Saturday, February 1, 2014

Snippet Saturday | Heartfelt Cases 4: The Keres Case

 
Chapter 4
Creepy Calls

A forceful knock at the front door pulled Rebecca Tyler’s attention away from the television. She didn’t mind. The local news kept bringing up depressing results in the frantic search for Silas Carver anyway.

“I get,” Ellie announced.

“No, Ellie!” Rebecca called. She muted the TV and bolted from the couch, casting an anxious eye toward the hot iron which still hissed occasionally from its perch atop the wobbly ironing table.

It’ll keep. Ellie’s at the door anyway. The thought lent extra speed to Rebecca’s legs as she tore through the house to reach the front door before her daughter.

She was too late.

The door stood wide open, letting the cool air rush out.

“Ellie?”

Suddenly, Ellie filled the doorway jumping and waving something excitedly. “Look! I—I find gift!” Ellie waved a half-sized manila envelope at her mother. “Here. For you.” Ellie’s sweet smile could brighten any day.

Rebecca solemnly accepted the package with both hands. “Thank you, Ellie. Shall we—”

A phone rang from inside the package.

“Ring. Ring. Ring,” said Ellie. She clapped both hands over her ears and moaned dramatically. “No ring!” she commanded the package.

The phone continued to ring.

Rebecca ushered her daughter back into the house and closed the front door before giving in to curiosity and ripping the package open. Something white fluttered to the floor, but Rebecca’s attention stayed on the black phone that appeared in her palm. The touch screen filled with a green button that said accept and a red button that said reject. Rebecca just stared at the phone, instinctively knowing that everything would change if she answered it. She didn’t want that. She wanted the relief of finding Ellie safe to last forever.

The phone stopped ringing and chimed instead. The screen flashed and informed her that she had a new text message.

“Kare-Kare!” Ellie exclaimed, waving the white thing that had fallen to the floor.

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