Free My Sister's Keeper by Brenda Chapman Page B

times. Jimmy had been the biggest betrayal along a string of others since our childhood.
    “It’s okay,” I said, happy to realize I meant it. “I’ve moved on. Let’s agree to just put the whole thing behind us.”
    “I’ve missed you.”
    I knew she meant the words when she said them. I also knew our truce wouldn’t last long. It never did, but I hoped our newfound closeness would be enough to carry us through whatever nastiness was to come.

CHAPTER FOUR
    W e smelled something rotting as soon as we stepped inside the house. I turned to Cheri, who was following me like a shadow.
    “Your power must have been off. You could have a fridge full of ruined food.”
    “Whatever is causing that smell is disgusting. Phew.”
    I looked around Cheri and Jimmy’s house. It was an older bungalow on a two-acre lot in Manotick, a village a half-hour outside the city. Oak floors and cream-coloured walls made for a warm front hall. Cheri had always liked the finer things in life. I spotted expensive-looking paintings and leather furniture on our way to the kitchen.
    Cheri crossed to the fridge and opened the door. She turned to look at me. Her face made it clear she was puzzled. “That’s odd. The food in the fridgeis fine.” She checked the garbage under the sink. “Nothing here either.”
    A shiver travelled up my spine, even though it was warm in the kitchen. Maybe it wasn’t rotting food that we were smelling. “I could use some tea,” I said. I sent her a shaky smile. “Why don’t you make a pot while I go to the washroom?”
    “If you like.”
    I made my way down the hall, checking each room as I went. The guest bedroom looked fine and the bathroom was clean. That brought me to the master bedroom. The smell was getting stronger. The door was half shut. I slowly pushed it open. My breath caught in my throat.
    The bloody carcass of a small animal lay squarely in the middle of Cheri’s bed. White maggots crawled all over its rotting flesh. The duvet cover was stained dark red. I forced down my breakfast, then slammed the door and leaned against it. I tried to still my pounding heart.
    Cheri appeared at the end of the hallway, holding two different packages of tea. “Would you like mint or . . .”
    She stopped talking and looked at me. Her pale face got even whiter.
    I took a step toward her. “I think we should call the police,” I said calmly. “Somebody has left a dead animal on your bed. By what’s left of its fur, I’d say a raccoon. Likely roadkill.”
    Cheri’s eyes got wide and her mouth opened in a silent scream. I almost reached her before she slid into a heap on the floor. I crouched down next to Cheri and checked her pulse. It was beating like a sledge hammer.
    She came to quickly. When she looked up at me, her eyes were panicked. She grabbed my shirt and pulled my face close to hers.
    “We can’t call the police,” she begged. “Jimmy will know. All the cops look after each other. You know that.”
    “It might not be Jimmy doing this.” Not the Jimmy I remembered.
    “He’s the only one with a key to the house.”
    “Then, we’ll prove it’s him.”
    “Not if his cop friends get involved. Promise me you won’t call them.”
    I tried to calm Cheri down but she got even more upset. Finally, I agreed to keep the dead raccoon a secret, against my better judgement.
    “I’m going to get the locks changed while you have a nap in the spare room,” I said. “I’ll get ridof the dead animal right after I find a locksmith. It means a drive to the nearest mall to find a dumpster. But the smell is only going to ripen, and you’ll thank me later.” I wondered how long I could hold my breath. “I sure hope you own a full can of air freshener,” I said. “And a full bottle of Scotch would come in handy too, for when I get back.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    I bagged the raccoon and bedding and opened all the windows. After dumping the bag in the garage, I sat at Cheri’s kitchen table thinking