Adventures of Ivy Fleur: The Election of Liquidation

Chapter Ten: Death by Mold

Ivy nudged Ryan with her elbow.

"You knock," she said.

Ryan nudged her back, his eyes dead-locked on the white painted door.

"No, you knock."

Ivy whipped her head towards him. "I am not going to knock. I'm the detective," she said defensively.

Ryan turned away from the door as well. "No. You can not use the detective card," Ryan complained.

Ivy's eyebrows furrowed together. "What card?"

Ryan groaned and was about to answer back when it swung open, causing Ryan to jump back in surprise.

"I couldn't be that scary, boy," a fifty year old woman jested. "You sound  like a girl vhen you shream too."

Ryan blushed furiously and coughed to cover his embarrassment. The woman laughed joyfully at Ryan's red face with a loud bellowing laugh. The woman was tall and chubby. Although most of her weight was muscle. She had blonde hair streaked with gray, pulled back in an unfashionable bun. She stared at us with bluish gray eyes and a pale complexion. Her German accent was slight since she was able to pronounce most of her words perfectly. However, she still said words that start with 'w' with a 'v' sound.

Her laughing finally stopped and a warm smile spread across her face. "You need anything," she asked with a hand on her hip.

Ryan was afraid to answer since she might start laughing at something else about him so he motioned for Ivy to speak. She stepped forward and had to tilt her head upward to look at the woman's face. "We would like to interview Mr. Hughes."

"Interview?" Her eyebrows raised then her joyful mood wiped off her face to become a murderous glare. "You not some reporter are you," she accused of them then clicked her tongue. "Using kids for your dirty deeds. You von't get avay vith this!" She cursed at nothing in particular with a shaking fist.

Ivy shook her head, unaffected by her yelling. "No, we're normal curious teenagers. We would like to know what happened at City Hall with Mr. Hamilton," Ivy interjected into the woman's crazy yells.

"Oh," she said and put her hand down. "You not vorking with the Burlington Nevspaper?" She pointed at us.

"Do we look like reporters," Ryan cut in, motioning to his normal get-up.

The woman glared at him-which caused his heart beat to rise in fear-and crossed her arms. "I found a kitten vith a camera taped to its back looking in our vindow last night. So you tell me if I'm being paranoid," she retorted.

Ryan cleared his throat and averted her glare. "I'll take that back then."

The woman nodded and turned to give the stink eye to Ivy. Ivy, who was unfazed by the towering intimidating woman in front of her, stared with her usual blank slate. "We're not reporters but we would like to question your husband, Mrs. Hughes."

Ryan's eyes widen. That's Mr. Hughes wife?! Ryan turned to look back at the giant of a woman. Actually, I can see why they're married.

The woman gave them one last death glare before sighing and opening the door the rest of the way. Ivy speed inside as she left Ryan to slowly enter in fear of Mrs. Hughes' sharp eyes that followed him inside.

Mrs. Hughes closed the door behind them and lead them to a carpeted living room with two large couches facing one another and an ancient television that dared to fall apart any second. In between the couches was a light wood table. It reminded Ivy of her grandma's house whom lives in Georgia, with the out-dated flower pattern couches and white lace curtains. It was a very Southern style house, which was rare to see in this town.