One evening, Mike told Meredith, “I think we should start looking for a home. What do you think? We don’t want our baby growing up in an apartment, do we? I think we can afford one now that we’re both high power hotshot attorneys.”
“Seriously, baby?”
“Sure, why not? The practice is going well. I think it’s time for us to take the next step in our family’s evolution.” Mike laughed.
They dreamed and planned their future long into the night. Meredith wore a big smile on her face as she recalled those memories.
By the next week, they were searching for a house. They began by looking for a modest first home. They found a three-bedroom ranch located in a good community. It was perfect for them. They both agreed it would be a perfect starter home. Meredith was excited about the prospect of their first house. Mike had secretly put a deposit on the house, and that night took Meredith out to dinner to break the big news to her.
“So, you know that three-bedroom house we both loved?”
“Yeah, do you think we might go for it?”
“I think we already have. I put a down payment on it. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
Meredith screeched with excitement.
“We’ll need to go to the bank and fill out the paperwork. How does Thursday work for you?”
“That works out well as long as we go in the morning. I have a new client coming in at one.”
Mike said, “Great, I’ll set it up for Thursday morning at nine.”
On Thursday, they went to the bank and everything went smoothly. With a few signatures, they were closer to becoming homeowners.
A month passed, and Mike received a rejection letter from the bank. Dejected, he called Meredith about the bad news and read her the letter over the phone. “We regret to inform you that your mortgage application has been denied based on the following criteria: the value of the home fell below the bank’s requirement.”
Meredith was obviously disappointed, but as always, Mike was able to lift her spirits. He told her to cheer up, that it was probably for the best. “Something better will come along for us.”
Over the next six months they found three different houses, and each one seemed better than the one before it. For one reason or another, each deal mysteriously fell through.
Meredith recalled becoming disenchanted with the whole house hunting process. That was until one Saturday when she was working in the office to get caught up on some paperwork. Mike stayed home to sleep in. She called Mike to tell him that she was on her way home and should be there soon. She left her office around noon.
On her way home, Meredith drove by a beautiful waterfront community called Mossy Hammock. She had passed by this neighborhood every day, and always dreamed of living in a gated waterfront community like this one. There was an open house sign and the normally closed guard gate was wide open.
Meredith decided to go in and take a quick look. She thought to herself, “What harm could come from a quick look, right?” Meredith knew it was a pipe dream to live in such a place, at least for now, but maybe one day they could if the practice continued doing well.
It was only about 12:30 when Meredith pulled up to the house at 2701 Red Oak Circle. Her breath was taken away by the magnificent home. She could not have dreamed of a more perfect house. As she approached the large, custom double-carved doors of the beautiful contemporary castle, she was mesmerized by the large bay window that provided her a view of the luxurious interior. When she entered the house, there was one other couple in the house looking around, but she overheard them saying, “We could never afford this. Let’s just go.”
Meredith was then greeted by the realtor, a short, portly man, balding with white horseshoe hair pulled back in a long pony tail.
He was sweaty, unshaven and wore an undersized brown plaid jacket, open collared shirt with gold chains and matching plaid pants. “Good afternoon, ma’am. Sam Haines, nice to meet you, Mrs. . .?”
He extended his hand and Meredith noted that he wore a silver ring on each of his fat fingers. She had to hold back a snicker as she shook his pudgy, well-dressed nubs. He had a pungent odor about him that reminded her of the cattle stockade at the county fair. To say he looked seedy would have been an understatement, but Meredith cordially responded with a smile, “Mrs. Carson.”
“Well, Mrs. Carson. What do you think of our lovely little home so far?”
“I think it’s a dream home, Mr. Haines, but I’m sure my husband and I could never afford such opulence.”
“Now don’t you go being so hasty there, Mrs. Carson. I think you might be in for quite a surprise. Come on, let me show you around.”
Meredith was awestruck as the winded Mr. Haines took her on a tour of the lavish house.
“And here is your vanishing edge pool that overlooks the deep-water canal. Over there’s your boat lift, and here you have a well-appointed outdoor kitchen. Can’t you just imagine yourself socializing with family and friends on a beautiful day like today out here on this patio?”
Meredith was dumbfounded as she muttered, “Uh-huh!”
When they completed their tour, Sam studied Meredith and said, “I can see that you really like this house.”
“Oh, I do, Mr. Haines. This house is perfect. But I have to be realistic. We could never afford this. I’m sorry if I’ve wasted your time.”
Sam looked at her and said, “Little lady, what exactly do you think this house would cost you?”
“Mr. Haines, my husband and I are on a tight budget. Maybe one day we could live in a home like this, but not now.”
“Go ahead, throw me a number. What kind of budget are you working with?”
“Honestly, I’m embarrassed to say. We only have a two hundred and fifty-thousand-dollar budget.”
Mr. Haines looked at Meredith, smiled a greasy smile and told her, “What if I told you that on that kind of budget you could buy this place and would have money to spare? I’m here to tell you I think I can get you into this home for well under two hundred thousand.”
Flabbergasted, Meredith retorted, “Mr. Haines, that isn’t funny. I really don’t appreciate being made fun of. I think I need to leave now. Good day, sir.”
