****
Genie’s porch light shone bright in the fading glow of the sun. Mrs. Jennings, her elderly neighbor, sat on Genie’s white swing with a baseball bat in hand. Genie exited her vehicle quickly and sprinted to her front door. “Mrs. Jennings? Why are you sitting here?”
Her neighbor rose from the seat, her eyes wide with concern. “I saw something, or someone sneaking around here, so I decided to sit here on your porch and keep watch.”
“Mrs. Jennings,” Genie moved towards her, taking a seat beside her on the bench, “how many times have I told you to call the police if something doesn’t seem right? It’s too dangerous for you to sit out here. You could get hurt.”
“I have my bat.” She tapped it in her hand a few times. “If anyone tries anything, they’ll get a whack across the head.”
Genie chuckled. “Mrs. Jennings, I appreciate you keeping watch, but let the police do their job. They’re trained to handle these situations.”
“I can handle myself just fine, as can you.”
She was right about that. Mrs. Jennings played softball in her youth and held the record for the most homeruns in her college women’s team’s history. She could swing a bat and hit her mark. “I know you can, Mrs. Jennings, but I’d feel better if an officer was out here with you. Plus, you have my cell number. You know you can call me.”
One hand still holding the bat, she used the other to adjust her nightcap. “I know I can. It didn’t happen that long ago, and I didn’t want your house broken into while I was trying to dial your number. My bat is next to the front door, so I just came out. And you have that big case you’re working on. I can certainly do my part in the neighborhood watch.”
“Yes, you can, Mrs. Jennings. Thank you for looking after my place. I appreciate it.” She gave the old lady an awkward pat on the forearm. “Now, let me walk you back home and you can tell me about what you saw.”
Shadows. Mrs. Jennings could only make out a shadow of something or someone along the side of Genie’s house. Mrs. Jennings was a sprightly woman in her seventies, and although Genie didn’t doubt she saw something, she couldn’t eliminate the possibility the woman’s eyes were playing tricks on her. After walking Mrs. Jennings home, Genie returned to her own home and checked the locks on all her doors and windows. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Then she heard the unmistakable jiggle of the screen door on her back porch. Genie froze. She slipped her gun from the holster and silently moved towards her kitchen. She pressed her back to the wall, out of the view of the back door. Closing her eyes, she slowed her breathing, straining to hear any other sound. Nothing. The door shook again. Genie opened her eyes, and rounded the corner.
Rafael (The Santiago Brothers Book One) Page 13