by Trinity Crow
“What can you expect from a girl who eats tuna and cheese?” Cassie shrugged, dismissing my odd taste.
It seemed almost surreal that we had gone from fear and danger to sitting here, having lunch on the porch with friends as we watched the sun creep its way up the steps. Cassie commanded most of the conversation. She launched into a full description of Adam's house which seemed to be in her opinion, boring but liveable. The main features she took issue with was the 1970's bathroom full of cracked tile, the shag carpet and ancient, stained appliances.
"We could use another five thousand to remodel that mess," she remarked, but then launched into a description of a store in nearby Cedar Falls, called Habitat for Humanity which sold discounted building supplies, new and reclaimed.
“But we are definitely going to need a truck or to make friends with someone who has a truck. Best friends,” she added, and then took a big bite of sandwich and nodded vigorously, making us all laugh.
***
We trooped back into the house after lunch. I was anxious for more progress on the house and to put the awful morning behind me, especially while I had extra hands to work. What confronted us immediately was the trail of sticky blood on the wooden steps and our forward momentum stop dead at the stairway.
“I'll clean it up,” I said, taking charge. “Adam? Um, maybe you can get the flashlight out, while Cassie and Nikki, if it's okay with you two, go upstairs and throw the boards out the windows. I can go around later and pile them up outside.”
“You're the boss,” Cassie said with a mock salute. She made a disgusted face as she skirted around the blood. Her features took on an eager look as she dashed up the stairs to see the rooms now bathed in light.
Adam gave me a concerned look. “Are you sure you're okay to clean this up?"
I gave him a humorless smile. I had cleaned up blood before and several times, it been my own.
“No problem,” I told him. "I know to be careful because of diseases and things.”
Adam made the same face his sister had made a moment ago. "Well, if you're sure. . .” he said, lingering beside me.
“I'm sure,” I told him, warming at his closeness.
“So, I'll definitely get that flashlight out for you,” he told me, “but I was wondering if maybe you wanted me to go take that door off the hinges first.”
I froze in my tracks, recalling that dark, seemingly sentient door. Slowly, I turned to look at him. “Yes,” I said gratefully. “I didn't even think of that. I could sleep a whole lot better knowing that door was down.”
“I'll go take a look at it and then see what tools I need. We can even put the door outside in the shed.”
I nodded, a wave of relief spreading over me. Maybe, I thought with a small laugh, I should take all the inside doors off.
“Later, I can work on getting all the locks off of it,” he told me. Adam hesitated a moment. “I'm definitely not telling you what to do,” he said in a tone that made me guess that Cassie had been after him for being bossy. “But what Nikki said about pounding on the wall by the stairs. . .”
I fought not to shudder, remembering those awful moments.
“You could cut a door in that wall and have that room open onto the landing just like the first bedroom does. And then where the old door was, we can just board it up and make a flat wall there.”
My mouth fell open as I stared at him. “Adam,” I told him. “You're in serious danger of becoming my new architect.”
He laughed and then blushed warmly as he stared at me. “I'm here to help you any way I can, Abby. I hope you know that." He paused and looked down and then seeing the blood, he grimaced unconsciously. “Just let me know if I get too bossy, okay? I don't mean to be so aggravating.”
I took a step forward, patted him briefly on the arm, and then quickly retreated a few steps back. “You've been a really good friend, Adam.”
There was an uncomfortable silence as we stared at each other. He leaned forward slightly just as I turned away.
“Well, I better go find something to clean this up with,” I said awkwardly.
“Yeah, okay,” Adam stammered behind me. “I'll go on and look at that door.”
I smiled to myself as I heard him take the stairs in twos and threes, my cheeks red. I wasn't ready for any sort of relationship, that much I knew. The fact that Adam was looking out for me made me feel both protected and uneasy in turns. What happened at New Eden was still too fresh, too raw. Knowing he was willing to back up and give me some space as needed helped calm my nervousness around him.
I went into the kitchen, a smile playing about my lips, and then stopped in surprise. On the table, illuminated by the light coming through the screen door was Cassie's blue flashlight. . .water still dripping down the sides.
Chapter 15
Before the morning's awful events, I would have been frightened. I would have turned and run for Adam and the others. But things had changed. I had changed.
Slowly, I walked towards the table, trying to take in what I was seeing. A small puddle of water had formed at the base of the flashlight, and looking down, I saw water marks on the floor leading to the pantry.
My own flashlight was upstairs in the locked room where I had left it, so I grabbed the handle of the blue flashlight. Even if it no longer worked, it would serve as a weapon. To my surprise, a strong beam of light shone when I flipped the switch.
I advanced towards the pantry door, all my senses alert, now noticing it was slightly ajar. My heart beat faster, not in fear, but anticipation. This was my house. And I would defend it. Something fierce had grown inside me and I welcomed the chance to fight.
Using my toe, I pushed the door open wide and quickly swung the flashlight around, checking on either side of the door.
Empty.
Ahead of me, the wet marks led directly back to the cold room where the cistern lay.
