Infestation: A Small Town Nightmare Read Free Page B

with
cars on both sides on the narrow road. Marie moved through slowly
as a number of children were playing in the streets.
    "There's the house!" Amy
pointed.
    "How do you know?" Marie
asked.
    "I doubt that all those people
standing around in the yard with such gloomy faces are there for a
party."
    "Check the address again."
    Amy looked at the blue post-it in her
lap. She had scribbled down the Drakes' address from the phone
book. "Yup, this is it." She confirmed.
    Marie carefully pulled to the side of
the white, picket fence. "The dock where she drowned is only about
a mile from here," she said. "She could've easily walked the
distance."
    "She didn’t though."
    "I know."
     
    Marie approached a woman in the front
yard; Amy closely behind her. The woman could easily pass for an
old-timer, yet Marie sensed that she wasn't a day past forty. She,
herself, had beaten her out by a couple of years.
    "Excuse me. Can you tell me if Annie
Drake lives here?" Marie asked.
    The woman returned a suspicious eye.
"Who's asking?" She glared at Amy, then back at Marie.
    "My name is Marie Adams. This is my
daughter, Amy. We just came by to offer our condolences to Mrs.
Drake."
    "She's inside the house." She pointed
with her chin. "Go right in there."
    "Thank you," Marie said before heading
to the front door with Amy.
    Despite the steel door being widely
ajar, Marie knocked lightly. Two women and a much older man were
sitting in the living area. It was evident that the women had been
crying. One was holding a white, crinkly handkerchief.
    "Hello, we're sorry for the
intrusion…" Marie started, "…but I was hoping to speak with Annie
Drake."
    "Can I help you?" One of the ladies
responded, slowly rising from her chair. She was in her sixties,
thin—rather frail-looking.
    "My name is Marie Adams and this is my
daughter, Amy. We heard the news about Raven and came to offer our
sympathy."
    "Marie Adams?" The other woman
interjected. "You're that writer, aren't you? You wrote that book
called…I can't remember the name, but they had a big advertisement
on the radio and TV about it lately.
    "Yes. I'm afraid that's me," Marie
answered.
    "I heard your book deals with some
rather touchy issues. Don't know if I'm down with some of that
stuff."
    "Dorcas! How rude?!" Annie exclaimed.
"Don't worry about her, Mrs. Adams," she gestured with a hand. "You
and your daughter, please have a seat. So nice of you to come all
the way here just to offer your condolences."
    "Thank you, ma'am. We felt
that it was the least we could do." Marie glanced over at Amy who
was sitting down. The look on her face bore a subtle nudge that
screamed, Get to the bloody point of the
visit!
    "Um…Mrs. Drake, I was wondering if I
could speak with you privately for a minute… if you don't mind,"
Marie added.
    "Certainly, you can, dear. Let's go on
the porch there where it's nice and cool." Marie started to follow
her when Annie looked back at Amy who had not gotten up to join
them. "Are you coming, young lady? It's really much cooler out
back."
    Marie and Amy locked eyes for a
moment. "No, ma'am. I'll wait here." Amy smiled. Marie and Annie
walked out the back door.
    "How old are you, dear?" The woman in
the living room asked Amy.
    "Seventeen," Amy answered stoically.
From the uncool remark the stout woman with the large ears had made
to Marie, Amy sent a clear message of dislike by quickly retrieving
her cell from her pocket and getting busy.
     
    Would you like a glass of punch or
something, Mrs. Adams?" Annie asked as they both sat at the round,
wooden table.
    "No, thank you. I'm fine," Marie
replied.
    "Dorcas! Offer the young lady
something to drink!" Annie shouted toward the door.
     
    "I'm fine… really," Amy quickly
responded before Dorcas had the chance to ask.
     
     
    "Please forgive my cousin for her
inhospitable remark inside there. She's always had a problem
controlling that big mouth of hers," Annie said.
    "It's nothing... really," Marie
returned mildly. "My