The Trouble with Evie

Chapter 4

Brad and Tom, the real estate agent, were upstairs discussing things that were not interesting at all. I took a pile of washing and went to the basement.

After I loaded it and set it going, I turned to the stairs. The crack was large, and a hole had appeared. It was small, but it was enough to cause problems. Pressing my hand to the wall, I could still feel the warmth. The area on either side of the heat was brutally cold. It was a space no larger than me but at least a head taller.

"You shouldn't go near the wall, kid."

Ryan walked down the stairs with his toolbox in hand. I gave a disinterested shrug and stepped back.

"How come it's so warm in one spot?"

He looked at me like I was weird.

"There's no heat to it."

"Yes, there is. Right here."

After showing him one of the spots, Ryan put his hand on the brick and shook his head.

"Cold. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I guess not," I murmured. "Do you think this place is haunted?"

"No. Your uncle told me about the removalists leaving you high and dry. Don't worry about those fools."

He looked up at the top of the stairs.

"Sounds like your uncle is calling you."

"He is?"

With a frown, I turned to the stairs. I could not hear Brad calling me.

Searching for him, I found Brad and Tom in the backyard, looking at the forest. At the edge of it, the trees were sparse, and I could see for some distance into the woods. I don't know how deep the forest went. All I knew was that Brad would lose his mind if I said I wanted to explore it.

"Hey, were you calling me?"

Brad shook his head, then flicked his head at a long line of dark trees.

"You know what I'm thinking, right?"

"Yes. You want me to find you some wild mushrooms."

"No. Try again."

The real estate agent was amused.

"Right, okay. Firewood for that awesome fireplace. I've got you covered."

"The trees are part of the forest which is protected. You cannot remove wood from it without permission which we will not be getting. Firewood can be bought from the hardware. I hope that you are listening to me, Evelyn, because you are not to go into the forest. Is that clear?"

"As clear as the sky is blue."

Brad looked up and saw the ominous clouds had returned. With a heavy frown and a soft growl, Brad narrowed his eyes at me.

"Yes, I won't go in there. Sheesh, you're so paranoid."

"That's because I know how great your sense of direction is."

"I got us lost one time."

Leaving Brad to continue his discussion with Tom about the crack, I returned to the house and, in particular, the basement. Ryan was still down there doing something that clearly required him to be alone. I might have been fooled into leaving the basement, but I was not blind to what he wanted.

The door was left open, hooked onto the latch to stop it from slamming shut. I quietly tiptoed to the door and listened, hearing nothing. Peering around the corner, I could see Ryan's legs. He was next to the wall, but the toolbox was shut.