Free Hot Six by Janet Evanovich

place in case someone was watching me, wondering if I was a suspicious character. I took off at a slow jog and quickly reached the path that ran through the common ground behind the houses. Less ambient light filtered through the trees back here. I took a moment to let my eyes adjust. Each privacy fence had a back door, and I cautiously walked along, counting off doors until I figured I was behind Hannibal's house. His upper story windows were dark, but light spilled over the privacy fence from the ground-level windows in the back of the house.
    I tried the door to the fence. Locked. The brick fence was seven feet tall. The brick was smooth, impossible to climb. No handholds or footholds. I looked around for something to stand on. Nothing. I eyeballed the pine growing next to the fence. Slightly mishapen from the fence pressing into some lower branches. The upper branches hanging over the yard. If I could get up in the tree, the branches would give me cover, and I could spy on Hannibal. I grabbed hold of a bottom branch and hoisted myself up. I scrabbled a couple feet higher and was rewarded with a view of Hannibal's backyard. The fence was bordered with flower beds, which were covered with mulch. An irregular stone patio backed up to the patio doors. And the rest of the yard was grass.
    Just as I'd suspected, the drapes at the back of the house weren't drawn. A double window looked into the kitchen. The patio doors opened to a dining area. A small piece of another room was visible beyond the dining area. Probably the living room, but it was hard to tell. I didn't see anyone moving around.
    I sat there for a while, watching nothing happen. No action in Hannibal's house. No action in either of his neighbors' houses. Very boring. No one on the bike path. No dog walkers. No joggers. Too dark. This is why I love surveillance. Nothing ever happens. Then you have to go to the bathroom and you miss a double homicide.
    After an hour my butt was asleep and my legs were feeling twitchy from inactivity. Bag this, I thought. I didn't know what I was supposed to be looking for, anyway.
    I turned to climb down, lost my balance, and flopped to the ground. Wump! Flat on my back. In Hannibal's backyard.
    The patio light flashed on, and Hannibal looked out at me. "What the hell?" he said.
    I wiggled my fingers and moved my legs. Everything seemed to be working.
    Hannibal stood over me, hands on hips, looking like he wanted an explanation.
    "I fell out of the tree, " I said. Pretty obvious, since there were pine needles and twigs scattered around me.
    Hannibal didn't move a muscle.

Hot Six
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    He looked up at the tree. "Is your cat still there?" Not sounding like he believed a word of it.
    "I think he jumped when I fell. "
    Hannibal Ramos was California tan and couch-potato soft. I'd seen photos of him so I wasn't surprised. What I hadn't expected was the exhaustion in his face. But then, he'd just lost a brother, and that had to be taking a toll. His brown hair was thin and receding. His eyes were assessing behind tortoiseshell glasses. He was wearing gray suit slacks that were badly in need of pressing, and a white dress shirt, open at the collar, also rumpled. Mr. Average Businessman after a hard day at the office. I guessed he was in his early forties and a couple years away from a quadruple bypass.
    "And I suppose he ran away?" Ramos said.
    "God, I hope not. I'm tired of chasing after him. " I am the best liar. Sometimes I amaze even myself.
    Hannibal opened the door to the fence and gave the bike path a cursory glance. "Bad news. I don't see a cat. "
    I looked over Hannibal's shoulder. "Here, kitty, kitty, " I called. I was feeling pretty stupid now, but there was no place to go with this but forward.
    "You know what I think?" Hannibal said. "I think there's no cat. I think you were in that tree spying on me. "
    I gave him a look of total incredulity. Like . . . Oh, duh? "Listen, " I said, scooting around him to the door. "I've got