The Lake

TWENTY-FOUR

“Oh God. This gets worse. I’ve gotta go out there and get the knife. Can’t go back now, though. Warren’ll be asleep. And his dog. Fat chance I have of sneaking into his house to see if Mom’s vegetable knife’s in there, with Sabre around.

“Maybe it’s on the sidewalk. Maybe someone kicked it into the bushes.”

No way. An urgent little voice told her the knife was now in Warren’s house. She stared at the curtains, billowing inward. Felt the soft breeze. Sniffed at the air, thinking she’d caught a whiff of Allan’s scent again.

Stop it.

Now!

She let her eyelids droop. Wriggled her shoulders. Relaxed her body right down to her toes. Breathed deep. In, out, in, out…

But her special relaxation technique wasn’t working tonight. She couldn’t get the knife out of her mind.

Mom’s gonna miss her knife. She uses it almost every day.

She’s gonna think that someone stole it.

No way would she think she’d lost it…

She always puts it back in the drawer.

Hope Warren did find it.

Probably took it indoors, intending to return it later.

The knife and my cap.

Doesn’t really matter about the cap.

Idiot. Warren doesn’t know where I live.

Didn’t give him the chance to ask where I lived.

Didn’t want to tell him, either. He could’ve been a rapist.

Nah.

Not with a dog that size. Rapists creep about on their lonesome.

Preying on girls.

Dog like that, a would-be rapist wouldn’t have a victim to rape. They’d be dead with fright, or halfway down the street.

Only one thing for it. Wait till Mom goes to bed tonight, then sneak out.

Again.

If I’m lucky, I’ll catch Warren walking his dog.

Then I’ll ask him if he saw the knife, and did he happen to pick it up. And if so, please can I have it back?

Make it easy on yourself, Deana. Buy a new one.

Can’t do that.

Mom’d notice the difference.

She’d wonder why she’s suddenly got a new knife in place of the old one.

Phweww…

What a tangled web…

Only one thing for it.

Gotta go out there and find Warren.

Sample his cocoa.

Maybe. Whatever. Just get the knife back.