Page 150 of Burn Bag

“Yes, but I don’t think that matters.” Sighing, I took a steadying breath and blew it out. “I’ll be okay. I know I will.”

“Good. But if you need to leave, you just let me know. I’ll block your mother while you flee.”

“I don’t think it’s quite that desperate yet.”

He gave me a pointed look that said he didn’t believe me. “Are you sure about that?”

“Not entirely, but I’m not giving up yet.”

36

KAVANAUGH

Week Five…

“What is that?”

I cringed at the sound of Red’s voice, wondering if it was possible to hide the massive bird cage before he could see it. Doubtful, since it was the only thing I was carrying.

But that didn’t mean I had to appear guilty. Turning, I acted completely normal. “What are you talking about?”

A wide grin split his lips as he nodded to the cage. “That.”

“Oh, this?” I said, raising the cage. “It’s nothing. Just some decoration.”

“Uh-huh. What’s under the cloth?”

Again, I played it cool. “What cloth?”

“The one covering the cage,” he grinned.

I glanced down at the cage and then back to him. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really? You don’t know what I mean when I say there’s a cloth covering the massive cage?”

“It’s justa cloth. It’s protecting the cage.”

“Or what’s inside it,” he pointed out.

“There’s nothing inside. It’s just a cage. I picked it up because I thought Daphne would get a kick out of it.”

“Uh-huh,” he repeated. “So, you won’t mind if I join you inside.”

I quickly stepped in front of him as he approached, blocking his path. “Why would you do that?”

“Oh, I just thought I’d check out what’s going on in the house.”

“Nothing’s going on,” I said too quickly, giving myself away.

“If nothing’s going on, then you won’t mind if I go inside.”

Gritting my teeth, I tried to find a way out, but I was failing miserably. I couldn’t let him inside. It just couldn’t happen. But I had no excuse to keep him out.

Before I knew it, he was walking around me, shoving the front door open to the cacophony of sounds that now filled my house both day and night. I winced at the piercing screech I knew all too well.

Red slowly turned to me, his face a mixture of disbelief and fear. “What the hell was that?”

“That would be Marcel.”

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