Page 30 of Southie
When Mrs. Daugherty didn’t answer, I moved to the window on the right side of the door to peer in. Her closed shade and lace blue curtains made it impossible to see inside. All the times I’d visited, her shades and curtains had been opened to let in the morning light.
I rang the doorbell one more time. When she still didn’t answer, I knocked on the door, and it cracked open.
“What the hell?” I looked around outside again before I called out to her. “Mrs. Daugherty, it’s Camilla! Are you home?”
I pulled my cell phone out of my camera bag, pushed the door open slowly, and stepped in.
My uneasiness increased. Not wanting to startle her, I announced I was coming into her home.
“I’m coming in!”
The worst thoughts filled my head. At her age, anything could be wrong. Hopefully, she hadn’t fallen or anything like that.
The phone rang twice before his groggy, yet sweet baritone voice caressed my ears. If I hadn’t been so scared, I would have been daydreaming about how hot he’d look in the morning when we woke up after a night of endless sex.
“Daugherty.”
I cleared my throat. “Umm... Liam.”
The sound of rustling fabric traveled through the phone. “Camilla? What’s wrong? Are you all right?”
The panic in his voice revealed his worry for me, and it would’ve been endearing if I hadn’t been concerned about his grandmother.
My heartbeat increased, and my sweat-slicked hands shook. My panic rose the deeper I made it inside her home.
“I’m at your grandmother’s house. She didn’t answer when I rang the doorbell.”
Why am I whispering now when I was just yelling? If there’s anyone in here, they know I’m here.
He let out a huge breath and relief entered his voice. “Maybe she’s still asleep or she’s at morning Mass.”
“Well, she’s expecting me this morning, and the front door opened when I knocked on it.”
“Shit! Okay. Okay, stay where you are, Camilla. Don’t go inside.”
The elevation and pitch of his voice showed he was just a panicked as me. The sound of movement traveled through the receiver again.
“Too late. I’m already inside.”
“Damn it, Camilla!”
I pulled the phone from my ear and looked at it. Who the hell did he think he was yelling at? There was no way in hell I’d not check on Mrs. Daugherty when her door was open.
I placed the phone back against my ear. “Who are you yelling at? Did you expect me not to do anything? You’re out of town! Someone needed to check on her. If something’s wrong, I want to help.”
“I had a change of plans. I’m at home. If the door was open, someone might be in the house. I’m on the way. Go back outside, now!”
He was right, but there was no way I’d leave her. She might have fallen.
“No, Liam. What if she fell and can’t come to the door? And if you yell at me one more damn time...”
“Camilla, if that were the case, that doesn’t explain why the damn door is open!”
What he said made sense, but I ignored him and plodded further in the house, toward the kitchen, determined not to let Liam persuade me not to do what was right. She may need my help.
Nothing was out of place. The overhead lights were still off, the coffee pot still cold. If she was here, she hadn’t been in her kitchen yet. There was no point in whispering anymore. If there was someone in here and they wanted to harm me, they would have already tried.
“Mrs. Daugherty! It’s Camilla!”