The light revealed something else. . .another small door set in the wall to my left. I opened it roughly, nerves humming with adrenaline, and flashed the light inside the small closet-sized room. The door rebounded off the wall from the force of my shove and swung forward, hitting me in the arm.
I stumbled back a step and let it swing closed, seeing it was empty except for a few bundles of dusty leaves hanging from the ceiling. A still room, for drying herbs and the like. I steadied myself as I advanced to the cistern. The door creaked as it opened and the air that rushed out was damp and cool, a welcome respite from the warm, afternoon air.
The room lay quiet, the shelves undisturbed. I stared uneasily at the marks that led to the edge of the cistern. Backing up, I shut the door firmly behind me. An unsettled feeling swept over me as I tried to put the pieces together.
Someone had fished the flashlight out and left it on the table. Perhaps the wet marks were made from the flashlight dripping. Once they set it on the table, perhaps they had continued out the back? I hurried to the back door, stopping when I saw the hook and eye latch on the screen door was still firmly hooked. No one had gone out that way.
My light made a wide arc around the kitchen, searching for places someone could hide. I went deliberately from one end of the room to the other as I checked cupboards and cabinets, even pressing my hand against the cool flat surface of the cinder blocks to make sure there was no possible exit. Everything was secured.
Now, I thought, now was the time to tell the others. If there was someone in the house, they might be in danger.
As I hurried to the door, my light swept across the top of the tall pie safe beside the door. The empty space made me pause. Where a case of bottled water had stood, there was now only dust.
***
In the time that it had taken me to search the kitchen, Adam had pulled the two long pins that held the doors hinges together. It now leaned against the far wall. The once terrifying room beyond it, stripped not only of the door, but of its power. I spared it a single, relieved glance before telling the others about the flashlight. They explo
ded in an excited babble of talk as I tried to explain just what had happened and answer their questions. I caught Adam and Cassie exchanging glances and my mouth tightened. Nikki, surprisingly, seemed to take me seriously.
"We need to search the house," Nikki said, in a practical voice. "Just to be sure."
"Well," Cassie said slowly, not meeting my eyes. "Is it possible that guy the cops just took away could have gotten the flashlight out and put it on the table?
Nikki frowned. "Yeah, but how did he know it was there? Was he in the house watching us yesterday? And why go to all the trouble of getting it out?"
"Maybe he was trying to scare Abby out the house. Maybe he was looking for something else!"
"Like a hidden treasure?" Nikki said wryly.
Cassie flushed and then looked at me. "What do you think, Abby?"
I shrugged. It was all possible, even him looking for treasure. . .all except for the streams of water I had seen running down the handle of the flashlight, an obvious sign it had been placed there only moments before. But those streams of water were only my word against the doubt in Cassie and Adam's eyes, a doubt intensified by what Nikki had told them about my panic attack.
"Sure," Nikki said, her tone slightly challenging. "He could have. He could also have had someone with him. Look, you guys do what you want. Abby and I have to sleep here tonight and we're going to search the house. We know that room's clear." She jerked her head at the now unlocked room. "Not even a closet in there."
"Fine," Cassie said, giving in. "I just checked this closet." She pointed to a door against the wall.
Nikki dropped to her knees and looked under the iron bed. “Nothing there."
"Might as well do it right," she snapped, catching the amused looks on the others' faces.
We moved through the upstairs, checking rooms, under beds, behind furniture. Adam surprised me by wondering whether there were any false walls or hidden doors. He frowned when he saw Cassie roll her eyes.
"What?" he demanded. "You have to admit that this house was built strangely. The floor plan, the cistern inside? All I'm saying is there may be other anomalies we're not aware of.”
"Riiiight," Cassie said, sarcastically. "Like using big words will make you sound less crazy."
I gave Adam a reassuring smile and Nikki was nodding in agreement.
“It makes sense to me,” she said, her tone uncompromising. “I don't care if he uses big words or small. It's clear this house was specially built for some reason. I'm sure there are plenty of discoveries yet to make.”
But after the entire house had been searched, we hadn't discovered any people or hidden doors. The house seemed empty except for ourselves.
“Okay, how about this?" Cassie said. "Someone fishes out the flashlight, puts it on the table and then. . .leaves out the front door! That could totally have happened."
"How did they get past Abby and me?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Easy," Cassie said triumphantly. "While you guys are talking in the front room, they're in the kitchen. After putting the flashlight on the table, they go through the dining room and wait in the parlor until Abby goes in the kitchen." She spread her hands wide. "And then, they slip out the front door!"
Adam agreed this was possible. But when he checked through the parlor and dining room, there were no wet marks and anything else to suggest anyone had been there. While the Camplings seemed to think it was a prank or a scare tactic from the intruder, I could tell from Nikki's uneasiness that she, like myself, was not convinced.
Hard work dispelled some of the nerves as we moved furniture and tossed boards. But as the sun continued to drop in the afternoon sky, I couldn't help but wonder what further surprises our second night would bring.
Chapter 16
As a group, we decided it was time for a break and a trip to town, but as left the house, the sound of a car making its way up the drive put a halt on our plans.
“It's the police,” Cassie announced, even though we could all see the markings on the car. We huddled awkwardly in a group, wondering what they had come to tell us. Nikki's face was a picture of anxiety, and I knew she was worried that the intruder had died.
