Shameless by William Bernhardt

Author:William Bernhardt [Bernhardt, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781954871373
Publisher: Bernhardt Books Inc

Zelda checked herself in the large mirror beside the breakfront in her foyer. She did look rather good, didn’t she? Sure, she would never see thirty again, or forty or fifty, for that matter. And she would never fit into her prom dress. But she didn’t look her age. Did she? She’d had some rough years, but overall, she’d taken good care of herself.

Or maybe that was just the ASMR talking. She did love a little whispering first thing in the morning. Those delicious tingles made her head spin. Her life might be somewhat…restricted these days. But she found ways to keep her mind and spirit alive.

She’d always been a people watcher and didn’t see why that should subject her to criticism. She refused to be thrust into some little-old-lady, nosy-neighbor stereotype. She was genuinely interested in people—what they did and why they did it. For decades now, she’d told herself she was gathering material for a Great American Novel. Maybe this was the year she sat down and wrote it. She certainly had enough material…

She had never for one minute imagined that she would become involved with a police matter of any kind, much less a murder. But it had been somewhat…thrilling. Didn’t give her the same tingles as ASMR. But it wasn’t bad. Made her feel important. Made her feel as if someone cared whether she lived or died.

And now they said she would be called to testify at trial. That she would be the prosecution’s star witness. That was something special. No one could say her life was wasted after that.

She looked back into the mirror. She would need something to wear to court. Something that made her seem trustworthy. Like a reliable observer of the human condition. Maybe something from Saks…

She opened the door and stepped into the hallway, a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She was so inside herself that it took more than a few seconds before she spotted the person standing in the hallway, maybe ten feet away.

But that person spotted her.

She turned, raced back into her apartment and slammed the door behind her. She slid the chain into the slot, then turned the deadbolt.

A second later she heard a pounding on the door.

And the abuse, threats, and bribes that followed. But she didn’t respond. And she certainly didn’t open the door.

Should she call the police? She didn’t want them to think their reliable witness was crackers.

She didn’t know what to do. So she did nothing.

Except press her hand against her chest. Count to ten. Deep breath. Another deep breath.

Maybe the police didn’t know as much as they thought they did.

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