Devil in the Details

Chapter One

Evelyn looked around her new kitchen with a sense of pride. Squaring her shoulders, she took it all in. It wasn't much by most people's standards, but it was hers. The home she'd bought with her wife was an older one that had seen some minor renovations. It needed a lot more. The kitchen wasn't completely updated, but she was glad it wasn't. Finishing the renovations themselves would make it feel more like their own. The tall cabinets needed a few coats of paint and the worn butcher block countertops had character. They gave it some charm. Her favorite part was that she finished unpacking that room in particular. She hated moving.

"Police!" Several sharp bangs echoed in her front entryway, "open up!"

Evelyn poked her head out of the kitchen to look down the hallway and laughed. Floyd Richards, the only father she'd ever known, stood in her doorway with a bottle of wine and some flowers. He had combed his salt and pepper hair to the side and he'd chosen to wear street clothes- a rare occasion indeed. Floyd was fifty-five years old, but you couldn't tell. Working on a farm had made him strong. The police force had kept him that way. He was passionate about his job, though she thought he was getting a little soft around the edges. He took up most of the door frame with broad shoulders and thin hips. In his arms, he carried a wrapped bouquet of daisies and a bottle of wine. Upstairs, working on unpacking their shared office, Evelyn's wife Diana responded.

"Come back with a warrant!" She yelled. There was nothing Diana - or Floyd- loved more than to terrorize one another.

Floyd laughed and let himself in, meeting Evelyn half way to hand her the gifts. The sweet smell of daisies wafted up to her nose, and she inhaled the scent. She kissed him on the cheek in thanks and smiled. Diana appeared at the top of the stairs, grinning at them. Her short black hair stuck out in every direction, but she put it back into place with a shake of her head. She had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her hands were dirty. Floyd took a good look around, appraising the old house like he had before they'd officially bought it. He was looking for anything he might have missed before. She wasn't sure how he could have missed anything. He had spent two days inspecting the wiring, the insulation, and even the plumbing. He had even had something to say about the distance between floor joists. She hadn't even known he knew anything about that sort of thing. Diana had said she wasn't sure he did. He said nothing about the house or make any disapproving noises. Evelyn assumed it had passed inspection- this time, at least.

He shook hands with Diana as she came down, taking the wine to inspect it. She held the bottle high as if she knew something about wine- Evelyn knew for a fact she didn't. Diana liked to put on a show. As if she'd read her mind, Diana glanced at her and gave her a quick wink before returning her attention to Floyd.

"It's not a search warrant, but it'll do."

"You have to stop teaching her our secrets, Waters." He told Evelyn, who rolled her eyes. "How's everything going?" She shrugged, turning and leading the three of them back toward the kitchen.

"The same as it was when you came over the day before yesterday, Floyd." Evelyn replied, grabbing a vase from beneath the sink and filling it with water. He wasn't a worrier and never had been, as far as she knew. When she was young, he'd often let her find things out for herself. She even had a few scars to prove it. He never acted as though she needed to be babysat, but she hadn't lived in Garret Falls with him since she'd been a teenager. They'd seen each other at Christmas of course, and Thanksgiving, but he hadn't worried over her then, not like this. This behavior was new. Diana put the bottle of wine between the stand mixer and the potted plant. Both had been gifts from Floyd during other recent visits. "I'm okay, you know," she assured him, turning back with the vase of flowers, "you don't have to check up on me every other day." He scoffed, but he didn't make eye contact with her either. Instead, he examined one of the chairs at the kitchen island, pivoting it back and forth.