Masquerade by Rife Eileen

Author:Rife, Eileen [Rife, Eileen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-01-31T08:00:00+00:00

Last bulletin board changed to welcome the spring season and room in order, Celeste drove home. The house appeared all right when she pulled into the driveway. No mystery bouquet on the stoop. Nerves flip-flopped through her stomach when she stepped into the dingy garage and shut the car door. Given the array of clutter—ladder, tools, tires, garden supplies, and boxes—it would be easy for someone to hide. She quickly snapped on the light. Joe’s bike rested against the back wall next to some shelving he had built for storage.

As she worked her way to the back of the garage,

she paused and picked up a pair of Joe’s garden gloves lying on a wooden table. Her heart lurched when a couple of blue jays flitted past the window, squawking at one another. Hand on her chest, she breathed deeply, then released a gush of air. A rich oily smell filled her nostrils.

Placing the gloves back on the table as Joe had left them, Celeste moved to the bike. Tears sprang to her eyes. He’d been so proud of his thrifty purchase. Her gaze traveled to a shelf. Mouse traps. An idea teased at the edge of her mind.

With fresh vigor, she scooped the traps off the shelf and charged toward the house. After setting the traps on the steps, she dashed into the kitchen and retrieved some masking tape from a junk drawer. Back outside, she looped a strip of tape on the bottom of each wooden trap. She only had six traps to accommodate nine windows, so she’d have to choose wisely. Working her way around the house, she set each trap and then stuck one on a window ledge.

“There.” She brushed her hands together, plopped them on her hips. “See if that killer messes with me. And if these wooden traps don’t work, there’s always those new glue strips.” A sinister smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She stifled a laugh, then let it rip. However unorthodox, Joe would’ve loved her comical attempt at home security.

She spun the masking tape around her finger and walked back to the garage. The bike beckoned her. When was the last time she’d ridden? With the harsh winter all but past, she felt like getting outside. She maneuvered the

bike to the side of the house, locked the door, and slid the key in her zippered jacket pocket.

The gravel crunch evoked an image of Joe riding off in the morning to work. She fought back tears at the bittersweet memory. Like robin song in a new season, the present called to her. As she pedaled, she imagined herself racing beside Joe on the alley that bordered their backyard. She flew with the wind, pedaling faster until her thighs ached. A good ache. The crisp March air stung her cheeks, whipped her hair around her face. Every pore felt alive.

Fresh determination seeped into her spirit. So what if Barbara and Lorna thought adopting Lily was a bad idea? She’d at least begin the process; stir the pot.

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