Charlie stood up, slightly surprised at the dramatic and quick ending to the trial. He shook hands with his attorney, the detective and Ed McGuire. He hugged and kissed Carol the waitress and thanked her for her help. Sonya was still sitting on the other side of the courtroom, looking stunned. The last few minutes of the trial were a whirlwind and she was shocked that Charlie wasn't guilty.

Charlie put on his jacket, and with his hat and walking stick in hand, went over to Sonya.

"Sonya?"

She didn't say anything. She turned her face away from him.

"Are y' a'roigh'?"

Sonya turned around, tears streaming from her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Charlie…I really thought you had done it…."

"It's a'roigh', Sonya. I understan'."

"I'm so embarrassed…"

Can I walk y' 'ome?"

She nodded.

"I never got to really say 'ow sorry I am tha' Edmund is gone…I miss 'im too."

"Yes, you were a good friend…" she looked up at him. "Yes, Charlie, you were always a very good friend! I'm so sorry, I really misunderstood."

"It was th' grief, Sonya."

"One doctor called it melancholy. Another said I had a nervous breakdown."

"Bu' it's in th' past now."

"Do you want your job back at the hardware store? You can have your old room back, too. We didn't get anyone to replace you…"

"Maybe I'll do tha'…But wha' bout y' job at the theatre?"

"I don't know…I'll have to talk to Mr. Gould. Now he doesn't have Martina or Raoul any more. I wish Edmund were here…" She started to cry again. Charlie held her and stroked her back comfortingly.

"Charlie, you should try out for the orchestra. Your violin playing is beautiful…"

"I only play by ear, ducks, I can't read no music."

"You could learn…"

"Ain't got no ambition to learn. Bein' in a orchestra…that ain't me style. I'm more th' itinerant minstrel. Bu' y'self, the singin' runs in yer blood. Ye gotta get back to singin'."

Charlie escorted Sonya back home and Ed was already there, along with Seamus O'Hara and Tom McShane. Ed gave Charlie a bear hug and Charlie thanked them all again profusely for helping him.

"Why did y' concentrate on Mr. Thibaut an' Miss Soubrette? Coulda been any one o' the company…" asked Charlie.

"We even had a bit more evidence we didn't need to use…and Martina and Raoul have confessed to everything. They are sister and brother. They were also the only members of the company absent from the performance when Edmund was killed. The notes were given to Edmund first, delivered by Martina herself, before the opera started, because Edmund wouldn't be around to identify anyone, and the other note was stuffed in the pocket of the usher who delivered it to Charlie.

"Martina was in love with Edmund, but angry that he was going to marry Sonya. Her love had turned to hate. Raoul wanted him out of the way because he was afraid he would get his job, seeing as he was a better singer. Martina also wanted him out of the way in order to get rid of and hurt Sonya. She was also afraid of losing her job to Sonya. Charlie was a good person to accuse of the crime because he had an unknown background and it didn't seem that he would be able to afford a good lawyer to defend him. It was also very convenient that he had been linked romantically with Sonya, therefore the jealousy factor.

"In any case, when Edmund came down to the lounge looking for Charlie, Martina came out of the secret door and started talking to him, embracing him as if she were going to kiss him. Instead she plunged a knife into his back. As he fell, Raoul came out of the secret door and finished Edmund off with the other knife. They both escaped down the secret passageways, Martina forgetting her knife. Charlie came down, and seeing Edmund, was in shock and absently picked up the bloody knife. Then Sonya came into the lounge looking for Edmund, saw Charlie and assumed he had killed Edmund.

"Charlie also escaped via the secret passageways and that's why the police couldn't find him."

They talked a bit more about the case and Charlie thanked them again profusely. Then Ed said, "Will you stay with us again, Charlie?" Charlie nodded. "You can have your old job back again, too…the customers miss your shenanigans!"

During the following week, Charlie had a very nice reunion with his two old friends. Sonya was so sorry about what she had put him through, that she waited on Charlie hand and foot.

On Sunday night Charlie and Sonya sat in the porch swing. They had their arms around each other and her head was on his shoulder. It seemed like old times.

"Charlie, maybe this is too soon, but I have to tell you. Since the trial ended, I realize I really love you. Did you ever think about getting married?"

He didn't answer.

"Charlie?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I thought about it."

"Well, what do you say?"

"I think yer daydreamin' again, Sonya. Y' were so angry wi' me when y' were thinkin' tha' I was th' murderer ; An' it's too soon…"

"Oh, Charlie, will you marry me? I really mean it…"

"Ain't I s'posed to ask yer tha'?"

"Well, yes, but times are changing…"

"An' y' did not even get down on y' knee to ask me!" he teased, in mock indignation.

"You want me to?"

"No, ducks. Ye know, if Edmund were here, y' would not be askin' me tha'."

"I know, but I love you too…"

"I feel more like yer older brother than someone y' should marry. I always loved y' Sonya, from the first time I 'eard y' sing, but I really ain't nothin' but a ol' tramp. Ye should marry someone like Edmund, wi' a future."

"But I know now I want you…you're not a tramp any more, you fit in with our family very nicely. And if you're thinking that you're too old for me, well, age doesn't matter to me, sweetie."

"I know it don't …let's ge' some sleep. Yer Papa wants me to start work tomorra." He kissed her softly, then embraced her and kissed her again, longer this time, not wanting it to end. He touched her cheek and gave her a sad look. Then he smiled and said softly, "Me lit'tle daydreamer."

Charlie and Sonya parted that night without Sonya getting a straight answer from Charlie.

On Monday morning, Sonya knocked on the door to Charlie's room. "Are you dressed, sweetie? Can I come in?" There wasn't any answer. She opened the door. Charlie wasn't there.

"Pa, did you see Charlie this morning?"

"I did."

"Where is he?"

"He said to give you this note…"

Sonya opened the note. It read:

Deares Sonya, I do not meene to caus ye no grefe, but ye woud be betta off witout me. Plees no that I love ye mor than I kin sye. But me lifestile an yers aint the syme. I cannot be wut I aint. Plees donot eva think bad o me. Giv a big hug to me ol frend Eddy. Bes wishes fer yer singin in the opra. Mybe I cum bye a gaine som dye to hear y' sing. Mybe no. But keepe me in yer hart. I keepe ye in myne fer eva. Yer lovin Charlie.

If Sonya would have looked out the window at that moment, she would have seen Charlie walking away, down the road, his odd gait a little slower than usual. But she wouldn't have seen his blue eyes wet with a tear.

The End