by Marja McGraw
Glancing out the window, I saw it was still raining. In fact, it was raining harder than I’d ever seen before. Thanks to the wind it was blowing sideways. Interesting.
There was a loud clap of thunder that shook the house.
I jumped and grabbed Felicity’s arm just as she was reaching for mine.
The three of us looked at each other and started to laugh.
“Maybe I couldn’t scare you, but the thunder sure did,” my mother said. “It’s directly overhead right now.”
As if to confirm her statement, a big bang shook the house again.
“I wonder how long this is going to keep up.” I glanced outside.
“Get away from the window,” Mom said. “You’re just asking to be struck by lightning.”
I moved away quickly. She was right.
“There’s paint in the Arizona room. Let’s get started. At least it’ll keep us busy. Besides, the kitchen in the apartment is relatively small.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, like room size is an issue. Where do you want to start?”
“Like I said, the kitchen in the little apartment. You haven’t been listening to me, have you? If we’re going to have electricity in the apartment, we might as well clean things and paint so we can use it.”
“Good idea,” Felicity said. She turned and headed for the screened room with us on her heels.
“I can’t believe I didn’t notice these paint cans before.” I bent and started reading the colors on the cans. “What color are you going to use?”
“Pale yellow. It’s such a cheerful color, especially in a kitchen. I’ll decorate with… I don’t know. I’ll figure out what looks best with it. Maybe some curtains over the window with yellow and other colors will work. Blue might work, too, or maybe green.”
“It sounds cheerful to me,” Felicity said. “At least it’ll wake me up in the morning.” She smiled at my mom.
We carried paint cans, trays, brushes and paint rollers downstairs with us, walking through the house when walking outside would have probably been easier and faster. However, staying indoors would keep us dry.
After mixing the paint we poured some into a roller pan and started working. Mother and Fel painted with the rollers. I came along behind them with a brush and began doing the areas where the rollers wouldn’t work.
There was almost a rhythm to our working together. We became so engrossed in what we were doing that we stopped talking, which is when I began to hear noises.
“Did you two hear a creaking noise overhead?” I asked.
“It’s just the electrician moving around in the crawl space, or attic, or whatever it is,” my mother replied.
“They already left. Remember?” Felicity stopped painting and held her roller still. Yellow paint dripped onto the counter top. She quickly grabbed a rag and wiped it clean.
I heard the creak again, along with a kind of smacking sound. “Mom?”
“It’s just the storm causing the house to settle.”
“Uh huh. Sure. I think I’ll go check it out.” I set down my paint brush and wiped my hands on the rag Fel had used, and my hands immediately turned yellow. Sighing, I grabbed a clean rag and wiped off as much paint as I could.
I heard some faint creaking and figured whoever, or whatever, was up in the crawl space was moving away.
“Wait a minute,” I said, reality breaking into my thinking. “The crawl space is on a different level, not over the apartment. Something must be on the roof.”
Mother and Felicity both stopped and stared at me.
“A coyote?” Mother dropped her roller into the pan.
“A bear?” Fel’s eyes were wide.
“We don’t have bears here,” Mom said.
“Thank goodness!”
“At least, I don’t think we do. Besides, I doubt if they crawl on roofs.”
I heard thunder, but it was farther off, no longer directly overhead. “I’m going to take a look.”
“We’ll go with you.” My mother took hold of Felicity’s hand and pulled her toward the sliding glass doors.
Fel’s face had a look of trepidation. “You’re sure there aren’t any bears?”
Mom nodded.
I tipped my head and studied them for a moment before turning toward the glass doors. Yes, I wanted them to go with me.
Walking outside, we looked up and realized we couldn’t see what might be on the roof.
I looked around and saw there was a fence I could climb on at the other side of the pool. It would give me a good view of the apartment roof and a lot of other things.
“Wait here,” I said.
Climbing the fence was tricky because it was wet, dirty and slick, but I made it with only a couple of splinters to show for my efforts. I could clearly see the roof of the apartment, even with rain drops running down my face, but I had to hang on or the wind might blow me over to the other side.
I waved at Mom and Fel. “It’s okay. There are a few loose shingles and that’s probably what was making the noise.”
Not wanting anymore splinters, I jumped off the fence. Just as I leaped I glanced to the side of the apartment and I could have sworn I saw the back of a blonde head. It disappeared around the corner of the house before I could be sure my imagination wasn’t playing games with me.
There were huge puddles everywhere and I landed in a deep one, soaking myself, my clothes and my shoes.
My mother and friend began to laugh from where they were standing, under an overhang.
Ignoring them, I ran along the side of the house and out to the front yard. It was pouring rain again and the wind blew my hair in my eyes. I came as close as I’d ever come to growling. I was, needless to say, frustrated. I pushed my hair back and looked around, but didn’t see a woman with long, blonde hair.
I ran to the back and discovered my mother and Fel had gone back into the house. While they went to work, I ran upstairs to find dry clothing. I was shivering between the rain and the wind, and an unheated house.
When I returned to the apartment kitchen, they’d begun painting again. Without a word, I picked up my brush and began working on the places they couldn’t reach.
