The Little Things is a mystery short story by Isaac Asimov.
A standalone story, it was first published in the May 1975 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. It was later collected in The Best Mysteries of Isaac Asimov.
Summary[]
Two women, Clara Bernstein and Hester Gold, are in Clara's apartment on a hot day. Clara is driven to distraction by a persistent dripping sound from the apartment above, owned by Mrs. Maclaren. Despite repeated attempts, she cannot get Mrs. Maclaren to answer her door or phone, though her car is still in the garage. Hester reveals she has a key to Mrs. Maclaren's apartment to water her plants but is reluctant to use it without permission.
Clara, growing increasingly suspicious and dramatic, suggests Mrs. Maclaren could be ill, dead, or even murdered. She pressures Hester into using the key to check on her and stop the drip. They enter the apartment and find it stuffy and silent. Upon opening the master bedroom, they discover Mrs. Maclaren's dead body on the disheveled bed, the victim of a violent attack. As they recoil in horror, Hester spots a specific, fancy brass button in the victim's open hand—the very same button that had gone missing from her son Joe's blazer.
Characters[]
- Clara Bernstein
- Hester Gold
- Mrs. Maclaren
- Joe Gold