Shallow Grave Read Free Page A

of those families. I’ve heard things get messed up when your parents travel overseas for work. I think about what Shannon’s home life must look like. I can’t imagine my mother even lying on the sofa, let alone eating ice cream in front of the TV . I don’t even think I’ve ever seen her lie down. She doesn’t know how to stop moving.
    â€œHa!” Shannon holds up the length of nylon she’s been working on. “Behold the knot-free rope!”
    â€œNice,” I say. I’m relieved to change the subject. It sounds like a depressing life. I hold the PFD out toward her. “Here. Try this one. I’m not having any luck.”
    â€œNot a chance,” she says. “I’ve had enough knots for the time being.” She stands and stretches. “What about these bins here, on the shelves?”
    â€œCheck them all,” I say.
    â€œMost of this stuff is in pretty good shape, actually,” she says, pulling back a couple of tops and peering inside. “It’s just not very well organized. I think once we get it all into the right places, we’ll be done.”
    â€œMaybe it won’t take us the whole night, after all,” I say. As I say the words, the knot in the cord finally loosens.
    â€œHey,” Shannon says. Her voice is muffled. “What’s this?”
    I look over. Shannon’s leaning forward, her upper body buried deep inside a blue bin. She’s standing on her tiptoes, reaching. She’d have nice legs if she didn’t go around covering them up with that ugly fishnet crap.
    That’s a pretty short skirt. I wonder if she really might have a tattoo on her bum.
    I lean forward a little to see if I can influence the view.
    Suddenly she straightens and her skirt drops back down. I look down and get busy with pulling the final loops out of the cord. I feel a flush creeping up. I’m glad she can’t tell.
    â€œCheck it out,” she says. I glance up as casually as I can. A silver chain dangles from her fingers. In the center hangs a little pendant.
    â€œA necklace.”
    â€œA necklace,” she agrees. “Well, half a necklace. Have you ever seen these before?” She comes closer and squats down to show me. “It’s one of those friendship necklaces. This is one half.”
    I look at the pendant resting on Shannon’s fingers. It says BEST in fancy silver lettering.
    â€œOne friend gets the best and the other one gets the friends,” Shannon continues. “Sometimes they even fit together, like pieces of a puzzle.” She runs the chain through her fingers. I wonder if she’s thinking about stealing it.
    â€œI wonder who this belonged to,” she says. Her eyes are on the pendant.
    â€œNo clue,” I say. I finish untwisting the cord. “Anything else weird in that box?” I stand and hang the PFD with the others.
    Shannon goes back to the box and bends over to peer inside.
    Damn. Why’d I stand up?
    â€œI don’t think so,” she says, moving a few things around. “There’s mostly just a bunch of rope.” She holds up a coil of medium rope, like you’d use for tying up canoes.
    â€œMust’ve just fallen off whoever was wearing it.” I start stacking folded tarps on a low shelf.
    â€œI bet the other friend was sad,” says Shannon.
    â€œOr mad,” I offer.
    Shannon grins. “Or secretly relieved.”
    The door bangs shut, making me jump. “What the—?”
    Shannon drops the necklace and screams.
    Which scares the pants off me.
    â€œJesus!” I yell. “Don’t freak out like that!”
    Shannon’s staring at the door, her eyes huge and her hands pressed against her chest.
    â€œIt’s just the door,” I say. “Relax.”
    â€œYeah, but…”
    â€œBut nothing, man. You just about gave me a coronary.” My heart’s beating a frenzied rhythm somewhere around my molars.