
toward Brice’s midsection.
    He only flinched a little, letting out
an “Oof!” and reddened when he did.
    “ In addition, many swords
were designed to be decorative as well as functional.” She put down
the broom. “The one I dreamed about looked like a dragon. The tail
made up the handle and the wings spread out to make the
guard.”
    Brice sat back down and held up one
hand. “Do you mean to say that the guy we’.3re looking for had a
real medieval long sword that looks like a dragon?”
    She lifted one shoulder. “I
don’t know if it’s the real thing or not. I’m not an expert, I just
know some history. It could be an authentic replica, or one of
those pieces of junk you buy off the internet, but it would have to
be strong enough to stab the guy. Not only that, but if it’s real,
it would be very heavy and hard to handle.” She drained the
remaining coffee from her cup. “And don’t forget what I said about
symbolism. It might just be my brain’s way of interpreting
something completely different from a sword. I just don’t know. But
if it is a real 16 th century long sword, well, it’s worth some money.”
She stared at both detectives to see if they were following her
train of thought. Both nodded. “I wouldn’t have left it behind
either.”
    *****
    “ Are you buying any of
this?” Addison asked Brice as they drove back to the
station.
    Brice had been asking himself the same
question. “I can’t figure out how she knew all that stuff
beforehand if she’s not the real thing. Plus, she comes off as
honest. I don’t think she’s lying to us. Holding something back,
maybe.” He turned toward the station. “What’s your
take?”
    “ She’s got no motive that we
know of, but she’s got no real alibi either. Phone calls aren’t too
reliable. They can be rerouted if you know how.” He shook his head.
“Maybe she’s straight. But there’s something she’s not
saying.”
    *****
    Glynnis sat down and held onto Carl who
was whimpering because his new friends had left. “That went okay,
don’t you think?” She rubbed the ridge of fur on his neck. “I still
didn’t tell them about my theory. It’s just a stupid idea, and I
don’t want to send them off on some wild goose chase. It probably
has nothing to do with any of this. It’s just my overactive
imagination. Right?”
    Carl yawned luxuriously, tucked his
nose into the crevice of her elbow and went to sleep.
    “ Thanks for being so
helpful.”
    *****
    “ Okay, based on a quick
background check, it looks like our girl is telling the truth about
her lack of connections to the Danning family.” Addison took a bite
of a roast beef on rye with a touch of