Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-three

Someone was shining a light in her eyes and she could hear trucks in the distance. Were the police interrogating her right next to a freeway? Hannah sat bolt upright in bed and blinked in the strong sunlight coming through her bedroom window. It was daylight and it wasn’t Sunday. At least she didn’t think it was Sunday. And if it wasn’t Sunday, she’d overslept and she was late for work.

The trucks were still rumbling outside. They must be doing some construction work in the condo complex. That was very odd. She was on the homeowners’ association board and she hadn’t heard about any repairs or new construction.

The heavy equipment, whatever it was, must have frightened Moishe, because he was nowhere in sight. No Moishe on her pillow, no Moishe at the foot of the bed. No Moishe tunneled under the blankets and no Moishe on top of the dresser, staring at her with yellow eyes. But Moishe was blind in one eye. Doctor Hagaman had told her that. So how could he stare at her with yellow eyes if he could only see with one eye? But it would sound silly to say that Moishe was staring at her with his yellow eye when both of his eyes were yellow. And she’d never have known that he was blind in one eye if Doctor Hagaman hadn’t told her. What should she say? Or should she say nothing since Moishe wasn’t on top of the dresser and he wasn’t staring at her, anyway?

It was too complicated a conundrum for this time of the morning, whatever time it was. Hannah managed to turn the body that suddenly seemed unwieldy to her, so that she could look at her digital alarm clock. “Ten-fifteen?!” she exclaimed so loudly that the sound bounced off her bedroom walls. The slits that had been her eyes opened all the way at her own loud exclamation, and that’s when she saw the note propped up on her bedside table.

Coffee in thermos on kitchen table, it read. Blue Apple Muffins in basket. Take your time. Lisa and I have it covered. She picked me up this morning.

Hannah rubbed her eyes and reached for her slippers. Thank goodness for that truck! She might have slept until noon if the noise hadn’t awakened her. But something strange was happening to the hum of the truck motor. It didn’t appear to be coming from the outside, the way she’d initially thought. Now it seemed to be coming from the corner of her own bedroom!

Her head swiveled toward the sound and her eyes opened wide in surprise. Her exercise machine was on! The belt on the treadmill was running in an endless loop, and there was Moishe, walking on the exercise machine!