“THAT WOMAN NEXTdoor still hasn’t returned,” Louise reported later when she sat at the kitchen table, slicing avocados into the salad bowl while Zona stood at the stove, finishing up quesadillas.
“Good,” said Zona. “I’ve had enough of them both.”
It was true. She had. The bad vibes from the house next door had been making it hard to settle into the stress-free routine she was trying to create. The things she’d heard, coupled with her mother’s speculations, kept bouncing back into her head.
Before she got into bed later, she found herself looking down on the house next door from her upstairs window. A woman fleeing in the middle of the night spoke volumes. Even though it had turned quiet over there it felt like the calm before the storm, like something dark was crouching, just waiting to pounce. Those thoughts were enough to make her shudder.
And the fact that she was standing at her bedroom windowlooking down at nothing was enough to make her shake her head in disgust.
She had better things to do than spy on the neighbor, for crying out loud. She wasn’t going to waste any more brain energy on the man next door. He and his girlfriend had fought and yelled a lot and now she was gone. That was it. That was all.
Chapter15
LOUISE LET OUT A SCREECH ASthe man on her TV screen suddenly appeared out of the shadows on his neighbor’s back patio. “Oh, my gosh, don’t let him in,” she said to the woman.
Of course, fictional people never listened to you. The woman invited him in.
“What do you know about what I do for a living?” he asked.
“Never mind that. Ask him what he does in his off hours,” Louise commanded, and Martin, who was keeping her company, chuckled.
“She can’t die, Lou. She’s the main character.”
“You can’t be sure with these modern movies,” Louise said.
Martin helped himself to more of the Parmesan popcorn Zona had made for them before she’d disappeared into her bedroom. “I’m sure,” he said.
She looked suspiciously at him. “Have you already seen this?”
“Maybe.”
The man on the screen took a pair of thin surgical gloves out of the back pocket of his jeans. It wasn’t looking good for their heroine.
But their heroine just happened to have her handy-dandy pink Taser, and she was ready for him.
“I knew all along who you were,” she told him as he writhed on her kitchen floor.
“Good,” Louise said, happy to see that this story was turning out exactly as it should. Maybe she needed to look online for a Taser. You never knew when you might need one. A pink one.
The ending credits were rolling when Zona wandered into the living room and helped herself to the few kernels of popcorn left in the bowl. “How was the movie?” she asked.
“Chilling,” Louise replied. “And proof that you never really know about the people who live around you.”
Zona’s smile flat-lined. “You never really know about the people you live with, either.”
Martin turned the subject into more pleasant avenues, asking Zona, “How did your latest eBay items do?”
That put a smile back on Zona’s face. “Excellent. In fact, I’m going to reward myself and take the night off. I’m meeting Gracie at Mariposa.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re getting out. You deserve to have a little fun,” said Louise.
“I won’t be late,” Zona said. Looking at Martin. As if Louise needed a babysitter every second of the day.
“Stay out as long as you want,” she said to her daughter. Then to Martin, “And you don’t need to feel like you have to stick around here all night.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me?” he teased.
“Of course not. But I am perfectly fine on my own,” Louise said, looking pointedly at Zona.
