Page 29 of Pure Silence

Clang!

The man’s body landed in the dumpster, and the lid closed behind him.

A blessing, indeed.

Day put the screen back, fighting with numb fingers to get the mesh perfectly back into place beneath each individual staple. He wasn’t sure how long it took him, and he lost track of time with the meticulous task. He rather enjoyed it, picking at each strand with his fingernails, tucking them in over and over…

Wow, it was cold.

Day blinked himself out of the weird haze he’d gotten lost in. His fingers were so cold they burned, and his nose and lips were chilled. He had no idea how long he’d been out here.

He moved the chair and table back and then stepped inside. He shut the screen door, shooed away a very curious Purrcy, and retrieved the liner for the shower curtain from the bedroom floor. He smiled at Goldie.

Goldie didn’t smile back.

Well, shit.

Guess he was still upset about the man.

Day retreated to the bathroom to put the shower liner back up. He was starting to think that this may have been a mistake, and his stomach clenched miserably.

Not killing the man. No, that had to be done.

But maybe Goldie wasn’t meant to be his angel. Maybe he shouldn’t have come here after all.

Day wasn’t sure what to do with that thought. There had to be a reason he could hear Goldie. There just had to be. Everything so far seemed to be happening as if part of a very special plan—meeting Goldie, finding his wallet, having that man show up when he did so Day could save Goldie…

But Goldie still seemed unhappy with him.

Perhaps he needs time.

Maybe.

Day sighed.

He still had a gun to get rid of and a door to fix.

The gun ended up on top of the medicine cabinet, hidden out of sight. The door was a bit harder. The man had picked the lock and snapped the chain, though the deadbolt remained intact. Upon closer inspection, Day realized it hadn’t been turned because it didn’t line up properly with the plate in the frame.

All Day could do now was lock the doorknob.

He needed tools, something to reset the plate, and…

Day’s head hurt.

He needed to eat. Eat, eat, eat.

Inside Goldie’s fridge were some frozen dinners, and he followed the instructions to make two in the microwave.

Goldie was probably getting hungry by now too.

Day ate and then finished cleaning up until there was no sign that the man had ever been here except for the broken chain. He brought the other dinner to the bedroom and offered a smile again.

To his surprise, Goldie actually smiled back this time.

“Ah, I see you are a master chef like me,” Goldie teased.

Day chuckled, shaking his head as he approached the bed with the little tray of food. It was frozen chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, and an assortment of mixed vegetables. He offered a nugget to Goldie’s lips.