Back inside Evelyn poured herself another drink as she smirked in triumph. “Little bastards, that will show them not to mess with me.” She returned to lounging on the Devan. As she got comfortable and started to close her eyes a voice whispered. “Evelyn dear, I’m home.” Her eyes pinned open in terror. “Henry” she exclaimed. “Y, y, you’re dead, you can’t be here!” The disembodied voice mocked. “I am here my love, and soon we’ll be together.” Evelyn sprung from the Devan and there plain as print stood Henry Gilles looking out the grand window as he often did. Furiously Evelyn growled, “I killed you once, I’ll do it again!” She put her husband clearly in her sights and fired. The window exploded into a thousand diamonds taken wing. Henry laughed “You always did have a temper.” Evelyn fruitlessly discharged the remaining rounds in the pistol to no success. Her husband stood laughing gazing out the window at the pale moon.


Evelyn had snapped. She was beyond fear, beyond fury. She charged at her husband like a bull. “I don’t know how you survived the poison, but a 200 ft drop should finish what I started.” As her out-stretched hand would have found purchase on Henry’s shoulder, they instead grasped thin air. By now it was too late. Momentum was against her as Evelyn careened past the gap where the window once stood. Evelyn Gilles, the woman who had it all, lost it this night.


The next morning as the sun rose police officers inspected the home while the coroner attended to the body below. The detective on the case entered the room inquiring if anything had been found. The officers informed him they had not. “What did the coroner say?” “It’s definitely suicide.” said the detective. The detective inquired. “Weren’t you out here last night?” “A prowler call” the lead officer answered. “Turned out to be nothing.” “What a shame, so much to live for” the detective said. All three men bowed their heads. As they shared a moment of silence there was a knock at the door. One of the officers offered to get it. As Evelyn the night before the officer exited to see nothing. He closed the door behind him as he scanned the area. Knocks again. The officer turned to see an overgrown tree branch striking the door as the wind blew. The officer exhaled in relief. “Whew, that kind of scared me.” With that the officer returned to his fellow officers. Just the wind explained the man.” “Wonder if that’s what the Gilles woman was hearing, and not really a prowler at all.”

The End.