There was an old woman, and what do you think?

She lived upon nothing but victuals and drink;

Victuals and drink were the chief of her diet,

And yet this old woman could never be quiet.

"Have a drink Sir! Join me in a drink!"

"I can't I'm on duty Ma'am, now about Peter Piper.."

"Oh, that young pepper picker. You can't drink on duty you say? What a shame. I drink all the time. Now, how about a sherry?"

"Ma'am.."

"No? Not a sherry drinker, I see, how about a whiskey? Put some hair on your chest! I love a hairy chest. Back in my day all the men had hairy chests, and strapping great muscles, and went about their work haying the field with their shirts off. They don't do that now, they have machinery to do it, more's the pity. Now how about that whiskey? Put some hair your chest, it will.."

"That's not true, I've been drinking it for years, and I still don't have much hair on my chest."

"No? Well, if you say so, you say so. You're not one of those one's who shaves it off are you? Waxes? I always think a man should have some hair on his chest. Back in my day.."

"Ma'am, I'm just highly evolved, now, about Piper."

"The Pied Piper? Now there was a man! Lot's of hair on his chest! I was one of those what followed him you know, at least until my pa fetched me back. I tell you, there wasn't nothing finer than watching that Piper play his flute, made you want to dance something firece. Now when I want to dance, I drink a little Rum. Do you like rum? I have dark rum, and light rum, and amber rum, and a coconut rum, and.."

"Peter Piper Ma'am, no, no rum!"

"No rum? Fine I'll drink that then. You must have a drink sir, it's not polite to let a lady drink alone. I'm a lady you know. I used to ride a white horse. With rings on my fingers, and bells on my toes, it was lovely, I had music wherever I went, but then they did away with horses and brought out the cars, and it's so hard to drive with bells on your toes you know. Of course, when you drink enough Vodka, you can do anything, I remember one time.."

"If I have a drink will you tell me about Piper?"

"Why, Yes! Of course! Which Piper?"

"Peter Piper Ma'am."

"Oh, with the pickled peppers. Rather good. I told him he should expand into pickles as well. And maybe a little wine. I have wine, would you prefer wine? White wine? Red wine? Chianti? Chardonnay? I have a lovely blush somewhere, that's when they mix the grapes I think, and an Ice wine, but that's so expensive now days, my sweetheart and I used to drink it on our anniversary, of course he's gone now, he was the butcher. Went to sea with the baker and the candlestick maker, and nobody's seen them since. I expect they're on a island somewhere, drinking rum. Did you want rum?"

"Actually.."

"Beer! Of course, you young red blooded males like to drink beer now don't you? A bit of wussy drink if you ask me, all carbonated like that, I prefer a stout ****ss myself, went to Ireland once, toured the factory, when I die I'm going to haunt it, it smelled so lovely, I've never understood.."

"Do you have Beer?"

"Of course I have beer, didn't I just say so? Piper liked to drink beer. He'd come over once in while, and he'd have a Budweiser and I'd have a whiskey, put's hair on your chest whiskey does!"

"I'll have a beer. When was the last time.."

"The last time I had beer? Why I finished off Piper's after he left last, that was a few months ago I suppose, I'm not sure what day, I never know what day it is, I used to have it all sorted out, Whiskey on Monday, Rum on Tuesday, Vodka on Thursday, Wine on Friday, Sherry on Saturday and Amaretto on Sunday. Sunday is the lord's day you know, and I always figured since Amaretto was so good, he must have created it, and he wouldn't mind if I tippled it during church. The preist minded once, but I gave him a sip and he had to agree. Was an extremely interesting service after that, lots of hellfire and brimstone…"

Booth blinked. "What about Wednesday?"

"What about Wednesday? That Adams girl? They didn't fit in here, last I heard they moved out by the graves. I like to drink cinnamon whiskey when I look at the graves, makes me feel alive!"

"No, the day, Wednesday, what did you drink?"

"Tequila. Doesn't everyone drink Tequila on Wednesday? Livens up that hump day right well, and if you do it right, by the time you sober up it's time for church! I love a good Tequila, I had a amaretto flavoured one once, straight from Mexico it was, absolutely lovely, went down so smooth, I wonder who brought it back? Oh yes, it was Curly-locks. Always after a husband that one, needs to lay off the cream I think, she drinks a gallon a day, and there's never any left in the store, takes it all for herself, good thing there is Carolans, it tastes better than cream anyways, but don't tell her, she'll take all that too, and then what'll I have in my cereal?"

Booth chugged his beer. What was he here about again? Oh, right.. "Piper?"

"The same day as he agued with Miss Contrary of course, a real sour puss that one, though Wee Willy likes her well enough. I can't say how much I like seeing him run in that nightgown, puts on a real show, better than those Chippendale dancers. I saw them last month, they drink some vile thing called orange juice, no alcohol at all! No wonder they have no hair on their chests, need to drink Whiskey for.."

"Curly-locks? Does she live here?" Booth asked, drinking another beer.

"I'm not sure. I think she just comes round to do business with Piper. They're partners. Or at least they were, until Piper got pickled. I say, I get pickled all the time, and it never kills me. What'd he drink?"

She stared at him in silence waiting for an answer.

Booth stared back, collecting his wits, along with all the bits of information she'd divulged.

"I don't actually know what he was pickled with." He finally said. "But it wasn't whiskey, there was no hair on his chest."