Rancor: Sinister Attachments, Book 1 by Connie Myres

“Still looking at that calendar?”
    Maggie shrugged and reached for the tumbler. She was feeling the whiskey’s effect on her senses, or rather lack of senses, as she downed the drink. Then she looked at Jess’s empty tumbler. “Your glass is empty.” Maggie was beginning to slur her speech.
    “I already drank it,” Jess said.
    “Is that Bach you're playing?” Maggie’s elbow slipped off the table.
    “It is the Goldberg Variations, do you like it?”
    “I didn’t even know we had it,” Maggie said. “It sounds beautiful though.”
    Jess reached over and filled Maggie’s glass.
    “No more,” Maggie said, reaching for Jess’s hand.
    Jess continued pouring. “I don’t want you to get all depressed on me, being here in the house and all. Besides, it’s Saturday and I want to have some fun.”
    The whiskey had taken Maggie's common sense and thrown it out the window for the buzzards to peck at like road kill and carry away. “One more, then. I don’t want to go all crazy on you.”
    Jess filled the glass and sat back into the chair on the other side of the desk. “Maggie, you know you can call me anytime if you need anything. I know this is hard for you, losing Cory, but I will always be here for you.”
    With words that smeared into each other, she said, “I know Jess; you’re my best friend in the entire world. If I can’t depend on you, who can I depend on?”
    Jess smiled and watched as Maggie tipped to the side and almost fell out of the chair. “I still think you should move out of that awful apartment building. It’s so old and run-down, not to mention it has a spooky history. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone died there, actually I’m sure people died there because it was a hospital.”
    The whiskey was going down like cherry Kool-Aid. So much so that when she sat the glass back down it tipped over. Jess jumped up and ran to the kitchen, returning with a dishtowel.
    “I think it’s time for bed,” Jess said, drying the desktop.
    Maggie tried to stand but slid to her knees, giggling. “But I don’t want to go to bed, I’m having fun. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
    “To your feet,” Jess said, helping her stand. She guided her to the downstairs guest room where she fell onto the bed. Jess took off Maggie’s shoes and covered her with the blanket that had been folded at the foot of the bed. “Sweet dreams,” she said, closing the bedroom door tight as she left the room.
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    TWELVE
     
     
    “I’m never drinking again,” Maggie said, adjusting the sunglasses she had borrowed from Jess. “And thanks for letting me use these shades, my eyes are rather sensitive today.”
    Jess laughed as she pulled up to the sidewalk leading to the entry of Sandpiper Bluff. “I take it you’re not going to church this morning, and no problem, you can keep them. I have another pair I like better anyway.” Jess looked at the building and cringed. “Do you want me to go in with you?” 
    Maggie opened the car door and got out. “That won’t be necessary.”
    Jess waved as she drove away. Maggie felt woozy as she walked up to the double doors and inside the vestibule. She decided to look into the cloudy window of her mailbox to see if there was any mail in it, but as expected there was not. She unlocked the door and went inside the building. Glancing over at the superintendent’s office, she hoped to see Mr. Zimmerman so that she could ask about getting a better lock for her apartment door, but he was not there.
    Other than the sound of her shoes scuffing on the steps as she walked up to the second floor, the building was quiet. As she walked to her apartment, Bruce’s door opened.
    “Oh, hi, Maggie,” Bruce said. He moved the garbage bag he was holding to his other hand and raised his eyebrows. “Do you feel okay?”
    Maggie knew she looked awful. She had not showered, had bed head, and she still was wearing Jess’s sunglasses. She stopped and looked at