Green Lake by S.K. Epperson Read Free Book Online

reluctant to enter into in the first place.
    “Ouch!” She shot up in bed as one of the kittens began kneading her leg with its claws. She plucked him away and rubbed at the flesh of her thigh. The other two kittens were curled up on the bed at her feet. Madeleine placed the clawing kitten with the others and got up to go to the living area and turn on the television. She flipped through channels on the remote for a moment, then put it down and went to look outside. The waxing moon was bright in the cloudless night. She thought she saw movement in the old cemetery and she jumped and squinted, trying to see.
    There it was again. Someone was moving around just beyond the gate.
    Just as Madeleine was about to go for the phone, she recognized the yellow fishing hat atop the skulker's head.
    What on earth was Tanner doing?
    She was tempted to go out and see, but common sense told her it was best to steer clear of weirdos in the moonlight.
    Besides which, Renard had looked exhausted again that evening and would doubtlessly resent being disturbed for so trivial a reason as Tanner.
    Madeleine thought of Renard sitting on the front porch in his briefs, trying to look at his bloody big toe, and had to smile. Renard was on the slender side, and while he was bent over with his wet hair in his face, he had reminded her of a ceremonial dancer, and of the many nearly naked men she had witnessed on numerous occasions while living among various Native-American tribes. It made her feel close to him, and at the same time it irritated her for the other memories he inspired.
    The man who had ridden on her back and whipped her with a stick she would never forget.
    But thinking about him was almost worse than thinking about Sam, so she turned abruptly from the window and looked at the television again.
    Five minutes later she clicked off the TV and went back to bed, stroking each of the kittens before she laid back and closed her eyes.
    The next morning she awakened to the ringing of the telephone, and she hurried out of bed to snatch up the receiver, afraid the caller would hang up before she could reach it.
    “Hello?”
    “I'm at the grocery store,” said a familiar deep voice. “I've got the litter; now what kind of cat food do I buy?”
    “Renard?”
    “I don't have long. I have to get back. What kind do you want?”
    Madeleine started to tell him no thanks. She would get her own cat food if she got any at all. Then she thought of the last can of tuna and the three furry babies who kept her company in the big bed and said, “Anything with tuna in it. They love tuna.”
    “All right. I'll drop it off when I get back.”
    “Thank you,” said Madeleine, but he had already hung up. She made a face at the phone and it rang again almost immediately, causing her to start and stare for half a second. Finally she picked up the receiver, and she was relieved to hear her sister's voice wish her a cheery good morning.
    “Jacqueline,” she said, pleased to hear from her.
    “I tried your cell but it's out of service. How's it going so far?”
    “I haven't paid my phone bill in a while.”
    “You're not scared, are you? To be by yourself?”
    “No. Not really.”
    “That's good. I was worried you might be after hearing about that missing little girl. I heard it on the radio this morning on the way to work.”
    “Really?”
    “Bad news travels. Is our neighbor out looking for her?”
    Madeleine's mouth twisted. “At the moment he's out buying cat food.”
    “He doesn't have a cat.”
    “No, but we do. Three kittens, dumped in our yard courtesy of a noisy rumbling pickup and two good ole boys.”
    “You're kidding.”
    “I'm not. Is it all right? Can I keep them awhile?”
    “Of course. Manny loves cats. Are they cute?”
    “Two feisty tiger-striped and one black.”
    “Company for you,” Jacqueline observed. “Why is Renard out buying food for them?”
    “It's a long story.”
    “He's quite the reserved gentleman, isn't