Page 12 of Justified Lies

Just as she was about to offer a disposable face mask that her mother-in-law dropped off in bulk every flu season, he straightened and saw the cardboard. He studied it for only a moment before stomping back towards her. Worry lined his handsome face.

“Jesus, Lianna,” he said in disbelief.

“I know, I told you it was gross.”

“It’s not just that…”

Gabe rubbed his beard. It was a subconscious gesture he did when he was thinking, and it made her blood run hot.

“I figured it was something that an eagle or coyote got to.”

He shook his head and leveled Lianna with a stare. “Someone butchered that raccoon to send a message … to you.”

The statement was enough to pull her thoughts away from how his biceps bulged when he had his arms crossed like that and on to the matter at hand.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Did you look at it?” Gabe asked incredulously. “That raccoon is cleanly sliced open from his neck to…”

He stopped, seeming to struggle with what to say next. He continued more gently.

“That animal didn’t get there itself, it was placed there. It stinks bad enough that I’m guessing it didn’t die today, but there are not enough bugs to support it being left out here long. Someone intentionally killed it, waited for the right time and put it on your garbage can.”

“I figured that someone found it like that, then thought it would be funny to scare me, based on the nice note they left. But it just doesn’t make any sense,” Lianna argued. “Maybe teenagers last night?”

Gabe considered her question. “Possibly, but that thing would have been devoured by wildlife if it was left overnight. And why thenicenote? Is there someone bothering you?”

“I can’t think of anyone who would do this.” Lianna muttered. “Who goes around prank calling people and leaving dead raccoons outside their homes?”

****

Gabe watched Lianna as she racked her brain. She was chewing on her plump bottom lip like she always did when she was over thinking. He had to agree the situation was weird, but in his time with the VPD he’d seen much weirder. Then the first part of her statement hit him.

“What do you mean prank calls?”

Waving a hand through the air, Lianna ignored him. “I guess I can ask Tim. I saw him over on that side of the house this morning right before I showered.”

“Who is Tim?”

“You know, Tim and Diana next door, the older couple? It’s just odd that he didn’t say anything if he noticed it.”

Lianna was still chewing her lip and Gabe was on the verge of begging her to stop.

“Why is your neighbor walking around your property while you’re showering?”

“Honestly, who knows? Tim always has an excuse to be over here, he finds menial tasks to do. I think he’s bored. He stares a lot.” She said nonchalantly. “One morning he scared me silly when I opened the door to get the paper and caught him sweeping off our front porch.”

That didn’t sit right, so Gabe pressed further. “That’s not odd to you?”

“Of course, it’s odd.”

“Have you ever asked him to come over, or help?” He was quickly growing suspicious of this Tim character.

“No. Well … he did kill a big spider that I couldn’t reach over the fireplace once. But that’s because I had already seen him outside and knew he was close by.”

“Do youwanthim coming onto your property?”

“No, he makes me uncomfortable, but how awkward would it be to ask him to stop being neighborly and helping out.”

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