Did my neighbor murder her husband? Part I

I've been spying on my neighbor, because I think she may have just shot her husband. Or maybe that loud noise was him slamming the front door -- its heart-shaped Welcome sign looks about to drop...you have to tilt your head to read it. But maybe it's always been like that (I've never bothered spying on them before).

They scream at each other an awful lot. Usually I only hear the woman, but tonight, you could hear both. The man yelled, "Laura, this is not normal behavior!"

"Don't tell me I'm not normal! Get out! Get out!"

I couldn't make anything else out, until she screamed, "I want a divorce!"

Then, a sudden bang. Or maybe it was the door. And then there was silence. That's why I spied on them; I turned off all my lights and stood on my couch and peered between the slats of my blinds -- their kitchen window is directly opposite my living room window. She's cleaning her kitchen now, putting away empty wine bottles, scrubbing the table.... I actually tried standing on my tiptoes, hoping to see the floor -- or rather, the body of her husband. (Well, not hoping.) But, it must have been him slamming the front door. When I saw that heart-shaped welcome sign all askew, I figured that was it.

It had to be that, because people don't shoot each other in South Redondo Beach. It is odd, though, that I didn't hear a car.

In any case, I'm glad for the quiet -- now I can get back to my mystery novel.

SEVERAL MINUTES LATER

I have the worst luck. I couldn't concentrate on my book and went and spied on the neighbors again -- this time, the front door was wide open and there was no movement anywhere that I could see. I tried to take a picture of the open door with my camera phone, but it just showed up all black. After about fifteen minutes, I put on my spy uniform -- black leggings and black shirt -- got my real camera, told my cat I'd be right back, and went outside to do some surveillance. I sauntered past the corner of my building, whistling quietly, and looked up (concurrently with a Siamese cat...I wonder if it's theirs?); the door was now closed. So, I rushed back to my apartment, turned off the lights again and peered through the blinds -- everything is dark in their place. I missed it...whatever it was.

But, I did notice that of the seven units in that building, theirs is the only one with a welcome sign and some potted plants (pink geraniums) outside their door.

OK. Now I really am going to concentrate on my book.

(I should point out that my Saturday nights are usually much more exciting than this...tonight I just did not feel like carousing.)