The House Across the Street by Elizabeth Lawson

Karen is an ex-realtor, divorced, no-longer active in the industry. Now a private investigator, she specializes primarily in missing persons and potential infidelity investigations. One of her old real-estate customers, Wendy, has become a friend with both endearing and disarming traits. With a heart of gold, she’s also used to having people cater to her whims, which can be very frustrating for Karen. Karen has ongoing business in a local suspected infidelity case, and has just been approached from out of state, to try and find a person supposedly traveling to her city, but who has not kept in touch as promised with her partner back home. Wendy has observed some odd phenomena in the old house across the street from her home. Not knowing what to make of them she calls Karen. Impatient, but seriously concerned, she demands instant attention, highlighting the conflict in the relationship between the two women. Karen finds a plausible explanation for the unusual phenomenon her friend has observed. A massive storm with high winds and torrential rain rages for days, creating driving hazards from downed trees, racing rivulets, and accumulated debris in narrow streets. Karen’s investigation of the missing person stalls, although she manages to trace her target to local stores, with some creative thinking and help from a manager handling the target’s assignment. When Wendy calls with yet another issue on the house opposite, Karen is predictably rude in her response. The ensuing investigation involves both unexpected and unpleasant issues. Wendy is enormously upset, and Karen is thrown into an awkward position by the findings. The final outcome is only partially balanced by a new revelation between the two women.