She tensed notably, squeezing the strap of her bag against her shoulder.
"All right" I conceded, giving her the space she was screaming for. "Go carefully."
"Thanks. We'll talk later, okay? Take care" she said goodbye before turning and walking hurriedly toward the main exit.
I stayed there, standing, watching her walk away. There was something that didn't fit.
Maren was a terrible liar; when she did it, she usually avoided prolonged eye contact and toyed with her fingers, just as she had just done. Besides, the grandmother's house on a Wednesday at five in the afternoon in that dress?
A spark of distrust ignited in my head and I couldn't put it out. Without a second thought, I turned and slipped into the shadows, hiding behind one of the stone pillars of the entrance arch, observing
