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“Nothing. How was your shower?”
She smiles at me, though it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Good. I was looking for Leo. Have either of you seen him around?”
We both shake our heads.
“Hm.” Nella looks around the living room. “I looked all upstairs for him but didn’t see him.”
I lift myself up. “Maybe he got outside somehow before Ava left.”
My cousin snorts at me. “Why would I leave the back door open?”
I give her a look. “It doesn’t hurt to check.”
She shrugs at me but follows Nella who is already heading through the kitchen and to the backdoor. Nella pops it open and steps out into the cool night air, her slippers scuffing along the back patio while she calls Leo’s name.
“Can’t imagine her cat got out here,” Ava mumbles to me. “He’s probably under someone’s bed.”
I nudge her, stepping past her. “Humor her.”
I watch as Nella shuffles into the grass, tucking her arms around her body while pulling her robe tighter around herself. It’s a nice night, even though only an hour ago we were fighting for our lives.
The thought makes me shake my head.
“It’s dark out here. You have a light or something?”
“Yeah,” I head back over to the door. “Hold on.”
Leaning inside, I grapple for the light switch and flick it on. My whole body jumps when I hear Nella let out a guttural scream.
I quickly whip around just in time to watch her sink to her knees.
“No!”
Both Ava and I race over to her.
Nella lets out another anguished scream, reaching out to a small lump that lies motionless in the grass in front of her. Even from here, I can see that the cat had been hacked to pieces, scattered in a macabre way that makes me sick to my stomach. “No!” Ava cries as we get closer. “Not the fucking cat!”
I pick up Nella as soon as I reach her and gently push her over to Ava. “Take her back to the car. This place has been compromised.”
“Shit.” Ava wraps her arms around Nella, holding her against her side. “Got it.”
“No! No, no, no!” she continues to scream, her face red.
“Come on, Nella.” Ava corals her back into the house, shutting the door to the backyard firmly behind her.
I felt my heart squeeze in my chest. Fuck, she loved this damn cat.
Slowly, I turn around and look down at it. The shadows from my silhouette thankfully darken the blood stains enough that it’s hard to see. I can tell from the way Leo looks that someone took sick pleasure in chopping him up like some kind of art project.
“Sick fuck,” I spit out.
I turn back towards the house and pull out my phone to dial the only number that I can think at this point.
I press it to my ear and grit my teeth. They better fucking answer me.
When it rings, I squat down to survey Leo, noticing a small white slip that has been pinned to his collar. I grab it and rip it away, frowning.
I get my answer when I flip open the note card and read the contents.
