…”
Jack shrugged. “I’m surprised Nans or one of the ladies doesn’t have a contact. Heck, didn’t Ruth date a gangster? Maybe they could ask one of Helen’s old contacts at the paper. They usually have shady informants. Or maybe someone at the retirement center—thugs have grandmas, too, you know.”
Lexy chuckled. “Let’s hope she can dig someone up. You know how she is—she won’t rest until she finds out.”
Jack nodded and then stood up and took the dishes to the sink. Lexy bent down toward Sprinkles who had been patiently watching every bite that had gone into her mouth. She held out a tiny piece of pie crust.
“You want a treat?”
Sprinkles thumped her tail on the floor before gently taking the piece from Lexy and swallowing it in one gulp.
“So, are you ready to tackle some more packing?” Jack put the last dish in the dishwasher.
Lexy’s eyes slid to the back door—the one she used to use to cut through the back yards to Jack’s. “I guess we could finish up packing the rest of the kitchen cabinets.”
“Yeah, I want to get those boxes to Goodwill this weekend.” Jack led the way through the back door into Lexy’s backyard, taking the shortcut through the missing board in the fence into his backyard.
“I guess we’ll have to fix that fence before we list the house for sale,” Jack said.
Lexy’s heart tugged as she remembered the excitement of slipping through that hole in the fence on those early nights when she and Jack had first started dating. She had to admit, it had been pretty convenient to have her boyfriend right in the backyard. They’d been able to visit each other easily, and if one forgot their toothbrush … well … it was only a short walk to get it.
But now they were married and she got to have Jack at her house every night.
As she followed Jack to his kitchen door, a familiar beige car driving down the street caught her eye and she stopped in her tracks.
“Something wrong?” Jack stood at the backdoor with the key in his hand.
“No.” Lexy kept her eye on the beige car. It drove down Jack’s street, then around the corner, then took a left onto Lexy’s street.
Could it be coincidence that she had seen the car three times and now it was in her own neighborhood?
Lexy didn’t think so.
Jack pushed the door open and started into the kitchen. Lexy held back, peeking throughout the bushes and neighbors’ backyards, watching the car’s progress. It stopped two houses down from hers on the opposite side of the street.
Almost as if it were staking out her house.
Lexy had a pretty good idea who was behind the wheel … and then she realized how she could kill two birds with one stone.
***
Lexy peeked into the kitchen. Jack stood at an open cabinet, digging out some coffee mugs. Cardboard boxes lay strewn on the floor. Old newspapers were stacked on the counters.
“I forgot my gloves at my house.” Lexy wore latex food service gloves while packing to keep from getting all the newsprint on her hands. “I’ll be back in a second.”
“Okay,” Jack shot over his shoulder as he started wrapping the mugs in newspaper.
Lexy tiptoed around to the front of Jack’s house, then walked four houses down to the Murphy’s. She turned into their yard, sneaking along the tree line and into the Sullivan’s backyard. Hopefully neither the Murphy’s nor the Sullivan’s would look out the window and see her skulking around. The last thing she needed was for someone to call the cops on her.
Crossing from the Sullivan’s backyard to their front, Lexy came out onto her own street, one house down from the beige car.
She ducked behind a rhododendron bush, then peered around it, ignoring the furry black and yellow bees that buzzed her. The driver of the car didn’t notice her. He sat slouched in the driver’s seat holding a pair of binoculars to his face. The binoculars were trained on Lexy’s house.
She scurried across the
Jack shrugged. “I’m surprised Nans or one of the ladies doesn’t have a contact. Heck, didn’t Ruth date a gangster? Maybe they could ask one of Helen’s old contacts at the paper. They usually have shady informants. Or maybe someone at the retirement center—thugs have grandmas, too, you know.”
Lexy chuckled. “Let’s hope she can dig someone up. You know how she is—she won’t rest until she finds out.”
Jack nodded and then stood up and took the dishes to the sink. Lexy bent down toward Sprinkles who had been patiently watching every bite that had gone into her mouth. She held out a tiny piece of pie crust.
“You want a treat?”
Sprinkles thumped her tail on the floor before gently taking the piece from Lexy and swallowing it in one gulp.
“So, are you ready to tackle some more packing?” Jack put the last dish in the dishwasher.
Lexy’s eyes slid to the back door—the one she used to use to cut through the back yards to Jack’s. “I guess we could finish up packing the rest of the kitchen cabinets.”
“Yeah, I want to get those boxes to Goodwill this weekend.” Jack led the way through the back door into Lexy’s backyard, taking the shortcut through the missing board in the fence into his backyard.
“I guess we’ll have to fix that fence before we list the house for sale,” Jack said.
Lexy’s heart tugged as she remembered the excitement of slipping through that hole in the fence on those early nights when she and Jack had first started dating. She had to admit, it had been pretty convenient to have her boyfriend right in the backyard. They’d been able to visit each other easily, and if one forgot their toothbrush … well … it was only a short walk to get it.
But now they were married and she got to have Jack at her house every night.
As she followed Jack to his kitchen door, a familiar beige car driving down the street caught her eye and she stopped in her tracks.
“Something wrong?” Jack stood at the backdoor with the key in his hand.
“No.” Lexy kept her eye on the beige car. It drove down Jack’s street, then around the corner, then took a left onto Lexy’s street.
Could it be coincidence that she had seen the car three times and now it was in her own neighborhood?
Lexy didn’t think so.
Jack pushed the door open and started into the kitchen. Lexy held back, peeking throughout the bushes and neighbors’ backyards, watching the car’s progress. It stopped two houses down from hers on the opposite side of the street.
Almost as if it were staking out her house.
Lexy had a pretty good idea who was behind the wheel … and then she realized how she could kill two birds with one stone.
***
Lexy peeked into the kitchen. Jack stood at an open cabinet, digging out some coffee mugs. Cardboard boxes lay strewn on the floor. Old newspapers were stacked on the counters.
“I forgot my gloves at my house.” Lexy wore latex food service gloves while packing to keep from getting all the newsprint on her hands. “I’ll be back in a second.”
“Okay,” Jack shot over his shoulder as he started wrapping the mugs in newspaper.
Lexy tiptoed around to the front of Jack’s house, then walked four houses down to the Murphy’s. She turned into their yard, sneaking along the tree line and into the Sullivan’s backyard. Hopefully neither the Murphy’s nor the Sullivan’s would look out the window and see her skulking around. The last thing she needed was for someone to call the cops on her.
Crossing from the Sullivan’s backyard to their front, Lexy came out onto her own street, one house down from the beige car.
She ducked behind a rhododendron bush, then peered around it, ignoring the furry black and yellow bees that buzzed her. The driver of the car didn’t notice her. He sat slouched in the driver’s seat holding a pair of binoculars to his face. The binoculars were trained on Lexy’s house.
She scurried across the