After a moment, I asked, “What were you two laughing at a while ago?”
Felicity fought a smile. I could see her struggling. She didn’t say anything.
On the other hand, my mother seemed delighted to answer me. “It seems that you just can’t stay dry the past few days. From a bucket of dirty water to rain and mud puddles, you’re doomed to be wet while you’re here.”
“I see.” I waited a moment before walking outside.
I could hear the two of them mumbling, apparently wondering what I was doing. I was picking up an old bucket that had quite a bit of rain water in it. I carried it inside.
“Uh oh.” Felicity backed away from me.
“Yep,” I said.
“Young lady, you keep that water away from all this fresh paint.” My mother sounded somewhat panicky.
“Then move,” I said.
Not knowing what else to do, they did.
I scooped up a handful of water and threw it at Felicity. Even though she had a good idea about what I was going to do, she sucked in her breath in surprise.
Mom took a couple of steps away from me. “Sandra…”
I scooped up more water and threw it at her before setting down the bucket and picking up my paint brush. I should have known better and taken the bucket back outside before I began painting corners.
“Noooo,” I squeaked when someone dumped water down the back of my shirt.
Turning around I found Mom and Fel standing behind me, each one holding onto the sides of the bucket full of rain water.
“Never try to get even, Sandra. I’ll always be right there to do the same.” My mother set the bucket on the kitchen floor.
I bit my tongue before I started to laugh. “You two are crazier than I am.”
The bucket belonged outside, and that’s where I de
posited it before going back to the painting.
“By the way, I meant to ask you,” Felicity said. “Why did you run off, down the side of the house?”
“Interesting story,” I replied.
“Let’s hear it,” my mother said.
Chapter Twenty
“I know you both think I have an overactive imagination, but I swear I saw someone with long blonde hair at the side of the house, walking in the rain. I don’t know if she could have been on the roof or not and I don’t know how she would have climbed up there. I guess that would be kind of silly. Why would she climb up on the roof?” I was trying to work things out in my mind while I spoke. I wasn’t having much luck.
My mother looked skeptical, but she didn’t say anything while she went back to painting.
Felicity appeared thoughtful.
Did either one believe me?
Mom set her roller down and turned to face at me. “You realize, of course, that no one else has seen the blonde?”
“Well, sure, but – ”
“And I haven’t seen Bubba take out after her.”
“He wasn’t around when I saw her. I asked Pete to take him to the stable while they worked. Besides, no one else has been watching for her. Although I have to admit, I haven’t really been keeping an eye out for her. She just turns up, uninvited, when I least expect it.”
“I want to see this woman so I can describe her to Tyler and Racheal. Maybe she’s a nosey neighbor.” Mother picked up her roller again
Surprisingly, we were almost done working on the small kitchen.
I painted some of the window trim in the kitchen with a different type of paint that came in a smaller can. “I noticed something interesting about the woman.”
“What was that?” Felicity turned on the water faucet and confirmed we now had running water in the kitchen.
“Although it was pouring rain, the woman’s hair didn’t look wet. I didn’t notice her clothing because I was trying to get a look at her face. I’d really like to see what she looks like.”
“Okay, I think we should tell the men about this woman,” my mother said. “It could be a neighbor who’s wearing a wig or something. Maybe she’s a snoop and doesn’t want to be recognized. I think our husbands should keep an eye open for her, too.”
I sighed happily over her reference to our husbands. Felicity grinned. I briefly wondered when we’d get to spend more time with them.
Shaking my head, I tried to bring my thoughts back on track. “You’re probably right, but what does this woman have to do with anything? That’s what we need to figure out.” I dipped the brush in the paint can once more. “I have a suspicion someone is trying to scare us, but I can’t understand why.”
“I can’t imagine why anyone would want Frank and me to leave this house. That just doesn’t make any sense. Scare us? I don’t think so.”
“Think about it, Mother. You’re expecting to see a body behind every little nook or cranny, or under a cement slab in the yard. I’m surprised you’re not the one seeing the blonde.”
“Yes, sweetie, but I’m mostly joking when I mention finding a dead body. Although, the block wall in the basement has me wondering.”
I had no reply for her, so I finished the trim and washed my paint brush. “Let’s go see what the men are up to before we figure out which room we’re going to paint next. We can mention the blonde, too.”
My mother nodded. “Let’s do the walk-in pantry when we come back.” She turned and entered the small room. “We can start bringing food in and store it in here. I want to paint it off-white so it doesn’t seem so dark.”
The rain had let up, at least for the moment, but the sky was still charcoal gray and the wind was howling. We headed for the stable without wasting time.
I kept my eyes open and my head flung from side to side while I watched for the mysterious blonde.
My mother tsked at me. “Let it go for now, Sandi. If she wants to be seen, she’ll make sure one of us sees her.”
Felicity nodded. “I think your mom is right. I honestly don’t believe this woman is spying on us. I think she wants one of us to see her. Well, in all honesty, I think she wants you to see her.” She shrugged her shoulders as though she didn’t understand the whole situation.
