Then Esther noticed she still was holding down the talk button.
	“The shade is in pines?” Pearl finally managed to get through.
	“Yes!!! get out here now, he’s outside!” Esther stood up.
	Esther walked to the window to watch Mr. Smith walking the dog.
	Pearl hurried up to her as quick as she could, tapping her shoulder as she got close.
	Esther nearly jumped out of skin and screamed, before turning to her best friend and calming down.
	Pearl admonished her friend, “You need to stop over reacting.”
	“There’s a killer in the Alpine and you want me to calm down!” Esther retorted.
	The few stranglers in the lobby glanced over at Esther when she said that. Pearl noticed their interest, and scolded the onlookers. “We’re playing a murder mystery, mind your business.”
	The stranglers lost interest after that and went about their ways.
	The pair of friends walked out following the sidewalk that led to place they knew him to be at. They spotted him off in the distance, quickly they began to make their way to him. When all of the sudden he turned around and glanced in their direction.
	Esther froze and turned quickly to Pearl, as if they were in some conversation with each other.
	Pearl bent down to pick up a random leaf on the ground, holding it up to Esther she began speaking nonsense. “And here’s what I’m talking about. See this leaf right here, I’m not sure it’s close enough to autumn for the leaves to be falling out like this.” she glanced over at Mr. Smith.
	He looked at the pair as if they concerning, but not so much he turned around and went back inside to avoid them. He turned back around to his dog as soon as he deemed them harmless.
	The two began rushing towards him as if they were playing a game of red light - green light.
	Mr. Smith turned his right ear a little towards them as they walked up to him, but he didn’t turn around to address either of them.
	Esther was on his right side and Pearl was on his left, now that they were in position the questioning could begin.
	“Mr. Smith, is it?” Pearl questioned as they stood near his side.
	He glanced at pearl briefly before looking back at his spaniel. “It is.” No emotion came from the man at all, just a simple stated fact.
	“How long has it been you’ve been living here?” Pearl continued her interrogation.
	“I do believe you and your pack of friends know how long I have resided in this facility.” He then turned to face Pearl.
	Pearl looked at Esther and raised her eyebrows.