Chapter 6 — Brenda claims the door was left open by carelessness — Then Elena uncovers a fresh trail leading to the rug
Brenda stared down at the nose smudge pressed against the lower glass pane.
Her jaw remained slightly parted as she processed the exact height of the mark.
“I certainly didn’t leave that there,” Brenda said defensively.
“Nobody suggested you did,” Elena replied quietly.
Brenda crossed her arms again, her posture stiffening as she tried to recover her authority.
“Well, the door was obviously left unlatched by sheer carelessness,” Brenda insisted.
“Someone simply didn’t check the deadbolt after bringing in the grocery bags earlier today.”
Elena did not argue with the claim.
Instead, she stood up straight and turned back toward the interior hallway.
“Carelessness or not, let’s look at the actual trail,” Elena said.
Elena walked slowly back toward the living room rug where the muddy footprints had first been discovered.
Brenda followed a few paces behind, keeping her eyes fixed on the wooden floorboards.
Elena knelt beside the edge of the woven wool rug.
She traced the final set of dark brown prints with the tip of her index finger.
The stamps were distinct, deep, and closely spaced together.
They did not look like the hurried strides of a running child.
They were deliberate, heavy-footed tracks that ended abruptly at the fibers of the rug.
Elena lifted her finger and inspected the tiny, claw-shaped indentations embedded in the fabric.
“Children don’t leave claw marks in the weave, Brenda,” Elena noted calmly.
Brenda frowned, stepping closer to peer down at the rug.
Elena followed the very last smudge of mud past the edge of the living room furniture.
The trail terminated directly at the resting spot of the family pet.
A pair of innocent brown eyes blinks sleepily from behind the sofa.