I shrugged back. I didn’t get it either. Instead of watching for the blonde, I changed the direction of my gaze and started searching for snakes. A gust of wind gave me a shiver. Snakes probably wouldn’t be out in the wind and rain, right?
Entering the stable, we saw Stanley sweeping several years’ worth of clutter out the back door. Frank and Pete were measuring, presumably for stalls that needed installing.
“Hiya,” I said.
Pete waved at me and watched me intently for a moment before walking over to give me a kiss. He grinned and spoke softly. “Can’t wait for the honeymoon, babe.”
“You mean this isn’t it?” I waited for one of his bear hugs after my little joke, but it didn’t come. Instead, he turned and walked back to help Frank.
“The plumber suggested we turn on the faucets and let the water run for a while before we use it,” he said over his shoulder. “He’s got to do a few more things, but it’s useable. I mean, we all took showers. The electrician said the apartment has electricity and he’ll take care of the rest of the house when he comes back. Of course, he got the hot water heater working.”
“When is he coming back?” my mother asked.
“Tomorrow, weather permitting.”
“I have a feeling it’s going to be chilly in the house tonight. Can we use the fireplaces?”
Frank, Pete and Stanley looked at each other.
“We talked about that earlier,” Frank said. “We’re going to clean them out this afternoon so they can be used. Stan knows how to do it.”
“Stan?” I asked. How would he know how to clean a chimney and take care of a flue?
As if reading my mind, Stanley said, “When I was growing up, I used to take care of the fireplace at my mother’s house. Obviously, she couldn’t do it.”
I nodded, letting it go.
My mother nodded and held up her hand, calling for everyone’s attention. “We finished painting the apartment kitchen and we’re doing the pantry next.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ll fix lunch in about half an hour.”
Frank pulled out the end of the tape measure and handed it to Pete. He pointed to a spot on the floor while backing toward the wall.
Pete headed for the spot Frank had indicated.
“What’s for lunch?” Frank asked.
“How about ham sandwiches? Or we could have roast beef. I’ll fix a few of each.” She tapped her watch. “We can’t eat outside, so meet us downstairs in the apartment. We’ll eat there. Bring chairs.”
“I’m certainly hungry,” Stanley said. “We’ve carried out trash all morning and made a pile outside the door. It’s going to be difficult to load it into a trash bin because it’s all going to be soggy.” He turned to Felicity. “So what’s new, peaches?”
“Nothing. We’ve just been painting. I had to use a paint roller with a long handle.” She crinkled her nose at him. “There are problems with being so short sometimes.”
“Where’s Bubba?” I asked.
Hearing his name, he made a soft woofing sound from the corner. Where had he been when I needed him?
Felicity grinned and quickly glanced at me before answering Stanley. “You asked what’s new, sweetness. Wait until we tell you about the mysterious blonde Sandi’s been seeing. It’s only been a couple of times, but it’s strange. We need your help.”
“It’s not a ghost,” I said quickly.
“Who said it was?” Pete let go of the tape measure and it zipped as it automatically rewound.
Chapter Twenty-one
I explained my blonde sightings to the men and waited for comments.
Frank shrugged. “Maybe it’s a nosey neighbor.”
Stanley tipped his head and looked thoug
htful. He didn’t comment.
Pete grinned at me. “Reminds me of the time you thought Humphrey Bogart was following you.” He scratched his chin. “Although, I have to admit, there was a remarkable resemblance between the man following you and the actor.”
“All I’m asking is that you keep your eyes open for this woman. I want to know who she is and why she’s watching us.”
“Us?” Felicity shook her head. “It seems to me that you’re the only one she’s watching.”
I found myself on the defensive. “She could be watching the rest of you and you just didn’t see her.”
Instead of arguing the point, Felicity said, “We’ll keep our eyes open for her. Frank’s probably right. It’s most likely a neighbor.”
I heard thunder off in the distance and glanced outside. It was beginning to rain again and I had a feeling more of the storm was moving in. Another clap of thunder made me believe I was right.
“Hurry up,” my mother said. “We need to get back to the house and back to work.” She ran out the door.
We followed, along with Bubba.
We ran to the garage and headed for the Arizona room. Mother showed us which cans of paint she needed and we carried everything back to the apartment. After opening cans and stirring the paint, we began working on the walk-in pantry.
Mother and Fel painted the walls while I worked on the shelving. “I think it’s safe to paint the baseboards in here,” I said. “They’re in decent condition.”
Bubba was way too interested in what we were doing.
Mom looked at me. “There isn’t really room for all three of us, along with that dopey dog. Why don’t you relax while we paint the walls? When we’re done, we’ll relax while you paint the shelves. And take Bubba with you.”
“Works for me,” I said. “I think I’ll go explore the house. Just yell upstairs when you’re ready for me to come back.”
Mom nodded and I took off with Bubba, heading upstairs. There was so much to explore in the house. There were so many nooks and crannies that I was sure we’d missed plenty of things. I figured I’d start in the basement and work my way up.
“Sit and stay.” I held my hand out to the dog, palm facing him.