The Accused by Jana DeLeon

leaned forward, trying to see into the brush about twenty feet from the door. Was something moving in there?
    A burst of thunder boomed overhead and lightning streaked across the sky, lighting up the entire courtyard. Rays of light streaked through the brush, illuminating the individual branches and leaves. Nothing. But she could have sworn something was there just seconds ago.
    The sheets of rain gusted toward her now and the huge drops stung her face and eyes, causing her vision to blur. Time to go back inside and lock the door behind her.
    Then a hand grabbed her shoulder, and she screamed.

Chapter Six
    Alaina spun around, gun leveled, and knocked the elderly man down onto the laundry room floor.
    “Oh, no!” She tossed her gun onto the sheets and reached down to help the man, who must be the caretaker, to his feet.
    “I’m so sorry,” she said, scanning him up and down for visible injuries. “Are you all right?”
    “Been hit harder.” He delivered that single statement, then stood there staring, but in an odd way—not expectantly and not as if he was studying her.
    “I’m Alaina LeBeau,” she said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “You must be Amos.”
    “Yep,” he said and continued standing there, water dripping down his face and body and onto the laundry room floor.
    All righty, then.
    Alaina reached for one of the folded towels she’d washed earlier and handed it to Amos. “I’m sorry about that. I thought I saw someone outside in the courtyard and then when you touched me... I guess I’m feeling a little jumpy.”
    Amos dried his face with the towel and nodded. “It’s a strange house. Has a strange feel. That’s why I told Mr. Purcell I wouldn’t live here. Got my own place. It don’t feel strange.”
    Alaina had her doubts that any space Amos occupied would feel normal, but now wasn’t the best time to explore that thought. “Did you need something, Amos?”
    “Saw lights on. Thought I’d better check things out. Wasn’t expecting you till Thursday.”
    “It is Thursday.”
    “You don’t say.” He rubbed his chin. “Well, then I guess I lost track of a day or two.”
    An encouraging thought. “I appreciate your checking on me.”
    “Just doing my job. Guess now that I have, I’ll head off to bed.”
    “Did you walk over here from your cabin?” Maybe Amos had been the one she saw in the courtyard. That would be the best explanation she could think of.
    “In this storm? I’m old, not crazy. I drove my truck over. It’s parked out front.”
    “Do you want to wait here a bit until the storm slacks off?” Good manners forced her to make the offer, but she held her breath, hoping the odd caretaker would take his leave into the monsoon.
    “Won’t slack anytime soon. Need to get home before the power goes out.”
    He started down the hallway and across the entry to the front door. Alaina trailed behind him, alternating between relief that he was leaving and worry that she might spend her first night in the swamp mansion of horrors without lights.
    “There are flashlights in that cabinet next to the washing machine,” Amos said when he stopped at the front door. “I keep working batteries in ’em. You best get a couple soon.”
    “Thanks. If you get a chance tomorrow, I’d really appreciate it if you can come by and show me around the house and point out anything else I need to know about it.”
    “Of course. That’s my job.” He stared at her for a couple of seconds. “You look like your mother.”
    “That’s what people say. I’m afraid my memories of her are hazy.”
    “No matter. Now that you’re here, she’ll be by soon and you can see for yourself.”
    * * *
    T HUNDER BOOMED over the sheriff’s department and the lights blinked. Carter logged off the computer before the storm could do it for him. Every time he got shut down by a power outage, it was a pain in the rear to get things working right the next morning.
    He’d spent a frustrating two hours