BACKWOODS RIPPER: a gripping action suspense thriller by Anna Willett Page B

Lizzy liked her either, and the scornful way she’d referred to Hal made her even more puzzled about the woman’s intentions.
    The screen door slapped open and Soona ambled into the kitchen carrying a cereal box that had been cut in half. She wore the same denim dungarees as the day before, but underneath sported a brown sweatshirt strained across her thick upper body. Paige could see the box contained four brown speckled eggs. Soona put them down on the table with surprising gentleness and then headed for the drawing room.
    “Stop!” Lizzy turned from the stove and fixed her glare on Soona.
    Soona stopped moving and hunched her shoulders together as if expecting a blow. It was a small movement for the large woman. If Paige had disliked Lizzy before, that flinch of fear in Soona’s shoulders turned her dislike to contempt. Suddenly the room felt too small, and the two women like giants. Paige was caught in the middle of whatever drama these two women played. She didn’t want to look at Lizzy or Soona, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
    “What’s in your pocket?” Lizzy asked.
    Soona shook her head, her dark hair clung to her forehead and cheeks in damp strings. Lizzy’s lips bunched together in an angry pucker. Her eyes, the colour of shark’s skin, narrowed. The hairs on Paige’s arms tingled. She could almost see the storm gathering behind Lizzy’s eyes. Paige felt the urge to say or do something to break the tension, but her mouth felt dry and a small part of her feared Lizzy would unleash the storm on her.
    Lizzy crossed the room, her sensible brown lace-ups thumping the boards hard enough to shake the table. Soona opened her mouth and let out a sound that reminded Paige of a baby horse. Lizzy grabbed a handful of Soona’s shirt, probably a chunk of skin with it, and spun her around.
    Lizzy plunged her hand into the front pocket of Soona’s dungarees and pulled out an egg. She held it in the palm of her hand.
    “What have I told you?” Lizzy asked, pushing the egg under Soona’s nose.
    Soona’s hands flapped at her sides as if she were trying to take flight. Lizzy’s hand flipped up and smashed the egg into Soona’s forehead, grinding and rubbing it against the woman’s skin. The centre of Soona’s face was coated in yellow sticky goo that dribbled off her chin and pooled on her sweatshirt.
    Lizzy stepped back and inspected the mess. “Get in your room and clean yourself up.” Lizzy gave the woman’s shoulder a shove with enough force to send her stumbling into the drawing room.
    Lizzy turned back to Paige and gave her head a small shake. The change from barely contained rage to parental disapproval took seconds. In that moment, Paige knew she was in trouble. The air felt hot, like a heavy blanket had been thrown over her. A tingling sensation jangled her nerves. Paige pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling, and tried to keep her face smooth and impassive.
    “She’s always sneaking eggs.” A sad, almost motherly smile pulled up the sides of her mouth. “She thinks if she keeps them warm a chick will hatch. I’ve tried to tell her that we don’t have a rooster, but she’s retarded so I suppose she has trouble understanding.”
    Paige tried to think of something to say. “Oh.” The sound slipped out of her mouth and even to her own ears it sounded like a weak puff. She’d just watched Lizzy bully and assault a woman whose intelligence was like that of a small child. She felt disgust at herself for watching and staying mute, and at Lizzy for the obvious pleasure she took in hurting someone mentally incapable of protecting themselves.
    “You don’t have that problem, do you?” Lizzy pointed at Paige’s belly and made a sound that came close to being a laugh.
    “What?” Paige asked, confused by the woman’s sudden change of tone and direction.
    “You’ve got a rooster,” she said and made a wet snorting sound with her nose.
    Paige could feel the heat creeping up