Nobody is here

Grace cowered in the corner between the nightstand and the highback chair, the reflection of her blonde hair from the outdoor's twilight the only visible entity in the studio apartment. She felt Howard stomping across the courtyard, entering through the back utility door, galloping up the back stairwell three steps at a time, certain nobody’s be home. She'd turned out the lights, long before assuming her present position, a cat ready to pounce on its prey.

That afternoon, she'd witnessed what she'd long suspected: Howard having an affair with Leila, right under her nose, right across the courtyard at the Tarantella Inn. She couldn't believe her husband was stepping out on her, and with an easy divorcee so slatternly as Leila. Once, she could forgive, but she knew, from what she witnessed this afternoon, its duration, how long Howard stayed with her, how many times her binoculars betrayed the shadows bouncing back and forth like a misshapen pendulum -- all from the two narrow windows of her studio apartment.

So she'd retreated to the corner, like a cat, ready to pounce the moment Howard entered the apartment. She heard heavy footsteps approach, each step louder than the previous, the hard black leather soles of the man's shoes mocking her, daring her to confront him. The key made a staccato sound as he put it in the lock and he opened the door. He turned the light switch -- nothing, no light. She peeked at him from behind the highback chair, saw his 220 pound frame of muscle and ignorance confused as he called, "Grace? The light switch doesn't work!"

She attacked, jumped from behind the chair and landed the heavy steel knife right in the center of his chest. His voice croaked as he fell backward into the outer hallway, turning around in chaotic spasms and falling on his chest, the knife lodged ever deeper in his convulsing body. And before Grace knew it, the convulsions ceased as he lay in a pool of blood and the walls played out hallucinogenic patterns of dark red on the frozen white walls.

Grace, her eyes blazing with satiated desire, stood in the doorway, blood on her hands and her dress. She heard more footsteps -- lighter, more delicate, approach from around the corner. Leila turned the corner and came into Grace’s view, took in the scene. Grace met Leila’s eyes, wide, her mouth trembling as she looked down onto Howard.