Get a Clue

Halfway down it, her heart was pounding so hard and fast she couldn't have heard a tornado ripping through over the sound of her own pulse drumming in her ears. She actually had to stop and breathe for a moment to be able to hear at all.

Nothing but silence greeted her, and then… a faint thud.

It'd come from behind the one locked bedroom door, naturally. Forget evening out her pulse now-the best she could do was gulp in a breath. She knocked once. 'Hello?'

Nothing, though she imagined she heard panicky breathing. On both sides of the door. 'Anyone in there?' She knocked again and told herself she was fine. Nothing could happen to her; she held a butcher's knife, for God's sake.

No one answered. Of course not, because the only one-down here was Edward, and his answering days were long over. Turning, she peeked into the room where Lariana had been sleeping. Neat and tidy as a pin.

The bedroom next to it-Dante's, she could tell by the beanie on the foot of the bed-wasn't nearly as neat. He hadn't made his bed, and he had yesterday's clothes on the floor.

But from under the bed peeked out a hand.

Oh God.

In some kind of trance, her feet took her inside the room, and then to the mattress, knowing if she found another body she was going to truly start screaming and never stop. Cringing, she bent down, then let out a short, rough breath as she realized the truth.

Not a hand, but a glove. A rubber kitchen glove stained with the same dark brown stuff that was on the towel upstairs beneath the sink. Desperately she wanted to believe what she'd told Cooper, that she was looking at dried ketchup, but she knew better, and had to shove a fist against her mouth.

And then she heard the one sound she hadn't wanted to hear. Footsteps. Wildly, she looked around her. No time to get put; oh God, no time to do anything but flatten herself to the floor and scoot beneath the bed, which she managed just as someone came into the room.

Two black boots and two white Keds. Two someones.

'We only have a few minutes,' Dante said, sounding out of breath. 'The cop is determined to get out of here.'

'I know. I'm sorry.' Shelly. 'Dante, I lied to you.'

Breanne, already frozen in place beneath the bed, stiffened in shock. No, Shelly.

'Tell me.' Dante's voice was low and gruff, and yet infinitely gentle. 'It's okay, just tell me.'

'Oh no, it's not what you think!' Shelly rushed to say. 'I meant I lied just now, upstairs, about having to talk to you. Because really what I wanted was…'

'You wanted what?'

The two Keds shifted until they were toe-to-toe with the black boots. Breanne didn't dare move but the gloves, the bloody gloves, were too close. They were really beginning to get to her.

'It's all so complicated,' Shelly whispered.

Yeah, yeah, it's complicated, Breanne thought, trying not to look at the gloves right at her cheek. Get back to shoveling!

Then the unmistakable sound of a wet kiss floated down and Breanne scrunched up her eyes. Surely they weren't going to- No. Not here, not now-

'I know you said you wanted to wait until we got out of here,' Shelly said breathlessly. 'But everyone's outside and will be for a while. Haven't we waited long enough?'

'Shelly-' Dante broke off with a low groan. 'God, Shelly, don't do that.'

Helluva time for Shelly to find her sexuality, thought Breanne.

The mattress sank as the two lovebirds fell upon it, and Breanne wished for a large hole to open up and swallow her.

'Oh, Dante,' Shelly whispered.

Dante whispered something back in his native tongue.

Breanne resisted thunking her head on the ground. She-made the mistake of opening her eyes then, focusing in on the bloody gloves before slamming her eyes shut again and doing the only thing she could-stick her fingers in her ears and silently sing at the top of her lungs. Lalalalalalalalala .

'Oh!' Shelly cried out louder than Breanne's silent singing. 'Oh, Dante.'

Something fell to the floor. Shelly's sweater.

Her jeans came next.

Breanne shifted from singing to pretending she was on a beach. In the Bahamas. It was hot there, and cute cabana boys were bringing her drinks. Nice, big alcoholic drinks-

Something else hit the floor. Dante's shoes.

Then his jeans and sweatshirt. And his beanie.

Then his BVDs.

And finally, an empty condom packet.

Oh, good God.

The springs began to squeak as the mattress began moving in earnest.

'Dante-' Shelly cried. 'That's-do that again. Please do that again!'

Squeak, squeak, squeak.

Breanne tried not to look at the bloody gloves. Instead she studied her fingernails. Oh, look at that. She needed a manicure.

'Yes, yes, YESl ' cried Shelly.

Breanne decided she was going to need a vacation to recover from her vacation.

Scratch that.

She was never going to vacation again.

Finally the bed stopped moving, and there were more kissy-face noises and soft murmurs.

Breanne had long ago left the Bahamas and moved to the moon when four feet-bare now-hit the floor.

It took forever for them to dress-laughing and kissing- but finally, finally, they were gone. Breanne didn't know what she'd have done if they'd stuck around for round two. One time had been bad enough- what was it with this house?

She eyed the gloves. She needed Cooper to see them, needed anyone other than her to see them. Touching evidence was bad, she knew this. But… what if someone moved them before she could show Cooper? Not wanting to take that chance, she slipped them beneath her top, then cringed- gross!-before sliding out from beneath the bed. She got to her feet, carefully not looking at the mattress. Sheesh. Tossing back her hair, she turned to the door.

And came face-to-face with Dante, who barely arched a brow-his only concession to his surprise at finding her