Chapter Twenty-Two
Afew daysafter she beat Army and Cue Ball at pool—something she secretly gloated about many times—Raven fed Sooty, checked all the windows and doors, and took off to do her weekly antique store and garage sale runs. Sometimes she’d find treasures amongst all the junk while other times her ventures were a bust.
Her five-hour outing proved to be a mixture of some great finds and some real duds. Driving home, she was already visualizing the jewelry designs, excitement building inside her. She pulled into the garage and, with packages in hand, opened the back door and stepped into her kitchen.
She froze.Someone’s been in here.
Fear settled uncomfortably in her chest. A strangeness permeated the air, and she knew an intruder had been there.Or isstillhere. The hair on the nape of her neck rose as a cold shiver tangled around her nerves. Sooty meowed and rubbed against her legs. Placing her bags on the floor, she picked the cat up and nuzzled her face against Sooty’s as she purred.
“You wouldn’t be purring if someone was in here, would you, girl?” She walked slowly out of the kitchen and down her short hallway. As she made her way to the bedroom, she flung open closet doors and checked her studio. Nothing amiss. No one around. “Maybe I’ve been watching too many true crime documentaries on television,” she whispered aloud.
As she entered her bedroom, she heard a click behind her in the living room. She stopped. Her muscles tensed. She held her breath.What is that?She strained to hear. Nothing. Rooted to the floor, silence engulfed her. Slowly, she let out her breath, her muscles relaxing a bit. Then another click. Her ears pounded.It sounds like someone’s turning the doorknob on the front door. Did I lock it? I can’t fucking remember.She ran her fingers over her clammy skin. Willing herself to move, she turned around and crept into the living room, the front door looming before her.
Nothing.
Inhaling deeply, she tiptoed to the window and peeked out the blinds. There were two brown boxes on the front porch. Looking at the street, she saw the delivery truck. Feeling giddy, she grabbed the window sill to steady herself. Sooty meowed and she looked down. “See what a crazy woman I am? I’m imagining all kinds of crap.” After several deep gulps of air, she opened the front door and picked up the boxes. They were the art supplies she’d ordered a couple weeks before.
After placing the boxes on the coffee table, she went to her bedroom. When she walked into the room, she gasped. On top of the small desk laid a wilted red rose in a puddle of liquid.What the hell?Taking small, tentative steps, she inched closer to the desk. Dabbing her finger into the liquid, she clutched her throat, gasping for air.
“Shit!” she cried out, her head spinning. The dying rose was drowning in a pool of blood that glistened in the sunlight. Whirling around, she stumbled on her feet and tripped, Sooty screeching as they both hit the wood floor. Sensing Raven’s fear, the cat scampered away.
“Sooty! Come here. Sooty.” Her voice echoed in the small house, but Sooty stayed obstinately hidden.
Raven rushed out on the front porch and called Muerto.Please pick up. Please… plea—
“Hey, babe. Good to hear from you.” His deep voice comforted her immediately.
“Someone broke into my house,” she blurted.
“What the fuck? Are you in the house?”
“On the front porch. Whoever it was left a wilted rose in a puddle of… blood.” She grimaced when she said the word.
“Get off the porch. Stand on the sidewalk. I’m on my way.”
She opened the screen door and called in a soft, soothing voice, “Sooty. Come on over here, pretty girl.” A ball of fur padded over to her and she scooped up her pet, then went over to stand on the sidewalk in front of the house.
Who would do something like that? And why me? People are so fuckin’ weird. Annnd speaking of weird….She gazed at the picture window in the back house and saw Walter staring at her. He didn’t wave, smile, smirk, or acknowledge her in any way other than his piercing stare that drilled right into her.
And then she heard the rumble of Muerto’s bike.Now I’m safe. I can breathe.Shifting her gaze from Walter to the corner, warmth radiated throughout her body when she saw him. Waving, she rushed over to the curb when he pulled up. He came over to her and crushed her in his arms. Sooty hissed loudly, so Muerto stepped back and laughed.
“You stay out here. I’ll make sure the place is clear,” he said.
“I already looked everywhere but the bedroom closet and bath. I think if someone was in there, they’d be long gone by now.”
“Just stay out here until I clear the place. Don’t argue.” He went into the house.
After what seemed like forever, he finally returned and gestured her to come in. Inside, she asked, “Did you see it? The rose?”
“Yeah. Is anyone mad at you?”
Her eyes widened. “I don’t think so. No, wait…. Brent’s pissed at me. I mean, he acted madder than hell when I told him I wasn’t interested in him anymore.” She shook her head. “There’s no way it was Brent though. I know him. He wouldn’t even think of doing something like this.”
“You never know what people are capable of. Everyone has a dark side that no one knows about.”
“It didn’t look like whoever did it broke in.”
“Locks are still good. No broken windows. Did you leave a window open?”
