THE FOLLOWING TRANSCRIPT IS THE STATEMENT MADE BY CECILIA IVERSON, HAIRDRESSER AND OWNER OF ROSENFELD BEAUTY SALON AT 186 MAIN STREET IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ROSENFELD:

“Last time I saw Margot was last Friday, at 4:30pm.

“I remember because I looked at the clock when I saw her walking through the door. Margo comes in at 2pm first Monday of every month. And She never comes in on Friday afternoons. Never.

“What’s my relationship with Margot you ask? Well, I’d say we used to be real close friends. She owns that bakery shop across the street from my salon. Yes, that one with the blue door. And I have been working in the beauty salon for twenty years. So I must have been doing Margot’s hair for twenty years now.

“You picked it up, didn’t you. You are a smart one. I did say we USED TO be real close friends… up until about three months ago, so yeah, up until April, Margot used to come in with a dozen of her Pineapple Puffies for me at 2pm her usual appointment time, every month. The Pineapple Puffies are her best seller and not one person in Rosenfeld isn’t addicted to those Puffies. By the way, if you gonna go over later, you will see it — first item on the chalk board. She makes them so buttery flaky with these juicy pineapple bites inside. Oh you won’t believe it…

“Right, yes. So she came in 4:30 last Friday, which was very strange. Friday afternoons she always gets a long line of customers waiting to pick up the puffies for the weekend. She walked straight to my styling chair — I just finished with someone and was waiting for my next customer. She said to me, Cel, there is something wrong with my hair.

”I could tell she was in a twist because she was all flushed and her forehead was shiny with sweat. I have not told a soul about this but I knew exactly what worked her into a twist.

“So about three months ago, Margot came at her usual time with the box of puffies for me. She sat and we started chatting as I brusher her hair. Then I saw something… different with her hair. I saw… how to describe it… three tiny whiskers…?

“Well by whiskers I mean they were not her own hair. They were these three short hairs at the back of her head, just couple of inches above her neck. Much thicker than any human hair I’ve seen. Sort of like cat’s whiskers? Yeah. And they are GREEN.

“At first I thought it must be food coloring from the bakery. But after I cut, washed and colored her hair with her usual color sandy blond for her greys, I saw that they were still completely lime green.

“Did I tell her? Of course I didn’t tell her.

“Why not?? Because.. Well, let me tell you something. I’ve seen just about anyone’s hair in Rosenfeld for twenty years. I’ve seen hair and scalp in all kinds of conditions, any lump or rash you can imagine. Seen them all. I even style wigs for people in chemo.

“But us hairdressers are not here to do disease inspections, are we. If it is something that really matters, their doctor will tell them soon enough. It is not our business. Our business is to make people feel good about themselves, one day at a time, one hair cut at a time.

“So, I cut her hair and made sure those short green whiskers were completely covered. And that was in April.

“Pretty soon after that, Margot sort of.. changed. First we heard she was spotted multiple times driving around some eighty miles from Rosenfeld, which she had never done. She even stopped coming over to the salon to chit chat. Everyone knows the salon is the heartbeat of Rosenfeld. Anything that matters goes through the salon. Suddenly it just seemed Margot went and unplugged herself from this heartbeat.

“So when she came in last Friday, having also missed two of her appointments in May and June, I was just about ready to have a word or two with her.

“But when I saw her somehow I just knew — those three green whiskers were doing something real funny to her…”