The Family That Framed Me Mad

ighbor. She'd known me since I was a little girl, al

y heart on her porch swing, the late aft

inting. "He's always been a stern one, but this...this ain'

hed, Aunt Patricia. And they c

? What in the world could h

! He just say

eclared, standing up with surprising energy for

cia was respected in our small tow

ike was tinkering with the lawnmower. I wat

tened, his face impassive. Then, he nodded

mach d

ot he

a moment, then f

ut, Aunt Patricia's face was pale. Mike clapped her on the sho

her porch slowly,

evening,

Patr

out at nothing. She looked up, and h

lained things. You really shouldn't be thinki

.you s

pted. "Mike knows best. You s

ng creaked rhythmically, a l

l stung, sh

ds since college, and he lived in the city, about an hour

can't keep doing this. What's in that shed? Is it

ot funn

I'll talk to him. I'm not going in any damn shed, tho

ravado. He was a web designer, quic

king. But then he said, "Why don't we

," Liam said firmly. "W

"It's important, son

I saw a flicker of something – curiosi

id slowly. "But

nted to scream, to

peared int

as longer. Near

een a ghost. His usual confident smirk wa

e, into the house, and st

appened? What

. He just kept shoving

ia

ange mixture of pity and revulsion. "Ashley...he's rig

at are you ta

h. For your own good. And

I could react, he smashed it on t

re you

"No evidence." He then picked up the brok

his car peeling out of the d

fying than ever. Even Becca, my cousin, started avoiding my calls. She'd make excuses, say she was busy with the baby. When

s were c