A Deadly Homecoming

Chapter 2-2

A month and a half later, Spence flew out to attend the closing on the house. When he returned home, he called Jeff.

“Get ready to pack your things. Or better yet, only pack what you’re taking with you. The house is mine. We can move in tomorrow.”

“Fantastic! Although I think it’ll take both of us longer than that to get everything ready to go.”

“No kidding. I’m figuring the end of the week, or Monday. I’ll call a rental company to reserve a moving van.”

“We’re driving out?” Jeff said.

“Sure. Why not? It’ll only take half a day or a little more. Why pay for someone else to do it?”

“Umm, because I’m lazy?”

Spence laughed. “True, but that’s beside the point. If I can pack up a whole condo, you should be able to handle your place. I think we should both take most of our furniture. We can store what we don’t need in the basement, or sell it.”

They went on to discuss the finer details of the move, then spent the next three days, individually, making decisions on what would go with them and what would end up in the trash or at local shelters or thrift shops.

By Saturday morning, Spence was ready to go. After consulting with Jeff, he went to pay for and pick up the truck. He got one with a hitch so they could tow one car, while they took turns driving the other one.

Sunday, they spent the whole day packing the truck—first at Jeff’s place, then at Spence’s.

“I don’t believe we managed to cram everything in,” Jeff said tiredly when they put the last box of books into the truck, leaving just enough room for the mattress from Spence’s bed. That would go in on Monday morning, after they’d gotten a good night’s sleep on it.

And sleep was all they did.

“I don’t have the energy to…What’s the opposite of christening a house when you’re moving out, not in?” Spence asked as they got undressed.

“Hum. Exorcizing it?” Jeff replied with a laugh.

“I think that’s somewhat extreme. Beside which, I’m fresh out of holy water and whatever.”

Jeff smirked. “Of course you are, you heathen. We should remember this for the next book.”

“I’m not certain it would fit into the kind of thrillers we write.”

“You never know.”

Monday morning arrived, they wrestled the mattress into the truck, barely getting the door closed when they finished, and then took off for their new home, stopping for breakfast before leaving the city.

They arrived a few minutes after four that afternoon. Spence pulled the truck up in front of the garage, Jeff parked the car beside it, then they went into the house.

“How much do we want to unpack now?” Spence asked after opening a couple of windows to get rid of the stuffy, closed-house smell.

“All of it? We don’t have to put everything where it belongs, but it would probably be a good idea to get it inside. Tomorrow we might be too lazy to.”

“You might,” Spence quipped. “Me? Never. But yeah, we might as well.”

Much to Spence’s surprise, they did manage to empty the truck. Of course, almost everything ended up sitting in the living and dining rooms for the time being. They did haul his bed upstairs, after deciding what had once been his parents’ room was now his. He found the box of sheets and towels he’d packed, so they were able to make the bed. Jeff opted for Spence’s old room. “I like being able to look out at the back yard,” was his reason why.

Spence had set it up with Mrs. Brown to have the utilities turned on, so they had light, heat, and water. Water was of prime importance, since they were both in desperate need of showers by the time they finished.

Not being in the mood to cook, even if they’d had anything available, Spence called the nearest Chinese take-out place to have dinner delivered. They had barely settled on the steps of the small back porch to eat and enjoy the cool night air when a woman, who appeared to be in her early sixties, came across the back yard.

“Hello,” she said. “I’m Carol Abbot, your neighbor across the path. I’d like to welcome you to…” She stopped suddenly, staring at Spence. “It can’t be.”

Spence beamed. “It can and it is. How are you, Carol?”

“Oh my God.” She came up the steps to give him a hug. “Why didn’t you let me know it was you who bought the house? Well, you couldn’t have, I guess, since I’ve been out of town for the last couple of months.”‘

“Being an artist in residence again somewhere?” Spence asked as she sat on the bottom step.

“Yep. Back east at my alma mater.” She looked at Jeff, asking Spence, “Are you going to introduce us?”

“Carol, this is Jeff, my writing partner.”

“It’s great to meet you, Jeff. I’m a big fan of the books you two write. Who knew, when Spence was creating those stories in high school, that he’d become a famous author. Well,” she patted Jeff’s knee, “with your help, of course.”

“Thanks,” Jeff replied. “You’re an artist?”

“So they keep telling me. I do illustrations for children’s books, mainly.”

“And very well,” Spence said. “I still have the book you gave me when I was, jeez, fifteen maybe?”

“Back in your childhood before…” Carol sighed. “Damn. If only I’d looked out the window when…”

“You couldn’t have done anything,” Spence said gently.

“I might have seen him, or them. Then I could have done some sketches, which would have helped find them.”

“If you had, they might have come after you.” Spence couldn’t believe he was discussing this so calmly. I guess time does heal. Or at least makes it easier to deal with. When Jeff put an arm around his waist, Spence murmured, “I’m okay.”

“Why did you decide to move back here?” Carol asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

“It’s the result of our thinking about setting our next book here in the city. I was researching, decided on a whim to look for the house and…” Spence told her the rest, up until today.

Carol nodded. “Are you both going to live here?”

Spence chuckled. “You’re fishing for information? We are. We’re friends as well as writing partners.”

“Just friends?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows.

“Carol!” Spence turned to Jeff, telling him, “She was always the neighborhood gossip.”

“I was not,” Carol protested. “I’m interested in people. So?”

“Friends with benefits, as they say,” Jeff told her. “Nothing more.”

“Yet,” she replied with a grin. “Okay, I’d better get home so you can finish your dinner. If you need any help getting things set up, holler. I’ll be in town all summer.”

“We will.” Spence leaned over to give her a hug. “I’m glad you’re still my neighbor.”

“One of the few left, I’m afraid. Maybe, once you’re settled in, I’ll take you around so you can meet the ones you don’t know.”

“Thanks. We’ll take you up on that, I’m sure.”

Spence watched her as she walked back to her house. “She was one of Mom’s best friends,” he told Jeff.

“I can see why.” Jeff looked at him. “Are you okay?”

“Of course. Yeah, it hurt a little, talking about what happened, but it’s in the past. Nothing can change it and I’m not going to let it affect my or our living here.”

“Good.” Jeff smiled. “I do not want to pack up and move somewhere else.”

“Because you’re lazy,” Spence responded with a grin.

“You know me too well. I am, except when it comes to writing.”

“Which we’ll get started on again once we’re settled in.”

“Yep. Now, let’s do as she said and finish dinner then hit the bed.”

“Works for me.”