Chapter 2
Promising herself a cup of hot tea in the near future, Doreen took her glass of water and left the back door open—so Mugs could join her if he wanted, especially to avoid that cat. “Goliath,” she murmured, finally remembering Nan’s cat’s name. Doreen wandered outside to the veranda, which drifted down the full width of the house, noting a matching set of steps that led to the deck, one from each end of the veranda.
She wasn’t hungry, even though it had to be noon or later. After all, she had spent all morning driving here.
With peace established inside—Nan’s cat taking refuge under one of the many pieces of furniture cluttering the living room and Mugs no longer barking but feeling proud of himself—Doreen collapsed into the nearest of the two wooden chairs on the veranda and stared at the backyard. A nice deck connected the back of the house to the grassy area of the yard.
It was such a gorgeous afternoon. The sun cast beautiful beams of light across the property, and the waist-high overgrown garden added some shadows too.
Nan’s property.
Legally. Or soon to be. Nan had already started the transfer documents.
Odd to consider this was the first home Doreen had owned herself. Never in a million years would she have expected to end up here in this stage of her life. It was both daunting and exhilarating. Her marriage had been on the rocks for years, and she’d been desperate for a change… but wow. Watch what you ask for.
Looking back, she felt a little guilty and wondered what Nan’s life had been like during Doreen’s marriage, when Doreen had been led around the world on her husband’s arm for years. When Doreen had been a child, she had been best friends with Nan, until Doreen’s mother had married up in life, and Doreen had been shipped off to boarding school.
Her mother’s death years later had brought Doreen and Nan closer together again, until Doreen had married her own wealthy nightmare. Then Doreen’s relationship with Nan had been shunted back to phone calls and the odd solo visit. Mostly when she could get her husband to allow her the time away. Now Doreen and Nan only had each other. And that made it lovely to move closer so they could spend the most of what time they had left together.
Doreen’s previous life seemed so far removed from where she’d landed now. Although this house was paid for, she still needed to find a way to make a living to pay her monthly bills and to put food on her table as well as to pay for the dog’s food. According to Nan, the water bill here was horrific, and the power companies were thieves. Doreen had not worked the whole time she had been married. Her controlling husband had deemed it “demeaning.” So Doreen had job searches and job applications and job interviews to look forward to as well.
But what did she really want to do with the rest of her life?
She sighed, shook her head. Those were tomorrow’s messes to deal with. Today was about getting moved in and settled for the night.
Mugs walked over and sat down beside her.
He had something in his mouth, but she had no idea what. When he crunched it with a bone-breaking noise, she bounded to her feet and stared at him, aghast. “Where did you get that?”
A bit of grass stuck out one corner of his mouth.
Whatever it was had come from outside the house. But, since Mugs hadn’t been in the garden in the front yard or in the backyard yet, chances were that the cat had brought it inside. And that could mean all kinds of horrible things. Doreen had no experience with cats, but she’d heard the horror stories… “Mugs, that’s disgusting. Drop it.”
When he didn’t, Doreen’s face twisting in distaste, she leaned over for a closer look. Was it a bone? But what kind of a bone? “Mugs, give it to me. Let me look at that.”
He gave her a grunt and backed away.
Crap.
She got on her hands and knees to peer closer. A bone wouldn’t be so bad, but something appeared to be sticking out the end of it. She tried to grab it from him, only Mugs backed up again.
Slowly she followed him on all fours. “Come on, boy. You don’t want that nasty bone. Give it to me, and I’ll get you some proper dinner.” Inspired by the idea, she hopped to her feet and ran inside to his stash of goodies, found his treats, shaking the bag as she ran out the back door.
Immediately Mugs dropped the bone and raised his nose to sniff the air. When Doreen held out a chicken twist for him, he smelled it, then decided he preferred the bone at his feet.
“No! Wait, Mugs. No.” She shoved the treat into his face a second time.
He gave her an offended look but slowly took the treat, dropping the bone once more.
Instantly she snatched it out of his reach. She turned it over and screamed, tossing the small fleshy thing to the wooden floor of the veranda. Mugs raced for it, but she shooed him away. Using a piece of old cardboard found on the side of the veranda, she scooped up the bone and placed it on the little outside table. Gasping, her heart pounding, she peered closer.
The bone had skin on it—and a fingernail at the end. A nicely manicured man’s nail.
Mugs had been chomping on a human finger.