14
Darla drove slowly, not wanting to rouse creatures from the underbrush, as she hated to stomp on the brakes and send her groceries flying. She leaned forward, peering through the windshield, then smiled as she caught her first glimpse of the empty vacation rental.
Two large terra cotta pots sat on either side of the steps that led to the front porch. Curtains were drawn over the windows. The heating and cooling of the Colorado air had weathered the red paint on the trim so that some of it was peeling off. Weeds had grown up around the sides of the house as well as across the front, and the once green plants had turned brown and dry with the summer heat.
She stepped out of the car and brought the grocery sack with perishables in it with her as she approached the front door. Since she
