Page 3 of Bump in the Night
Then, I’d investigated the situation more carefully. She’d been standing next to the Captain. His hand was on her shoulder. Of course – I hadn’t even seen him standing there before. That’s how bright and beautiful she was. She’d blocked out everything else in theroom.
After that day, our desire had grown into obsession – but what do you do about an obsession you can’t feed? When it’s your job to stay close to her? Keep your eyes onher?
Now Elliot and I are her protectors. We have a direct link to all these security cameras, and we monitor the comings and goings at her home. While there are no threats, after Pumpkin’s mom was taken from them too soon, her dad is understandably overprotective. If there were actual, actionable threats, he’d probably just move them the hell across the country – or even theglobe.
I’ve met some stupid criminals in my life, but I don’t know any who are stupid enough to threaten our boss’sfamily.
Officially, Pumpkin is our top priority. Unofficially, she’s the sole object of ourobsession.
“Can I offer you guys anything? I think we have some crumb cake inhere.”
I turn around and watch Pumpkin make her way into the kitchen as Elliot sits down next to me. Pumpkin’s robe flows behind her – like she’s a princess stuck in this castle. I watch Elliot as his fingernails dig into his knees. Shit, sometimes I think he has it even worse than Ido.
“I’ll have some crumb cake,” I call after Pumpkin. Taking a deep breath, I get up and walk to the mantle over the fireplace. This is a pretty sweet house – the product of Pumpkin’s mom being from old money. I look at the photo of Pumpkin and her mom and dad. Her mom was a good cop. One of thebest.
“What do you two have planned for the night?” Pumpkin says with a smile as she comes back to the living room. She puts down a tray holding Brooklyn’s best crumb cake and three cups of black coffee. She starts cutting the cake, and when she sucks a bit of crumb off her thumb, I have to bite down on a groan as I return to my seat next toElliot.
“Neighborhood patrol,” Elliot says distractedly. “Are you sure you want coffee at this hour? It’s late. You should be getting somerest.”
I look over at him. He looks like he’s about to pop a vein in hisneck.
“Oh, it’s fine,” Pumpkin says as she plops down across from us on the couch. “I want to be up late. I have a fun night planned formyself.”
Next to me, Elliot white-knuckles one of the dessert forks like a barbarian and spears it into his crumb cake. I know what he’s thinking. Any mention of Pumpkin being up late sends those rabid, crazy thoughts right into ourskulls.
“As long you’re okay,” Ioffer.
She huffs. “Don’t worry. Despite what my stepmother thinks of me, all I’m doing tonight is watching scarymovies.”
I play it cool as I push my hair away from my forehead. I remind myself to look at her eyes, instead of everywhere else. There, that’s better. I feel like a drooling animal.She’s so damnbeautiful.
“Favorite horror movie killer?” I askher.
“Great question,” she says. “Jason all the way. I think it’s unfair that he feels he has to wear the mask. Just because he’s ugly underneath it, you know? He’s this brute – but he’s a victim ofcircumstance.”
“You’re too kind,” Elliot chimes in. “He also kills innocent camp counselors who are just trying to get through the summer in onepiece.”
“Listen, I’ve been one of those camp counselors,” Pumpkin chuckles. “I will tell you – it is not easy dealing withkids.”
A crimson blush sweeps over her cheeks. We all know what those camp counselors were really up to, and the idea of Pumpkin having sex with some awkward, fuckhead eighteen-year-old is making me angry. Time to change thesubject.
“It’s especially difficult dealing with kids on Halloween,” I say. “You’ve got your shaving cream, your silly string – and then, of course, you have the crazy old ladies giving out apples with razor blades inthem.”
“That’s an urban legend,” Pumpkin smiles meekly, “but try telling that to mydad.”
She’s probably aching for a bit more freedom. She’s allowed to go to bars with her friends – but only if she checks in with one of us, or her father, pretty much constantly. Then, she has college classes she attends three days a week. On the other days, she’s either here, or at one of the libraries, or a coffeeshop.
“What would you do if you weren’t stuck home tonight?” I askher.
“I was actually invited to a party,” she says, her eyes lighting up, “but I figured I’d be better off just staying home. My dad is…Well, you know – my dad. I know he’d prefer I stay in. So, I’ve got my tapes and my popcorn, and what more do I need? To be groped at some stupidparty?”
Pumpkin bites her lip and slips her gaze from Elliot, to me, and then back toElliot.
We agree withher.
“Thank you for the cake,” Elliot says as he stands up. Pumpkin looks disappointed. “If you need anything, we’re just a phone callaway.”
He pulls out his card and hands it to her as if she doesn’t already know his number. She looks down at it and then holds it close to her chest, before smiling up at us as we walk over to the front door. I know her dad has access to the security footage, but I want me and Elliot to get a little closer to her – just to see if she feels even a thousandth of what we feel forher.
