Free Random Acts by Alison Stone Page A

clothes. His breath. It was Patrick’s turn to check his anger. He narrowed his gaze. “Are you making a threat?”
    Billy hiked up his chin to meet Patrick’s glare. “No threat, man. Just a reminder. We both have families we better look after.”

Chapter Seven
    Sunday morning dawned with a glorious sunrise. Sitting at her grandmother’s kitchen table, Danielle stared out the window. The pewter clouds tinged with pinks and purples set a beautiful backdrop high above the trees, mostly bare save for clusters of burnt orange and yellow leaves too stubborn to succumb to the season. Danielle always loved this time of year. Yet, despite the beautiful display of nature, she felt groggy. Tired. Anxious. The myriad events that had occurred over the past few days swirled in her head. The initial shock of her sister’s condition had begun to sink in. Now her methodical mind was starting to work the puzzle of it. Who would have hurt her sister?
    A thought struck her. Jenny’s cell phone. Danielle had considered looking for it the other night, but had promptly forgotten when she had to summon Patrick to investigate the late-night noises at Gram’s house. Danielle jumped up from the table and ran upstairs. Standing in the doorway of Jenny’s bedroom, she scanned the floor. A discarded pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, sneakers and some undergarments littered the floor.
    Danielle’s pulse quickened when she noticed a purse on the floor partially obscured by a corner of the floral comforter draped haphazardly over the twin bed. Strange. Why hadn’t Jenny taken her purse? Maybe she had more than one purse, Danielle reasoned. She crossed the room and picked it up, surprised by its weight. Blood rushed through her veins, pulsing in her ears. Releasing a quick breath, she lowered herself onto the unmade bed and loosened the drawstring cinching the purse closed. In it she found Jenny’s wallet and cell phone. Her heart skittered. Why would Jenny leave without her wallet and phone? Especially her phone. At night.
    She opened the phone only to discover it was password protected. She punched in a few obvious combinations with no luck. Apprehension clawed at her. Something didn’t feel right. Clutching the cell phone, an idea struck. Patrick could have someone at the police department access the phone records to see who Jenny may have talked to or texted the night of her accident.
    Danielle turned the pink cell phone over in her hand. What happened to you, Jenny?
    The doorbell sounded, snapping Danielle out of her deep thoughts. She ran downstairs and peered out the window, surprised to see Henry. She pulled the door open only a foot or so, indicating she wasn’t about to let him in.
    Henry hiked up his toolbox. “Thought I’d come to do a few odd jobs.”
    Danielle narrowed her gaze. “On a Sunday?”
    He lifted a shoulder. “I do it when I can. And I really could use the money.”
    “Everything okay?” Patrick approached with a rake in one hand. A fondness sparked in her chest at the concern in his green eyes. She hadn’t had anyone looking out for her well-being in a very long time.
    “Henry stopped by to do some odd jobs.” She didn’t bother to hide the disbelief from her voice. Only last night he was trying to get into the basement.
    Henry gave a thin-lipped smile. “Morning, Officer Kingsley. Mrs. Carson gave me a list of odd jobs. Told me to get to them when I had time.”
    Patrick gave a quick nod. “You need to do them right now? Today?”
    Henry shoved his hand in his pocket. “She knows how much I need the money. After paying for tuition and books, I’m happy to have a few extra bucks for food.” He let out an uncomfortable laugh. His gaze shifted from Danielle to Patrick and back. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get this done. I had to borrow a truck today to bring my tools and pick up the door. And I have a term paper due tomorrow.”
    “I’m sorry, Henry, but today’s not a good day.” Danielle leaned