The Mysterious World of Eddy Shade

Chapter 14: Sleep Over

     After leaving the pawn shop they had made their way back to Edith's, making a brief stop to get Eddy a new cell phone. The day was spent and when they arrived she was trying to figure out what to make everyone for dinner. "I have come to a startling revelation" she announced as she came out of the kitchen. 

     "What is that sis" Xander asked. Eddy too was also curious, hoping it might have some relevance to his current problems. 

     "There is not enough food in this house for me to feed all of us." 

     "Oh" Eddy said not able to hide the disappointment he felt. 

     "You know Eddy you are starting to develop a limited vocabulary." Xander looked at his sister "and, what do you mean there is not enough food?" 

     "I mean the way you eat Xander I'll be out of food in no time. I'm used to cooking for one, not three. Which means Eddy you get to go grocery shopping" she announced. 

     "Me!" Eddy asked astonished as he pointed at him self with both hands. 

     "Yes you!" she asserted "If not for you I'd have enough food for a week, verses a few days." 

     "You want me to go now?" Eddy asked. 

     "No you can wait till tomorrow. It's getting late and it would take you forever at the store if you went now. You can go tomorrow while I'm out." 

     "Wait, where are you going tomorrow?" Xander asked. 

     "To work" Edith said. "I do have a job you know. If I have to miss one more day of work again for yet another 'family emergency' they are going to be ticked. Now I am going to go make dinner. I hope hot dogs are okay with every one, its all I have enough of that will feed all of us." 

     Dinner had proceeded as a brief and rather quite event at the kitchen table. Xander occasionally tried to start the group in conversation, but it would quickly die off when it would circle around to Edith who seemed determined to give one word responses. She clearly was not happy with the current housing arrangement. When they had finished off the food Edith sent Xander to the garage in order to fetch some ice cream.

     As soon as he had left the room Edith turned towards Eddy, giving him a stern look. "Listen, I will not hide the fact that I don't want you here. The only reason I am allowing it is because keeping you safe matters to my brother. I do not like you. And I do not like that you have drawn my unwitting brother into your mess. I used to think that hanging around with a cop would be a good influence for him. Looks like in the end it may in fact get him killed." 

     Eddy could not help but show his shock. He would have never imagined the small women could be so aggressive. "Edith, I never meant for any of this to happen. I was just trying to solve a crime." 

     "You were sticking your nose where it does not belong!" she yelled. 

     "I am a cop, it was a crime. That makes it my business" Eddy retorted. 

     "I will make this very clear. If any thing, I mean any thing, happens to my brother as a result of you, I will make absolutely certain that you pay. Do I make my self clear?" 

     Before Eddy could even answer her Xander came back in carrying a large tub of ice cream. He stopped half way into the room and looked at his sister and friend. 

     "Did I miss something?" he asked. 

     Edith just smiled at him pleasantly "No nothing at all."

*      *      *     *     *

     After dinner Eddy had grabbed his bag from the front hall where he had left it. Edith led him down a short hallway and up to a door located right before the bathroom. She opened the door and motioned for him to go inside. Eddy stepped through the door into a medium sized room. The room was painted powder blue and was sparsely decorated, containing little more then a futon with an end table next to it holding a small lamp on it. It also contained an arm chair and a low dresser with a mirror with a carved frame hanging over it. Resting in the far corner stood a bird cage that was hanging from a bronze stand. Hopping around in the cage was a small bright blue bird who was bouncing around non stop while it chirped a melodic melody. Eddy set his bag down on the futon and walked over to the bird cage.