Becoming Juliet - Paula Marinaro Page 0,13

head because there was nothing, absolutely nothing, to tie her husband to this bag. Who knows what this could be? It could have been up there for months…years even. Maybe someone had used the things in there to bury an animal...a family pet that had gone missing. Yes…that was it…Lucy began to breathe easier. Whoever had rented the house before them must have had a family, and when a beloved animal had gone missing, the father had found it dead…an unfortunate instance of roadkill. The dad, being a well-meaning and loving family man, had not wanted to upset his children and had buried the…dog…in secret. It all made sense. Lucy would have to show Kenny the duffle when he got home, and they would have a good laugh over her initial suspicions. He had a great sense of humor about things like that. Lucy was a lucky woman, indeed.

Feeling somewhat relieved, Lucy quickly gathered up the clothes, and began to stuff them back into the bag. That’s when the box came falling out and spilled its contents on the floor. Lucy looked on in growing confusion and horror as small plastic bags with dates written on them with black, permanent marker tumbled before her. With shaking hands, she picked up each small, sealed pouch. The dates spanned the last five years and each baggie contained something different. A half used tube of lipstick, a bright yellow thong, a pair of cutesy butterfly earrings, and a tiny gold cross whose chain was broken. Then with her heart hammering in her chest, Lucy examined the baggies marked with the most recent dates. She saw that there was a badge from the college cafeteria with Cassie’s name written on it, a gold diamond engagement ring, and the Romanian Martisor pendant that she had given to Annie.

Lucy thought that she might die. She felt a searing pain in her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. A cold dread twisted and knotted deep in Lucy’s gut, her stomach clenched, her belly cramped as acid bile filled her mouth. As she looked down at the contents of the box, Lucy knew that she was seeing into the bowels of hell. Her features contorted, convulsed, and finally froze in an expression of abject terror and despair. Paralyzed with fear, she couldn’t move.

Suddenly the loud shriek of a screech owl rattled the windows, and a strong breeze blew through her hair. An urgent sense of danger filled the air, and Lucy knew she had to run. Lucy knew that she had to take the bag and run for her life. If Kenny found her like this, he would stop her.

If Kenny found her like this, he would kill her.

Lucy looked out the window and peered through the darkness to see that there was still a faint glow through the trees. When she saw the distant light from the barn, she knew that she still had time. But Lucy also knew that first she had to conquer the paralyzing terror that filled her. She took a deep, bracing breath, and tried desperately to clear her mind. She began to shake violently as her system took its flight or fight response to a whole other level; Then Lucy found herself galvanized forward by the force of her own fear.

With a pounding heart and racing thoughts she ran to the front door, opened it, and bent down to retrieve the house key from under the mat. Lucy’s cold hands were shaking so badly that she dropped the key twice before finally grabbing it. Once she had the key firmly in her hand, she shut the front door and turned the lock on the deadbolt from inside.

Then, in an effort to buy herself more time, Lucy went upstairs. She cracked the window in the bathroom and ran the shower. Lucy often took showers when she woke up from the heat, and more than once she had forgotten to put the key back under the mat after using it. Kenny might be a little irritated at her forgetfulness, but he would not be surprised or suspicious to come home to hear the shower running and find the door locked. Lucy ran to the window again just in time to see the light turn off in the barn. Kenny was on his way. Thankfully, a thick fog has settled, and it would take Kenny a few moments longer than usual for him to find his way back home. Although he always used