Day 4’s excerpt and illustration to celebrate the upcoming anniversary of my novel’s release: “Something on the kitchen table caught my eye. Underneath a jumble of keys was a handsome silver watch. I had always preferred silver to gold. Mr. Cormant must have taken it off when he, Mrs. Cormant, and Celia got home from the park that afternoon. I imagine him rubbing his wrist as he took it off and grabbed a glass of milk to cool off. I gently, very gently, moved the keys a bit so they would not jingle. I put the watch on my wrist and tightened the clasp. It was a bit big for me—-I have slim wrists to match my small hands. But it was a free and very handsome watch. Who was I to complain of such luck? Perhaps the sound of keys, even the slightest little movement of them, alerted Celia that someone was either coming or going. I was very lucky as I heard her four legs come bounding down the steps and tip-tap into the hallway. She grumbled a low growl, which I was afraid would happen. I immediately got into a low crouch and threw her a bit of the bacon I had smuggled out of the diner in a napkin. She gobbled up the bacon and came up to sniff my hand. Some guard dog!” ✍️: @michaelcarrantianus