The door to the elevator slid open and Lois headed down the
hall.

She was already opening the door when she realized that something
was wrong.

The lights were on, the apartment was spotless, and she could
hear the sounds of her shower running.

Someone was in her apartment.

Given the day she'd just had, Lois wasn't in a mood to run.

***

She glanced in the kitchenette and noticed that the intruder had
mopped, and polished her black refrigerator until it shined.

They'd even washed the huge picture window, making its view of
the city even more amazing than it had been before. Lois had
chosen the apartment in part because of its spectacular views of
the city. By night the lights of the city spread out like a sea
of jewels.

***

Although she was still worried, it was
hard to be afraid of someone who had mopped her floors and
polished all her trophies.

When she returned she said, "Do you always clean up when you
break into people's houses?"

"I grew up in foster care," he said. "And some of them were
pretty strict about cleaning up. Now I tend to clean when I'm
nervous." He stared down at his hands.