The Darkness of Shadows by Chris Little Read Free Book Online Page B

system.
    She braced a foot against a cabinet and yanked. The drawer came flying out, followed by a swarm of cellophane-wrapped snack cakes.
    The last cabinet watched in horror as Val and I dismantled its neighborhood.
    “Whoa!” Val said.
    “Holy crap!”
    The contents of the cupboard weren’t what we were looking for, but instead was a mecca of collectible fast-food movie cups.
    “This is insane.” Val shuffled through the compilation of plastic. Something rattled around in one of the cups. She dumped the contents on the counter.
    Hard, black shells that resembled candy-coated treats skittered to and fro. Forensic examination revealed that they once had legs.
    “I want a hazmat suit,” I said.
    “Um …”
    “You can have the cups, movie freak.”
    She smiled and shook the debris from the rest of the cups.
    “We have to look deeper,” I said. “This would have been too easy.”
    She nodded and opened the toolbox. She took the pry bar and handed me a screwdriver.
    “Hey! Take it easy.”
    “This all needs to be replaced anyway,” she said, prying a cabinet from the wall.
    “Yeah, well, I’m paying for it.”
    “Don’t play the poor card with me. I know what you got for your business.”
    Cabinets came down, countertops up and off, linoleum peeled back—and still nothing.

    The storm before the calm continued in the dining/living area.
    Val was bouncing around like Tigger, searching for loose floorboards. I hunkered down next to a heating vent. The screws had been painted over many times and were proving tenacious. I chipped away a few layers and cleared the slots. Putting my substantial weight behind the screwdriver gained a few turns on each corner. I slid the blade behind the cover and popped it off. Bits of paint and plaster crumbled to the floor. I grabbed the flashlight and shined it on countless years of dust and other heating duct things.
    The bouncing stopped.
    “Find anything?” Val said.
    “Not sure.” I didn’t want to stick my hand into the unknown.
    Sensing my hesitation, Val squatted down and plunged her arm into the darkness.
    “Nothing … nothing …”
    Her eyes dilated in surprise. She jerked forward, her arm yanked farther into the duct.
    I dove at her, performing a half-tackle. It was enough to free her and send us both skidding across the floor. My stomach made sure I knew the movement wasn’t appreciated. She was turned away, shoulders heaving.
    “You okay?”
    I scooted closer, expecting to see a pool of blood forming around her.
    Silent laughter prevented her from answering.
    She gasped a few times. “I can’t believe you fell for that.” She rolled up and onto her feet, offering me a hand up.
    I ignored it. Heat rose up in my neck, past my cheeks, and threatened to boil my brain.
    “Jerk. Not funny in the least.” I glanced behind her: wainscoting was cleaved from the walls, floorboards uprooted from their families. “You’re like a tornado.”
    “I didn’t find anything either.”
    I angled upward with the aid of the cane and stood next to her. We were covered with sweat, dirt, and disappointment.
    “Bathroom’s next,” Val said.
    The dollar signs went into the stratosphere.

    We eventually moved on to our last hope: the bedroom. Val tapped along the plaster walls with the pry bar. I went into the walk-in closet to escape the wrath of the demolition queen. I held the flashlight in one hand and felt along the wall for any irregularities.
    Was that a bump?
    I traced a rectangular shape on the wall at about chest height. My heartbeat quickened.
    A small crash, followed by an “Oops, I’ll pay for it,” was white noise as I pressed my fingernails around the perimeter.
    “Come here.”
    She appeared behind me. “What’d you find?”
    “Not sure. Shine the light here please.” I handed her the flashlight and pointed to the spot. I heard the click of a knife and jumped.
    “Here, use this.” She handed me a small blade.
    I cut around the edges and peeled the