Foreshadowing

The most infuriating sound emerged from Adelaide's digital alarm clock. With an exhausted grunt, she thrust her arm out from underneath her covers and slammed it on top of her bedside table. The beeping subsided; the girl rolled over, letting her long, dark hair wrap around her face and cover her sleepy eyes. It wasn't a minute later when her blissful drifting was rudely interrupted.

"Adi," a small voice called from beside the bed, shaking Adelaide's shoulders and poking at her cheek.

"Someone's at the door for you."

Adelaide rolled over and squinted in the bright sunlight that seeped through her window. She watched the big blue eyes of her little sister; filled with confusion and urgency. Adelaide felt her heart begin to race, as if she had already had multiple cups of coffee that morning.

"Where's Mom?" Adi inquired.

The blonde-haired girl shrugged her tiny shoulders. "She wasn't here when I woke up. I was gonna check if she left a note but someone knocked at the door." Her tone changed instantly and the urgency in her eyes intensified as she took one of Adi's hands into both of hers.

"He wants to talk to you, now."

Adelaide pulled on a pair of jeans she found on the floor, and stuffed into her back pocket the pistol she kept underneath her bed.

"Stay in your room, Liz. No matter what."

Elizabeth nodded and repeated after her big sister. "No matter what."

Adi tramped down the stairs as casually as possible. The walk from the stairs to the front door felt like an eternity, but the chain lock was latched which meant either the stranger had come inside and locked the door behind him, or Elizabeth was smart. Adi was certain of the latter, but she rubbed her thumb and forefinger over the handle of her pistol just to reassure herself that it was there and, as far as she knew, she still had the upper hand.

Adelaide twisted the doorknob. A shabbily dressed, unshaven middle-aged man stood on the porch. His olive green eyes darted from the door to Adi; he sealed his gaze on her and stood in silence for a long moment. He finally cleared his throat and chuckled awkwardly.

"I—I'm sorry, does Natalia Bennett still live here?"

"No," Adelaide replied hesitantly. "I've never heard of her. Sorry."

"Oh," the man didn't move a muscle. His gaze fell to the porch, as if searching the crack in the wood for the words he wanted to say.

"I was so sure she—"

"I can't help you."

He glanced back up at Adi. She noticed a glimmer in his eyes, and a deep sadness buried beneath the surface.

"Alright, thank you," He nodded politely. "Sorry to have bothered you."

Adelaide watched as the man stepped down from the porch and slid back into the driver's seat of a long-outdated black Chevy Impala. Adi remembered her father driving a car very similar to it; she watched as the man drove away, and took note of his license plate number.

"You can come out, Liz," Adi opened her sister's bedroom door and found her peering out the window.

"Elizabeth," Adi exclaimed, "what are you doing?"

"I wanted to see what his car looked like," Liz replied. She hopped down from her window seat and handed Adi a folded piece of paper.

"Got his license number." She grinned proudly.

Adi patted her sister on the shoulder. "Congrats, sis, you're a real good secret agent."

"Private investigator," Liz corrected her. "But you're a real good negotiator."

"You heard us talking?" Adi frowned.

Elizabeth nodded. "Why'd you tell him Mom didn't live here?" Liz held up a finger before Adi could reply, and nodded comprehensively. "Too dangerous. He'd want to come in and talk to her, and if he's trouble, we'd be toast."

"You got it." Adi replied with a smile. "Y'know, for a six year old, you're actually pretty dang smart."

Elizabeth winked. "Gotta be smart to get into criminal justice."