Shadowed - Online Serial Story - part one

SHADOWED (c)

by Lina Gardiner 

Part One...

Grevellia Ward stood in the shadows and watched the house currently under her surveillance.  She sighed and wished she’d thought to bring along a thermos of tea or coffee and something to eat.  She’d been here for hours and not one person had shown up.  Her stomach growled and she dug into her backpack for an old mint or a stale piece of gum.  Nothing.

Why the hell had she been hired to watch this empty place, anyway? The client who had come into her office yesterday had paid in cash.  He wanted an update on who showed up here tonight.

She leaned against the oak tree at the edge of the park, directly across the road from the house under her watch.  A perfect location for surveillance.

Last year at this time she was making a decent wage.  But now?  Okay, so she needed the money.  Sue her.

She cringed at that thought.  Bad choice of words.  The reason she was in this mess was because she’d been taken to court by a citizen.

She’d been a damned good cop.  And the worst part, she’d done nothing wrong.  But evidence had been found that implicated her.  She gritted her teeth too hard and felt her jaw twinge in pain.  The so-called innocent citizen had said she’d taken a bribe and had threatened their life if they didn’t keep on paying.  Luckily the case had been thrown out, but fiction or not, the department didn’t like that kind of cloud hanging over them.  She didn’t actually have to quit, but things got so uncomfortable she finally decided it wasn’t worth it any more. 

The worst part, she’d just bought a new house.  She’d met a guy who seemed a perfect fit.  And she had a little bit of savings in the bank.  Whammo!  Everything was pulled out from under her.  No job meant, no way to pay her mortgage.  She’d hung on for about six months, but then had to declare bankruptcy.  She lost everything.  Including Beecham Laramy.  Apparently, he had a thing for women in power, and when she’d become more or less powerless so he lost interest.

Bastard!

At least she’d found out what a jerk he was before it was too late.  Hell, she’d been hoping he’d propose before the shit hit the fan and landed all over her.

She felt like a fraud in some ways.  Mostly because she’d had little respect for PI’s before she’d become one herself.

She had no idea how difficult this job could be.  Well, more to the point, how damnable boring it could be. 

But the client paid her a thousand dollars in cash to watch this house tonight.  She needed the greenbacks.  Who was she to complain if no one showed up.  Made the job that much easier.

            A twig snapped to her left and she stepped further in the shadows of the tree.  Had that been a footstep, or a roaming cat or dog?  

To be continued........