Laughing creepily, Sam said, “No, no, please Mrs. Carson, I’m being serious. This house can be yours for well under two hundred thousand.”
“Sir, I know I may look like a ditz to you, but I’m not a fool.
Good day!”
“Mrs. Carson, please don’t run off. Have a seat and let me explain.”
Sam escorted her to the sofa in the living room by the large bay window and proceeded to explain. “You see, the previous owner was sort of a recluse. After her unfortunate early demise, discovered in her will were very specific instructions that the house would have to remain vacant until this year. No one understands why she specified this year, but the executor of the estate hired me to find a buyer who would appreciate this extraordinary home. I was told the house was to be sold to that individual, regardless of the price offered. There were no remaining survivors to the estate, so funds from the sale are to be allocated to a charitable organization. Beyond that, only the executor knows for sure. So, you see, when you walked in and I saw the look on your face, I knew you were the person I was waiting for.”
“Mr. Haines, I have to tell you that I’m an attorney and I can easily verify all that you have told me. I’m sure my husband, who is also an attorney, would not take kindly to my being played.”
“Mrs. Carson, I assure you that this is one hundred percent legit. After you do verify everything I’ve told you, you will agree that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to live in a neighborhood like this at this price. I hope that after you conduct your research you’ll consider making this your new home. I’m confident that you’re the one the benefactor was hoping I would find. She wanted someone who would cherish this home as much as she did. Your reaction when you walked in said it all. I know you’ll love this home.”
“T
his is the perfect home in every way I can imagine, Mr. Haines. I will do my research and get back to you. If indeed this is as legitimate as you claim, I’m sure I can convince my husband to consider making an offer.”
“I promise you Mrs. Carson, this is everything I said it is, or my name ain’t Sam Haines. You won’t be disappointed. Your benefactor will rest easy knowing her wishes have been fulfilled. Please do your research and get back to me as soon as possible. I would hate for you and your husband to miss out on this unbelievable opportunity. Here is the executor’s business card. You can contact him if you have any more questions.”
Sam handed Meredith a crinkled business card. On the front of the card was the name Mammon Abaddonus, Attorney at Law. When she flipped the card over, she saw a picture of a locust. How odd! she thought.
As Meredith was leaving, it felt to her as if she had been in the company of Mr. Haines for at least two to three hours. Thinking Mike would be worried about where she was, she hurried to her car. As Meredith was pulling out of the driveway, she waved at Mr. Haines, who was standing in the doorway smiling at her and waving back.
As she backed out and quickly drove away, she looked at the clock which read only 12:45. “Fifteen minutes? That’s impossible. I was in there for hours. Wasn’t I?” She assumed the clock must be wrong so she looked for her cell phone to check the time and discovered it was not in her purse. “Crap, I must have left my phone at the house.”
Meredith quickly turned the car around and returned to the house. As she pulled up, she noticed the Open House sign was gone and it looked like no one was inside. When she got to the front door, she found her cell phone on the threshold. She knocked on the door—no answer.
She picked up the phone and thought, That’s bizarre. How did he get out of here so fast? I was only gone a few seconds. Oh well, at least he left my phone out for me. That was nice.
As Meredith exited the development, she was stopped at the guard shack. An older, surly man in a guard’s uniform with a thick New York accent asked her, “Ma’am, how did you get in here?”
Meredith looked at his uniform and saw that his name tag read “Joe.” She thought he must have been kidding with her, and she said, “I came for the open house and the gate was wide open earlier.”
Joe brusquely responded, “Are you trying to be funny? I’ve been here all afternoon. The gate was never left open and I don’t recall any open houses scheduled for today.”
Meredith said, “But there’s the sign posted right over there . . .” No sign. Confused, she said, “I met the realtor, Sam Haines, at the house.”
Joe looked at her like she was loony and said, “I guess you slipped in after one of the residents. Okay lady, get going. Have a nice day.”
Mystified, Meredith drove away from the guard shack sure that the old guard must be senile. As she drove, she began daydreaming about the home. She restlessly drove home, eager to start her research on the house and the mysterious benefactor.
Normally a level-headed and practical woman, Meredith had allowed herself to get excited about this home even though she promised herself she wouldn’t do that again. She had always been a firm believer that if something seemed too good to be true, it probably was. But still, people win lotteries every day. Why couldn’t something good come along for them? Besides, creepy Mr. Haines had given her all the info. She would research and confirm everything before saying anything to Mike about it. “I don’t want to get his hopes up unnecessarily.”
When she got home, Mike asked her, “How was your morning, babe? I wasn’t expecting you home for another couple hours. I was just heading out to the gym.”
“I finished up a little earlier than I expected. But you go on ahead sweetheart. I have some research I want to do without your sexy distraction.”
Mike replied, “Okay, you sure you don’t mind? I could always just get naked and parade around the place for a while.”
“Tempting indeed, but no, my hunky Adonis. Go get your workout in. I’ve got a few things I want to work on. Can I take a rain check for later?”
