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"I’ the key in Layla’s palm
Cia stared hard at her for aLayla--who entered the house without the on the carefully placed stepping-stones that ringed the house The yard to the left side of the house was shadowed, chilly, and narrow, and the gate in the picket fence at the back edge of the house was unlocked There were no broken s or any obvious dae The backyard was deeper than it ide, and not fenced Deer tracks and scat indicated that wildlife elcome out back The back door was closed, locked, and looked undisturbed There were no broken s that a kidnapper or burglar ht have used
On the south side of the house there was a ss of soil, fertilizer, and yard tools, and a gate, identical to the one on the other side It too was unlocked, with only a tiny catch Near the front corner of the house was the patch of green pushing up through the soil, the jonquils looking cheerful
"Nothing," Cia said
"Yeah" They went back up the short flight of steps to the door and it opened before they could knock, Layla watching through the door’s leaded-glassShe stepped aside and the twins entered, drawing together, as usual, in the unfamiliar place
The air ar Most peoplean extended out-of-town stay, and the conificant Liz unbuttoned her sweater and tucked her hands into her jeans pockets, thinking about fingerprints Even though she wasn’t looking, Cia put her hands in her jacket pockets, too Twin stuff
The house had wide-board hardwood floors, creas and ceiling s Antique furniture juxtaposed with designer pieces The living roo in wine and blues to undy upholstered chairs The dining roo chairs and a floral rug under the antique table for ten Perfect The kitchen was clean, not a dish out of place on the granite-topped cabinets The stovetop looked as if it had never been used
Liz pointed up the stairs and Layla shrugged The tent up alone and found two guest roo room/craft room/extra super-neat junk room behind a closed door Theirs were the only footprints on the neutral carpet Having learned nothing, they went back downstairs
The house was free of dust, piles of mail, and accumulated rubbish There were no coats tossed over chair backs No shoes in a corner or slippers by the front door or gloves on a side table No clutter The fraht have chosen There were no photos oror cat bowls The house was soazine shoot, not a place to relax, to live
Until Layla, still silent and watching them with curious and sober eyes, led them into the master suite Which was totally different
The suite looked like it had been hit by a ind The king-sized bed was unmade, the covers and comforter in a heap on the floor Clothes were everywhere A bottle of as open on a side table near a sitting area, a single long-stelass, partially evaporated One glass Not two, as one ht expect if she’d met a man, had a tryst, and taken off with him, as the police seemed to think Jewelry was in a pile on the bureau, diaold A lot of both The marble bath en suite was clean and untouched, Evelyn’s anized, the contents in sizes accepted by airlines and strict travel security Larger sizes of shaed in a cabinet that Liz opened with a pocketed hand Toere perfectly folded, as ashcloths Even the laundry basket’s contents were already separated, colors in one side, whites in the other
"Everything is neat As close to perfect as it’s possible to be and still be a real ho it a question as she walked back into that roorimly "My mother is OCD about her stuff Impossibly OCD"
Another reason to think that Layla had not had a cheery childhood
Liz took in the room’s disarray The clothes on the floor seemed weird somehow, as if they had been dropped in a circle As if Evelyn had stood in theher clothes as she undressed Grabbing the bedcovers and pulling the foret a better feel for the layout, Liz stepped inside the bare space on the floor and turned around Yeah A spiral Facing one corner of the roo in a slow circle, releasing her clothes in a nearly circular, doughnut-shaped pile Coat, then scarf, gloves, jacket, shirt, bra, boots, dress pants, leggings, and undies, dropped in that order "Except," Liz said, studying the clothing, "there’s only one boot"
Cia, who had been watching, walked slowly around the roo corners Her hands still in her pockets, she opened the door beside the bath to reveal a huge walk-in closet She flipped the light switch, illued by color and season "What kind of boot?" she asked
Liz bent and studied it "Christian Louboutin, a five-inch spike-heeled black suede boot with fringe down the back seaht boot" Liz alh the air and the twin bond Cia loved boots Like, really loved theift until today She owned dozens of vintage boots, which took up most of the closet floor in their rental house And they both wore size six and a half
"No single left boot in here," Cia said, "by any designer" The light clicked off