Farmer's Market

An Alligator

Now, that everything has been sorted out, I suppose that getting back to our characters would be rational. For example, Monday, who has been searching through the old closets inside the house for some time, and tried on a sundress, a hat, and whatever she could find that didn't belong to Toby already.
   -How do I look? she asked, as she tried on some red flannel shirt.
   -Ridiculous, responded Toby, before he could stop himself.
   -I don't mind, came back the whisper, glass fingers buttoning up the shirt. But I think I might rip it by accident. Who cares anyway, it's all for the show, I couldn't pass as human if I tried.
   Keeping in mind that there's really no good response to that, you have to excuse Toby for just leaving the room, and going downstairs, where he could still hear the sound of glass shards hitting the woden floor. It wouldn't be long until a well known red hat would appear in his doorway, along with it's owner, and begin questioning Monday. Or bring bad news. Maybe both.
   -Do you know what this place needs? came a voice from upstairs, quite startling Toby, who almost dozed off on the couch.
   -An actual person?
   -No, of course, one of those weird tire swings they have in the movies! Could I borrow some rope?
   -Well, yeah, but I don't have any tires. Where are you going to get one from?
   -I'll take a walk through the city, surely I'll find something. I'll be ok, I won't get lost.
   Toby didn't respond, but sat back on the couch. Not even once did the possibility of Monday getting lost cross his mind, but it would have made sense. With that in mind, he started dozing off again.
***
   Oh, dear, surely you didn't expect Toby to be able to finish his nap, did you? It came to an end once three sharp knocks came from the front door. He stumbled over to the door, to let a well known silhouette enter his house. Two yellow eyes, quite some scales, a red dress and a hat to match, and high leather boots, and this was Lady Alligator, Private Investigator.
   -Long time no see, dear Terrible Toby. I'm sure you know why I'm here, came a raspy, firm voice. I'm jumping over the formalities- her eyes narrowed -where's the statue? The girl.
   -Ma'am, she, well, um- Monday just left, gulped Toby. He didn't know why, but he felt like he made a terrible mistake by letting her leave.
   -In the city? Our city? Toby, are you an idiot? A fool? Do bones stop you from thinking? her voice grew harsher with every sentence. That is, until the familiar feeling of the tip of a knife pressed against her back stopped her.
   -I want your name, and your business with Toby. And I want them short. I'm warning you, this isn't the first time I'm going through this, spat Monday, who snuck in the house while the others were busy talking.
   Lady Alligator grinned. 'An attitude' she thought. 'I like those.'
   -Are you out of your mind?! exclaimed Toby. The hell are you doing?? She's a friend!
   -Oh, sighted Monday. By the way she was talking, I thought she was an burglar. I have a bad history with those, I think. Sorry.
   -Oh, don't be. Being threatened with a knife, replied Lady Alligator extending a hand, isn't one of the things I take personally.
   Only now did Toby realise he was basically a magnet for the town's weirdos. Would've thought he'd have realised it sooner (after the guy with the head in a jar, for example, but that's another story). "I gotta change the subject, in a non-awkward way" he thought. Maybe the other two find something in common.
   -So.. I like your dress, Monday, he coughed, not realising that he didn't even notice it when she left.
   'Nailed it.'
   -It's a mourning dress, remarked Lady Alligator. Who are you mourning?
   Monday looked down at her dress, a bit over the ankles, with flowing short sleeves, and a shirt collar. She seemed to enter a trance state again.
   -Myself, I think.
   -Well, sighed the other, shaking her head, I ain't one to judge. I dressed in men's clothes for the first 25 years of my human life, she shrugged.
   -So, ma'am, piped up Toby, you said you were here for a reason?
   -Yes, actually. First of all, I wanted to talk to Monday. Just to get an idea, of what she's like. I think I heard enough for that. Also, I wanted to… to…
   She snapped her fingers, hoping that it'd help her remember what she had to say.
   -Oh! Yes, I wanted to tell you something very important. Do you remember the farmer? That weird old man?
   Toby shivered in disgust.
   -What's with 'im? Weirdo came back again as a ghost, or what?
   -Not exactly. There's a rumor in the town, that the farmer hid some papers somewhere on the farm grounds. Saying, -she cocked her head to the side and repeated mockingly- "The farm is to remain to whoever finds these papers". Weird stuff, I know.
   -So?
   -‘’So?‘’ Toby, are you daft? You might get thrown out of the farm by the townsfolk!
   -Oh! Oh, yeah, that does sound bad. What are we gonna do?
   -Search for the papers, clearly, joined in Monday. Otherwise, our only option would be burning the town down.
   -You're right for the first part, but God, I wish I could see your thought process, sighed the other lady. I think he must've left some clues. Maybe somewhere in the house. Toby?
   -Well, there was one thing. The only picture they left behind. Of an unfamiliar mansion. Maybe someone there can tell us something? I'll bring the picture.
   Toby scrambled to his feet. He liked mysteries, and puzzles, and when the stakes were so high who could resist getting excited? He was back in the blink of an eye.
   -Here. Maybe you know something about it, ma'am.
   -Oh! The Asylum! Yes, yes, a wonderful place, outside town. I know the owner, great man, can be a bit jarring, if you know what I mean. I'm sure one of the guests can help us! There's so many, they've been there for so lon-
   -Slow down! You're gonna break my glass with your voice, shivered Monday. What are you talking about?
   -It's a place where, just as the name says, you can seek asylum. For an undetermined period of time. Pretty much as long as you need. Ridiculously cheap, sometimes the owner'll let you stay for free. What I'm saying is, a lot of people like us, no longer human, go there if they loose their homes or are simply lonely. I know the owner, he'll help us if he can.
   -Can you drive us there? It'd be faster that way.
   -Well, we shouldn't forget our manners, I'll give the owner a call first. He's often not home.
   With that, she picked a phone up from her pocket and headed for the porch, to make the call.
   -Does she have a name? asked Monday out of a sudden, startling Toby quite a bit.
   -What do you mean?
   -This woman. She must have a name, apart from the "Alligator" part.
   -Well, yeah, I remember her havin‘ a name. It was… damn -Toby scratched his arm, trying to remember- Oh! Yeah! Adalana. Adalana Alligator, I think.
   Monday nodded quietly. ‘‘Sounded like she would have pitied if she lacked a name’’ thought Toby, for no particular reason.
   The door opened slightly, and in came the other. Oh, beaming. Surely bringing good news.
   -He's home! Just came back. If you guys wanna hop in the car, we'll get to talk to him in, what, 20 minutes?
   -But the swing! I found a tire, rolled it in here! Monday cried out. We won't find it when we're back!
   The Lady shot Toby a confused look, the look that tells you ‘‘What the hell is going on?’’, that tells you ‘‘I didn't understand a word.’’
   -We will find it, no one will take an old tire. Except for you, he added.
  For some reason, that seemed to work. So, they headed for the car, an old, red Maybach, which the author definitely didn't have to Google to get even the slightest idea of what it looked like.