Mike could see she was anxious about something and told her, “Okay, double-O-seven, your loss. I’ll leave you to your research. By the way, you might be cashing that rain check in very soon. Looks like a storm is brewing.”
“I don’t see a cloud in the sky.”
With a suggestive and erotic grin, Mike said, “I’m talking about the storm that’s brewing in my shorts.”
“Hmmm, that sounds good. I’ll fill you in about my research when you get home. Go on now! Be safe, I love you.”
Mike laughed and said, “I love you too,” as he left for the gym.
Meredith immediately jumped on the computer and began her research. She discovered that the home was indeed being held in trust for a private, unnamed foundation that had been started by a strange young woman, Adrianna Sable, several years prior. After the mysterious disappearance of her family, she started an obscure religious sect. It would seem that the extravagant home served as the headquarters for the group while she was alive. She was an apparent recluse, and few outside of her followers ever had contact with her. In 1994, Adrianna, like her family, disappeared and the house had remained unoccupied since, maintained by the trust she had established. Per the directions in the will, the home had recently been completely renovated and updated to make it palatable for the prospective new owners.
Meredith searched the county clerk’s records and discovered that it was the first house built in the Mossy Hammock subdivision in 1986. It was built by Philip and Phyllis Seymour. They died together under mysterious circumstances, and the house was willed to their only daughter and her family. Apparently, the family had moved in shortly after that. Then the records became a bit more obscure. They indicated that in 1992, the new owner on record was Adrianna. The house was put into a trust with the unnamed religious organization as the beneficiary of its ultimate sale. After two hours on the computer, and following all the leads in the information provided by Mr. Haines, Meredith was convinced that it seemed completely legitimate.
“So, this Adrianna was a religious nut. Who cares? How can we walk away from this incredible deal?”
Thinking he would never answer on a Saturday, Meredith placed a call to the attorney on the card. To her surprise, he answered.
A raspy voice on the other end spoke, “Hello?”
“Yes, hello, is this Mr. Abaddonus?”
“Speaking.”
“Good afternoon, sir. My name is Meredith Carson. I’m calling about the residence for sale in Mossy Hammock.”
“Oh yes, Mrs. Carson. My associate Mr. Haines informed me that you’d probably be calling. Frankly, I was surprised you waited so long to call. From what I understand, you were quite excited about the house.”
“Well, I definitely am interested, but of course I have my reservations. I want to tell you I know a thing or two about the law . . . ”
“Oh yes, Mrs. Carson. I’m quite familiar with your reputation.
I’ve been in practice for what seems like an eternity now.”
“Really? I’m not familiar with your work.”
“Well, I do like to avoid the courtrooms. I do my best work behind the scenes. Being an estate attorney, I deal primarily with the affairs of the afterlife, as most of my clients are deceased.”
“Well, I can understand desiring anonymity. Sometimes I wish I could exchange my life for a quieter life.”
“Based on what I know, I can safely say your life is going to change drastically very soon, Mrs. Carson.”
“That almost sounds foreboding, Mr. Abaddonus.”
“Oh Mrs. Carson, don’t read too much into it. I believe you were asking about the house?”
“Yes. Well anyway, I’m sure you can understand my reservations regarding the too good to be true appearance of this situation.”
“I understand perfectly Mrs. Carson, but rest assured it is one hundred percent real. After my client, Ms. Sable, disappeared in 1
994, her trust provided specific instructions that the house would not be sold until the year 2010, when one fortunate recipient would be chosen by a representative and myself to surrender the home for a well below market price. From everything I know about you and your husband, I have to agree with Mr. Haines’ endorsement. I believe you are the perfect couple. I have no doubts that my client would be very happy.”
“Thank you for taking time out of your day to talk to me, Mr.
Abaddonus. I look forward to speaking to you again soon.” “Anytime, day or night, Mrs. Carson. I never sleep,” he quipped.
“I understand what you mean. I often feel that way myself—not enough time in a day.”
“Especially true in my field of expertise. My work is neverending. We’ll talk again soon.”
“Good day, Mr. Abaddonus, and thank you again.”
When Mike came home from the gym, Meredith had just finished her research. When he walked in the door, she rushed up and hugged him.
“Perfect timing as usual, Mr. Wonderful. Have I got a surprise for you! Today on my way home, I . . . ”
Meredith went on to explain all that had happened, how she had toured the home and all the inquiries she had made.
Mike was understandably pessimistic and told her, “It sounds way too good to be true. I’ll have to see it to believe it.”
“I was the same way honey, but I’ve been on the computer and the phone the whole time you were gone, and so far, it all checks out. I even spoke to the attorney handling the estate, Mr. Abaddonus, and he verified my research.”
That evening, Meredith enthusiastically called Mr. Haines.
“I’m sorry for calling at this time on the weekend Mr. Haines, but I’ve completed my research and I wanted to let you know that
my husband would like to take a look at the house.”
Sam replied, “Of course, of course, I would expect nothing less. If you two are free tomorrow, I can meet you at the house. I’ll let the guard know you’re coming and to let you in. How does noon work for you? I like to sleep in on Sunday. Never been much of a churchgoer myself.”
Epistle of the Damned Page 26