Free Itsy Bitsy Spider (Emma Frost #1) by Willow Rose

really wanted to take a closer look at my research for the
book. I hadn't gotten very far but I really felt it would be worth my while to
begin digging into the story of Mrs. Heinrichsen. So far I had written a few
notes about her down, about her life here in the island, about what Sophia had
told me, but I felt like I needed something a little more substantial. I had
also found out that it had been twenty-five years since there last had been
someone killed on this small island. And that was a bar fight where someone
pulled a knife. Before that time, they had no records. So you could argue that
it was kind of spectacular that someone had been killed, like really murdered.
It was actually the first real murder on Fanoe Island. I couldn't help but
think that had to be a great story.
    I walked back into the house and grabbed a new
cup of coffee. I brought it with me upstairs to the room I now referred to as
my office. I had never had an office before, so it did take some getting used
to, but it had a nice ring to it, I thought. Some days I just sat in there
throwing pencils against the wall saying it out loud.
    "This is my office. I'm sitting in my
office. Be right there ... just gotta get something in the office. I'll get you
the papers, they're up in my office."
    Yup. It sounded real awesome once you said it.
    I sat by my computer and turned it on. I sipped
my second cup of coffee and realized it needed more milk. I didn't have the
energy to go downstairs again, so I drank it anyway. I found my notes and
started scrolling. It really wasn't much so far.
    Maybe a piece of chocolate
will help my brain think better?
    I opened my drawer and pulled out the packet of
Marabou-chocolate, my favorite kind. I realized to my terror it was almost done
and thought that maybe it was about time I started running. Then I ate the last
pieces. I closed my eyes while the crunchy chocolate disappeared and made my
taste buds have a party on the way down. I closed my eyes and flushed it down
with the rest of my coffee. Then I looked at the screen. No. It didn't improve
anything, but sure tasted good. I chuckled and opened Google. I typed
something, then deleted it again.
    I sighed and leaned back. Fact was I had no idea
where to start or where to end. I had never written a book before, only dreamt
about it a lot the last many years, but it was a lot harder than expected. I
started thinking about where I really wanted to go with this book. I pictured
it as a sort of portrait of the woman, Mrs. Heinrichsen, of her life leading
one day to her brutal murder.
    Voices brought me back to reality. I looked out
the window and spotted a couple of the neighbors gathering in the street. I couldn't
stop looking at them. Sophia was among them. The strange guy Jack was there
too, but was standing in his yard looking like he didn't really want to take
part in the conversation.
    Their voices were loud and sounded upset. I was
curious and ran downstairs to get my jacket. I started finding an excuse for
coming out at this exact moment.
    "I was just on my way to the grocery store
... what's going on?"
    No, that wouldn't do. This was a small town,
chances were someone might have spotted me at the store earlier in the day, or
that the woman behind the counter could have told I was there.
    "I'm going to buy some bread at the bakery
for lunch?"
    That would do. I decided that would be my alibi
and it would be even better if I added, a "does anyone need me to bring
anything back while I'm there?" That would give me a plausible reason for
actually talking to them, and asking what was going on.
    Very good ,
I thought to myself as I walked out the door. Sophia saw me at once and waved.
"Emma. Good you're here. You need to hear this too."
    "I was just going to the ..." I
realized they didn't care about where I was going or my fake alibi. They really
had something important to tell me.
    "What's up?" I asked as I approached
them.
    Sophia looked serious and it scared me