The officers parked and got out of the car, making their way slowly towards us. This time, being less frazzled, I was able to put names with faces, the older man being Officer Burton and the younger, friendlier one, Officer Jackson. They were total opposites. Burton was white and stocky, his face lined and jowly with age, while Officer Jackson was tall and lean with muscle, and his brown face was young and fresh looking. I wondered how the two men got along.
"Looks like we caught you folks on your way out," said Officer Burton, casting a glance at the closed door and the keys in Adam's hand.
"Just going to town to get some supplies," I said, wondering at his slightly accusatory tone.
Officer Jackson cleared his throat. "We've just come to fill you in, ma'am, on what we've learned about the man who broke to your house."
"He works for the city, doesn't he?" Cassie said pointedly. She folded her arms across her chest and glared at them as if they were trying to hide information and she was determined not to let them.
Officer Burton grunted. "He sure does. It seems in his capacity as a city employee, he may have overstepped his bounds."
"Overstepped his…" Cassie's outrage reply was cut short by Adam's elbow.
"Yes, he acted illegally," Officer Jackson told her firmly. "There is no doubt about it. But in addition to the break-in, Mr. Hansen had given his brother and sister-in-law permission to stay in the house."
"This house?" I said stupidly.
Officer Jackson nodded. "His brother, Jason, had been out of work for a while. Seems he had trouble finding a new position due to his reputation of being a bit . . ."
"Irresponsible and unreliable," said Officer Barton
"Of a difficult personality," Jackson said diplomatically. "The guy had some problems. His brother thought he would help them out and let him stay here. He did not, of course, have the legal right to allow anyone to stay in the house. "
"I'm confused," Nikki said, one foot tapping in frustration. "Where's the brother now? And why did Mr. Hansen lock us in that room?"
The officers exchanged a look.
"We're not a hundred percent clear on his motivation," Burton admitted, rubbing his jaw. "But Mr. Hansen was very cooperative once he woke up in the hospital."
"I'll bet," Cassie retorted.
Burton ignored her and went on. "He claims his brother lived here about three weeks and then both he and his wife went missing. "
The four of us froze at this announcement. The mysterious flashlight no longer seemed like a prank in anyone's mind.
"Hansen said he's been here several times, to look for any evidence as to where is brother may have gone, and to receive retrieve their personal possessions."
"So no one would find out his brother had been here?" I said softly. "And because they weren't supposed to be here, he couldn't even report them missing."
The officer nodded again. "One of the reasons we feel we don't have the entire story is that Mr. Hansen was, shall we say, in an extreme state of distress. His story has some holes in it, but he is mainly concerned about his brother and sister-in-law. Missing for two weeks now and he has been torn between confessing and losing his job, plus possibly facing criminal charges, as well as the stress and worry over his missing brother."
A small stirring of sympathy welled up inside me. He hadn't done anything terrible by letting his brother stay here, but locking us in that room had been crazy. How had he expected us to ever get out?
When I said as much to the police, Officer Burton look blank and Jackson shrugged.
“The thing is, Miss. . .”
“Jones,” I said as he hesitated.
He smiled, teeth white against his warm skin. “I hadn't forgotten,” Officer Jackson said. “I just don't want to alarm you.”
“We're already alarmed!” N
ikki told him, her black eyes flashing. “We've got missing people. We've got a nut locking us in a room in her own house, and we have flashlights reappearing and water disappearing!”
“What?” Officer Jackson said, eyes widening.
“Never mind,” Nikki said stubbornly, her short body vibrating with pent-up energy. “We'll tell you that part in a minute. You just tell us what you know. “
Burton grinned, the first real emotion the dour cop had shown. “All right,” he told Nikki. “Simmer down a little.”
Nikki did not look amused that he was treating her like an over-eager puppy. Burton glanced at his fellow officer and cleared his throat.
“The thing is that Mr. Hansen appeared to feel that you girls were in danger in this house. He thought if he frightened you away that you would leave and whatever unnatural things had happened to his brother wouldn't happened to you.”
Everyone spoke at once.
“Unnatural things?”
“I hope you are going to arrest him. . .”
“It's just like Scooby-do!”
Everyone except me. I was confronting this new colder side of me that didn't care what happened to Mr. Hansen's brother and his wife. Nobody was going to frighten me out of my house. And if there was something, something dark or evil here, well, it would have to go, too. I was prepared to battle anything and damn the consequences.
“Alright, alright,” Officer Burton held up his hands. “We don't know what he was talking about. It seems his brother had mentioned few strange occurrences in the house. What I'm saying is we have no idea how much of that is factual. It's an old house. It's isolated. There's no electricity from what I understand?”
Nikki and I nodded, confirming it.
“You have a man living here illegally with his wife, in unsettling circumstances, and it had to have played on his nerves. Mr. Hansen has also just suffered a blow to the head. . .which is entirely his own fault, but nonetheless, could be affecting his recollections. When we get a clear accounting from Mr. Hansen, we will get all that information to you. But now I would like to hear what's this about a flashlight and a case of water?”