Insomnia
There's a light on in Roxie's apartment; there's always a light on at this hour. Nobody really knows why, though some waggish tongues suggest she does more than sleep at night. However, nobody leaves her apartment and nobody ever comes in, not even Roxie herself.
Only Roxie knows the secret, and Roxie's not telling.
Rumours come from everywhere. She lies on the floor, as she has for weeks, only getting up when absolutely necessary. There's no communication at all- sometimes the neighbours hear her talking, though she talks to nobody.
Their beloved jazz killer has gone crazy, everyone says. Some gossips say that her hair hasn't been brushed or washed in years, though how they would know remains a mystery. She looks like a skeleton, people insist. Children think she's a witch. No doubt about it, Roxie is the excitement of the block.
The great Velma Kelly, now deceased, always said that Roxie was eccentric from the beginning. After her fame started to fade, she wouldn't shut up for weeks, then wouldn't talk at all. She was obsessed with hygiene for a while, then gradually stopped taking care of herself. Her fingernails were almost a foot long, Velma Kelly said.
Nobody's sure how Velma Kelly died, but there are whispers that Roxie had something to do with it. Her partner's death- or murder- pushed the aging jazz queen over the edge.
Roxie's been quiet for the past week. Many people think she's joined her Velma. Others think her legendary voice has finally faded. The only thing they know for sure is that Roxie has become a legend, a tale to be told to their grandchildren.
She could come out when the end is near, people say. But for now, she's staying in.