Holed Up 2 -Shacked Up by Hank Edwards

Author:Hank Edwards [Edwards, Hank]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B008CLZKZE
Publisher: Loose Id LLC
Published: 2012-06-04T12:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Despite the fact that they had arrived at the birthday party early and things were going well, Brenda seemed distracted and subdued the entire time. Mark had worked three kids’ parties with her now, all without Audra, who seemed to schedule other client meetings over children’s birthday parties. At the previous appointments, Brenda had talked with the kids, explained what was inside each treat, or encouraged them to try different snacks. Today, however, she simply stood back and watched. Mark tried to step in and engage the kids, but they seemed to sense his hesitation and turned away.

When a little girl stared at him in silence for a full ten seconds before walking off, Mark looked over at Brenda and said, “Kids, huh?”

She gave him a wan smile and bent to arrange the cake pops.

As the party wrapped up, Brenda went off to look for the client so they could get paid, and Mark stacked the carriers, pans, and dishes in the back of the van. He secured the final plastic carrier and closed the van’s back door, then headed to the house to use the bathroom before the drive back to work.

As he stepped in the house, Mark heard their client’s voice from the kitchen. He figured she was talking with Brenda, and he headed down the hall to let Brenda know he was going to use the bathroom before they left. When he entered the kitchen, however, he found their client talking to a friend of hers, not Brenda. The women turned when he entered the room, and their client smiled at him.

“I bet you’re looking to get your check, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Oh, Brenda hasn’t picked it up yet? I thought that was what she came back for.”

The woman shook her head and pulled her checkbook out of a drawer. “No. I haven’t seen Brenda since the kids went outside.” Mark waited while she wrote out the check and thanked her when she handed it over. He used the bathroom in the hall, then walked out the front door. Brenda sat waiting in the driver’s seat of the van, the engine running and the windows down.

“I thought you went back in to get the check?” Mark asked as he climbed into the passenger seat. “I have it, in case you were wondering.” “Oh, good,” Brenda said without looking at him. “I did go back to get the check, but I didn’t see her in the house right away, so I went upstairs to use the bathroom.” She glanced at him and made a face. “I didn’t want to pee in the downstairs bathroom after a bunch of kids had been in there all afternoon.”

Mark nodded and looked out his side window, trying to tamp down the uneasy suspicion building inside him. “Yeah, that was a good choice. It’s going to take her a few days to get that bathroom cleaned up.”

“You mean it’s going to take her maid a few days to get that bathroom cleaned up.

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