“I can’t believe you got this house dirt cheap, Allie. Totally jealous. I guess that pushup bra worked!” Colleen said, wiping sweat from her brow. She’d been painting the small closet off the guest bedroom.
“Here, use this.” Allison smirked and tossed her a towel. “If it weren’t for you, I’d never have found it in the first place.” Colleen was a real estate appraiser and Allison needed a house with enough land for her horse training business. She’d found this seaside listing at work.
“Hey Allie?”
“Yah-huh?” Allison was finishing up the molding, the paint stick in her mouth.
“I think you should take a look at this.”
She spit the stick out. “Don’t tell me it’s another spider—just squash it with the towel. I have more clean ones downstairs.”
“No it’s not that!” She laughed. “There’s a strange crack in here.”
“I know—I know and I love you dearly for helping me.”
“Ha—Ha. Real funny, no, but come look at this. It’s really weird. It’s not like any other cracks I’ve seen.”
“Does it look like the baby Jesus? The title agent said if I got a permit I could rope it off and charge admission. Just paint over it! We’re not doing major construction here.”
“Kidding aside Allie, it doesn’t look right. This could be a mold problem. Do you know how many places I’ve appraised where the owners try to paint over a mold problem?”
“No, I don’t—but I’m sure you’d love to tell me. Let’s have peek.” Colleen stepped out so she could go in and have closer look. “Huh—that is weird. I think—close it a sec Coll.” She closed the door with her friend inside. “What da yah know? Light!”
“Huh? What did you say in there? What are doing? You better not be putting your face near it! Do you know what mold can—“ Allison threw the door open and Colleen jumped back. “Geez! Watch it—B! You almost scuffed my pedi.”
“I need a crowbar and the flashlight!” Allison said as she busted out of the closet and ran downstairs. About twenty minutes later and some elbow grease, they had the sheet rock off.
“Where do you think it goes?” Colleen said, staring at the door they unearthed beside the sheet rock.
“You know that pretty platform on top of the house outside? With the railing and big window? I thought it was a fake—just for decoration. But I’ve read about them. Back in the nineteenth century they were called Widow’s Walk.”
“Charming.” Colleen made a gag—me gesture.
“The wives of seamen used to stand on them, looking out to sea for their husband’s ships to come home.”
“Let me guess.” Colleen said. “The pirates never came home, hence the name?”
“Nail on the head Coll-o, nail on the head.”
With a flick of the flashlight they opened the door and crept along the secret passage way. It led them to an old dusty room. The full moon was shining in from the big window, casting an eerie shadow from the rocking chair beside it.
“Creepy—is that a trunk?” Colleen said, as she shone the light on it.
Together with a hefty heave, they flung the trunk open.
“Oh my god! Is—is that a skeleton?” Colleen shrieked as she shone the light on the old bones.
“I guess it wasn’t the pushup bra.” Allison said.
Dean Kutzler 