Chapter 1 — Brenda furiously blames crying Chloe for muddy floors — Then Elena kneels by the trail and spots Barnaby
The pristine wooden floor was ruined by a trail of muddy tracks leading straight down the hallway.
Brenda stood over young Chloe, pointing angrily at the mess while the little girl sobbed in tears.
Chloe clutched the hem of her cat-print shirt and wiped her eyes with a shaking sleeve.
“Look at this mess!” Brenda shouted, her voice echoing off the freshly painted walls.
“You never listen when you come inside!”
Chloe wept harder, shaking her head as the accusations piled up.
“I didn’t do it, Grandma! I swear I didn’t!”
“Don’t lie to me,” Brenda snapped, gesturing wildly at the dark smudges on the polished boards.
“Nobody else was even in this part of the house!”
Elena stepped into the room from the adjacent hallway, alarmed by the sudden commotion.
She looked from Brenda’s furious face to Chloe’s tear-streaked cheeks.
“What is going on out here?” Elena asked, keeping her voice steady.
“Your daughter just tracked thick mud all over my clean floors,” Brenda declared, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
“I just finished sweeping this morning.”
Elena walked over to the edge of the dark trail and knelt down on the floor.
She reached out and pressed the tip of her finger into the wet mud.
She rubbed the texture between her fingers, noticing the tiny grit of fresh garden soil and coarse, light-colored hairs embedded right in the center of the print.
Brenda stood over them, tapping her foot impatiently.
“Well? Are you going to punish her, or are you just going to let her get away with it?”
Elena did not answer right away.
She slowly stood back up and turned her gaze away from the crying child.
She looked past the muddy trail toward the dark hallway leading to the back utility room.
A soft rustling sound echoed from the shadows just around the corner.