Going Through the Notions by Cate Price

Author:Cate Price
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
ISBN: 9780425258798
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2013-09-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

I stormed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time, ready to give the cause of our angst a piece of my mind. I adored Sarah, but I’d been the unfortunate brunt of her foul moods and dramatic temper tantrums over the years. She could be funny, inspiring, creative, and quite sweet sometimes, but there were other times when she could be a bitch on wheels.

As I reached her room, ramping myself up to finally tell her what I thought after years of stuffing down my feelings, I heard the sound of violent sobbing from behind the door.

Crying as if her heart was broken.

I sagged against the wall.

Jeez, what a day this had been. I trailed back downstairs, almost light-headed with hunger. In the kitchen, Jasper was still hiding underneath the table. Overcome with remorse, I knelt down and met his mournful gaze.

“I’m sorry, baby, I shouldn’t have yelled like that.” I reached out and he gave my hand a small lick, but he was hesitant about approaching me. “Come on out, it’s okay.”

Bridge to Engine Room. Urgent need for more patience.

I sat down on the rough exposed wooden floor and sighed. I’d wait. Wait until he was ready. For as long as it took. “I’m sorry, Jasper,” I repeated. “It won’t happen again.”

His tail wagged slowly from side to side.

“It’s not your fault. Come here.” When he finally bear-crawled out from underneath and into my lap, I bent over and hugged him, burying my face in his soft fur.

Jasper licked my arm as if to say, Don’t worry about it, I forgive you.

What had happened to my former happy, peaceful existence? My best friend was incarcerated, a killer was running around on the loose, and the house was a complete mess. Like its owner.

“Hey, Jasper, want to get out of here for a while?” I whispered. “Go for a walk?”

He jumped to his feet, panting and dancing around me in excitement.

I stood up and looked out of the open window to see Joe tinkering with a bicycle basket.

“I’m taking the dog for a walk,” I called.

“What about dinner?” Joe didn’t even bother to look up from his repairs.

“I’m not hungry anymore.” I wanted to apologize for my earlier snappishness, but somehow the words stuck in my throat.

I hurried toward the front door, desperate to get out of the place that had once been my sanctuary. Jasper took the lead and I simply followed, stumbling after him down the street, hanging on to his leash like a lifeline.

Thoughts jumbled around in my head like so many angry bees buzzing around the hole in the siding when we’d first bought the house.

We’d called an exterminator, who plugged the opening, but warned us about the bees being irate when they tried to get back inside come late afternoon.

Around four o’clock, I had stood there watching in amazement at how many bees had showed up. Hundreds upon hundreds of them had swarmed around, confused and agitated, until they had finally figured out their home was no longer a place they could come back to.

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