Like A Gentle Shepherd

Excerpt From:

Like a Gentle Shepherd

Libby noticed a group of young men coming in the front door. She ushered them to their dressing room, then went to find the bride, who was frowning in distress, ready to cry.

“What’s the problem, Mandy?”

“I forgot my grandmother’s locket. That’s the something old I was going to wear. What am I going to do?”

“If you’ll tell me where it is, I’ll go get it for you.”

With specific directions in hand for finding the Boneno home and the locket inside it, Libby hurriedly grabbed her keys and handbag and hurried toward her car.

At the Boneno residence, the maid met her at the door and after a brief discussion, pointed to Mandy’s room. “Second door on your right—at the top of the stairs.”

At a run, Libby hurried to ascend the staircase. At the top was a landing with a large picture window that looked out over the huge and beautifully landscaped side yard, shaded by massive evergreen trees between the house and the lake beyond.

She really needed to be back before the music began, but what could she do?

The door to Mandy’s massive and messy burgundy-painted suite was ajar, and her jewelry box was strewn with tangled chains, making it difficult for Libby to find the locket, a small gold heart with a leafy vine on it. Finally, she saw it in a tangled mass and pocketed the whole wad of chains, before turning toward the door.

Though she was in a hurry, she couldn’t help taking another second to admire the glorious vista beyond the window. Suddenly she saw movement--two men in black suits, chasing a third, jeans-clad man. Riveted to the spot, she watched in horror as the two fired handguns at the first man, who had no way of escape. He went down in an instant, leaving Libby feeling stunned.

Momentarily she shook herself then turned to run down the stairs. She couldn’t have seen what she thought she had seen. It simply wasn’t possible, was it?

Racing down the walk to her car, she glanced to her right and noticed a shiny, vintage gold Corvette sporting the vanity plate Stud Man.

 Only seconds later, she backed out of the driveway, as the same two men suddenly saw her and attempted a futile run toward her car, but they were at least fifty yards away. Grateful for the head start, she floored it, and a raucous squeal rent the air, when she left black marks on the pavement, probably wrecking her tires in her rush to escape.

As reality set in, she felt sick at heart and in body, realizing that not only had she seen a murder, but the murderers had seen her, or at least glimpsed her car.