Across the street, the film and construction crews had stopped working hours ago, leaving me utterly alone for the first time in months.
Reluctantly, I stood and made my way toward the door.
Before answering it, I peered out through the front window blinds, trying to get some sense of who might be visiting at such an odd hour.
I saw no vehicle in the driveway – hereoracross the street. But therewassomeone standing on the front porch.
It was someone I instantly recognized, someone who'd been avoiding me for way too long.
But it wasn't Brody.
It was my cousin Jason.
Finally.
When I flung open the door, he greeted me with a sheepish grin. "So, how's it going?"
I stared, dumbfounded. "Is that a serious question?"
Jason was tall and thin with wavy brown hair. Tonight, he was wearing gray slacks and a white button-down dress-shirt. He looked slightly rumpled and sleepy-eyed.
Ignoring my attitude, he said, "So, can I come in?"
With a sound of annoyance, I opened the door wider and stepped out of his way, figuring it was better to kill him in the living room rather than outside on the front porch, where there might be witnesses.
As he shuffled inside, I said, "And just where have you been, anyway?"
Without meeting my gaze, he mumbled, "Around."
I shut the door and got straight to the point. "So what happened with the house?"
"Uh…." He shifted from foot to foot. "Which house?"
Oh, for God's sake."You know which one." Still, I jerked a thumb vaguely toward the house across the street. "Thatone. Remember?" I made air quotes. "The ol' family homestead?"
He frowned. "I don't suppose you've got any snacks?"
Already I felt like throttling him. "Snacks? Seriously?"
"Sorry, but I'm starving," he said. "I've been sitting in the car for hours."
I didn't get it. "What car?"
He jerked his head toward the left side of the house. "I parked down the street."
"Why?" I asked.
"So I wouldn't get caught."
"By who?"
"Anyone," he said. "Do you know I've been driving by here for weeks now?"
"Here? You mean this place?"
He nodded. "Oh yeah. Sometimes I'd even park down the street and wait. One night, I fell asleep in my car." With a grimace, he reached up and rubbed at his shoulder. "Woke up with one hell of crick in my neck. The thing'sstillsore."
Maybe I should've felt bad for him. But I didn't. I couldn’t, not after that stunt with the house.
