<br><br> <center>*You can learn a lot about someone's inner life if allowed to examine them the way their shadow does – close enough to breathe down their neck, but unnoticed, invisible.* ― Jennifer Giesbrecht</center> <br><br> <center></center> <br><br>Normally, I love being alone on stormy evenings with the soft rumble of thunder in the distance, but not tonight―not after what Esther told me. She was being surveilled and if her, then probably me. I looked suspiciously at my land phone, cell and laptop―I had no idea if they were compromised. Why didn't I ask Abe to check them when I had him on the line? *Stupid, stupid, stupid*... <br><br>Once again, debilitating feelings of inadequacy return. *Really, what does Cindy see in me?* In retrospect, my allusion to Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller didn't seem that far off the mark. Worse yet, I might be flattering myself and in reality come off more as Prufrock. *Do I dare disturb the universe?* <br><br>The doorbell chimed and I jumped―literally, shaking the glass of wine I was holding, leaving red drops on the carpet. I grabbed a paper towel, mopped my wrist and hurried to answer the door. It was Cindy and a couple of techies I recognized from the team that investigated the skeleton found on Esther's property. "Hey, Prof―hope we didn't disturb you...uh, too much." She was staring at the red-stained wad of paper in my hand. "Did you cut yourself?" "Naw, it's just a few drops of wine―clumsy of me." <br><br>She looked dubious, but accepted my explanation. "Esther's phone was tapped and Abe thought we should check your devices. Do you mind?" "No, please come in. I was regretting not asking him to check them, but then, that's Abe―always one step ahead." "We won't take long. Is this your stash?" she asked, eyeing my laptop and phones. "Not entirely. I also have a tablet upstairs by my bed and an I-Mac computer in my office." "We'll check them all. Don't worry, these guys are efficient." <br><br>We sat in the front room while her team busied themselves examining my devices. "I'd offer you a glass of wine, but you're on duty," I whispered. She glanced around the room. "Hmm, a fire-lit room on a stormy night and a glass of wine? You really know how to set a mood." "It helps to distract me from what might be lurking outside the windows." "Yeah, you really should close the curtains―maybe get yourself an alarm system." <br><br>I nodded. It was exactly what I was thinking. I used to feel safe here but not any more. But I did now that she was here. So, where does that leave me when I should be protecting her? Or was that simply sexist thinking? And that was the problem―with her I always felt off-balance and now I felt unsure. Talk about role reversal, but what I couldn't deny was that she made *me* feel secure. <br><br>"No issues," the head techie said as they snapped shut their tool cases and headed for the door. "I'll catch up with you outside," Cindy called out after them. When the door closed she was in my arms. Her breath thundering in my ears. "I wish we were sharing a bottle of wine." "You can always drop back when you're off duty," I offered. "Right," she smirked with a gleam in her eye. "But if I'm sleeping with you, who's watching your back?" I had no answer for that and it troubled me more than the shadows outside. <br><br> <center>To be continued…</center> <br><center>© 2020, John J Geddes. All rights reserved</center> <br><center>[Photo](https://images.app.goo.gl/JLqvE1YZiM6TscCN9 )</center> <br><br>
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https://twitter.com/JohnJGeddes/status/1375458577448583173
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