Moving On

Chapter 5 - Part 3

"You weren't kidding about the woods. It's just like the When a Stranger Calls movie we saw," Evelyn said as she stepped out of the car.

"Exactly. I think it's scary to look out at the woods. I guess we're both city people," Kate said with a shrug. "Tyler says it's quiet and peaceful."

"Well, he's in the security system business, so the house should be the safest place in the world, right?"

She thought about that for a moment. "Actually, if you've got the keys or know how to break the doors down, you're pretty much in."

"Or just break the windows," Evelyn added, her eyes on the long windows the mansion had.

Now that Evelyn had brought it up, it was making her rather uncomfortable.

"Having second thoughts about staying here, huh?" Evelyn asked with a smirk. "Big house and all, in the middle of the woods with no security. Imagine waking up and—"

"Shut up." Kate turned her key and opened the door.

A series of low, soft beeps went off.

She turned to Evelyn, seeing the same confusion reflected on Evelyn's face.

"What's that?"

"I don't—" Before Kate could finish her sentence, a shrill alarm went off and both of them cringed at the loud alarm resonating throughout the house.

Tyler came jogging out of the kitchen and keyed in the security code, stopping the alarm immediately. "Sorry, I should've texted and warned you about that."

Kate rubbed her ears. "That wasn't working in the morning."

Tyler opened his mouth to speak, but a phone call came through the landline. He moved over to pick it up while Marianne walked out of the kitchen.

"Hi, Kate, and you must be Evelyn." Marianne smiled warmly and stretched her hand out for a handshake. "The alarm, such a troublesome thing, isn't it? But Tyler said you thought the woods were creepy, so he spent the day updating and fixing the system."

Kate's brows rose.

Tyler had been much friendlier that morning, but she certainly hadn't expected him to do anything for her.

"Thanks," she said as Tyler joined the group. "Hope it wasn't too troublesome."

"Evelyn, you can leave your bag on the couch." Marianne placed a hand on Evelyn's back and led her into the kitchen.

Grinning at Kate, Tyler pointed to the security pad right beside the door. "The code is your cell phone number. You have ten beeps to key in the code. If you don't key it in, don't complete it, or key in the wrong code, the alarm will go off."

Tyler continued to explain the system as they strolled toward the kitchen. "Complete the code anytime to cut off the alarm, but a call will come in within the next minute to ask for another code, which is my cell phone number. If you say it wrong or don't know the code, a patrol car will be dispatched to the house within five minutes. All the windows and doors of the house are wired as well. Once we enter the same security code into the pad, the alarm will ring if any of the windows open."

"Thanks for doing this, but won't it be troublesome if we want to open the window in the morning?"

"Marianne's always up before dawn. She'll switch off the alarm once she's up."

Tyler pulled out a chair and waited for her to sit before taking the seat next to her. "There's more. There should be a small red button with a plastic cover by your bed. You can simply lift the cover and press it. Same routine: someone will call within one minute, and you either give them the password or they'll send the police. There's a security pad by the stairs of each floor. So if any of them gets triggered accidentally, any one of us can turn it off easily."