PS01 - Tall, Dark & Lonely by R.L. Mathewson Read Free Book Online

the cleaning supplies were under the sink. She swore up and down that she stocked the small cabinet
    right after the last renter moved out. Madison had a sneaking suspicion about what she was going to find. Sure enough the
    cabinet was filled from top to bottom with brand new cleaning supplies. She had to laugh. This really would be a new
    experience. Not one she was willing to repeat.
    Donning the one size fits all rubber gloves she got started. She threw the dirty towels into trash bags. It took four large trash
    bags to get rid of them all. She had a feeling that her mysterious neighbor used his towels until they were beyond use and then
    threw them onto the pile. That theory was confirmed by the towel hanging by the shower. It was wearing away in some places
    and smelled bad. She threw that one away as well, might as well do a thorough job, she decided.
    She spent the next four hours scrubbing, scraping, gagging, pleading, and polishing. By the time she was done it was passable
    even by her strict standards. Every surface shined and the room smelled of fresh lemon. She unloaded her things and left the
    room. She had too much to do to stand around and admire her work. She could only hope that her neighbor wouldn’t take the
    cleaning job as a challenge. She didn’t want to do this every week.

    ********
“You look silly, Madison!” Joshua giggled as he ran past her, bouncing the basketball she bought him for his last birthday.
    Madison feigned a horrified look. She looked down at her oversized sweatshirt, which covered four other layers. It was
    freezing. Dear god the outside thermometer read seventy, seventy! Where she lived cold was eighty. This was hell backwards.
    She wiped her grease covered hands on her baggy jeans that covered leggings and adjusted her baseball cap and pony tail.
    “What?”
    He giggled some more. She did a little model walk, swinging her hips in exaggeration and pursing her lips. “I think I look
    fabulous darling,” she purred. Joshua cracked up even louder.
    “You have oil on your face!” He laughed.
    She waved it off. “The oil simply adds texture and illusion, darling,” she said in a snooty voice. Joshua giggled some more as
    he returned to his bouncing.
    Madison returned to the task at hand, making her engine run for another day. Tomorrow she would trade it in and buy a new car
    since she no longer had to worry about supporting the kids. She wasn’t going nuts. She would spend less than half her nest egg
    in case something happened, but she really needed a reliable vehicle for work.
    “Madison!” Jill screeched.
    “Looks like her royal highness didn’t get her way again,” Joshua muttered. For a ten year old he was rather perceptive.
    “Why do you say that?” she asked as she fought to loosen a bolt. The damn thing was rusted on tightly. It wouldn’t budge even
    with WD-40. It had to come off.
    “That’s the way she acts now that Candy is around. She’s a total pain.” He bounced the ball. “I don’t understand why she wants
    to be like her. She’s gross!”
    Madison agreed, but didn’t say anything. Her mother dressed and acted like a hooker. She was half worried that she looked that
    way for a reason. Now Jill was taking after Candy. Speaking of Jill…
    “I want to go home right now!” Jill demanded near Madison.
    “Lower your voice I can hear you fine.” She continued focusing on that damn bolt.
    “That woman told me I can’t wear make-up. I have to earn it , she said,” Jill said mockingly.
    “That woman as you like to refer to her is our grandmother so you will call her ‘Grandma’ or ‘ma’am’ if I hear you disrespect
    her again you’re grounded,” Madison warned. She was usually easy to get along with, but Jill’s spoiled attitude was doing a
    real number on her nerves.
    “Fine! Grandma said that I can’t wear makeup or tight clothes!” she said in a whiny voice.
    “Good.”
    “Good?”
    “Good. That was ending today anyway. You’re