Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
“Uh…right.” I glanced at the large plastic tub marked “Xmas” and stifled a sigh. “Want to show me?”
“Yes, siree! Come this way, but tread carefully…especially on the bottom steps,” she warned, motioning for me to follow.
The basement could have been a setting for a Halloween spookfest. No joke. A dim lightbulb suspended from a wire lit the staircase and cast long shadows across what looked like a sea of moving boxes. And cobwebs. Yep, there were a ton of cobwebs. It was everything the exterior of the house hinted at: dingy, decayed, and dilapidated.
Mary stuck close to the wall, switching on the overhead fluorescent lights when she reached the bottom. “See how these stairs sag in the middle. And over here…water bubbles. At least, I think that’s what this is. What do you think?”
I ran my fingers over the seam of the vintage paper and glanced up at the high rectangular window above. “Definitely a leak of some kind. I’ll have to check the eaves. As for the steps…they’ll need to be replaced.”
I moved back to the staircase, pulled my tape measure from my pocket, and kneeled to get a better look at the risers.
She nodded in agreement. “I reckon you’re right. Can you take care of all this?”
“Sure. The steps are straightforward, but I’ll have to do some investigating regarding that wall.” I finished the measurements and gestured to the ceiling. “Do you know what’s above us?”
Mary tilted her head on cue. “I believe that’s Cameron’s office.”
“Your nephew?”
“Yes. His mother was my youngest sister. Sadly, we lost our dear Sandra years ago…God rest her soul.” She made a sign of the cross and closed her eyes briefly.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I replied automatically.
She sighed. “Thank you. She was far too young, and we miss her every day. No one more so than Cameron, though. Poor man has thrown himself into his work and while it’s certainly been good for his bank account, I don’t think it’s good for the soul. Georgia agrees with me.”
“Right. Well, sometimes keeping busy helps.” I gave an awkward smile to match my awkward tone, then gestured to the window. “The wallpaper has bubbled there too. The damage may originate from his office or the room above it. Could be a roofing issue or it could be corroded trim or fascia. I’ll have to check it out. Can I peek in the office now, or is he working?”
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll spare us a few minutes,” she declared cheerily.
“Great.” I headed for the stairs, politely waiting for Mary to lead the way.
She charged by me with purpose toward a row of shelves filled with boxes stacked taller than my six one, humming the chorus from “Winter Wonderland” as she wriggled a red-and-green bin free.
“Since we’re here, let’s grab a few things, shall we?” She gave me a conspiratorial wink before tugging at the lid of a red bin.
“Whoa! Let me help you with that.” I raced to her side, rescuing the bin before it toppled over her head.
“You’re a lifesaver, dear! Would you take that one upstairs too, please?”
“Sure thing.”
“Oh…and that one. And that one.”
Okay, I think I got bamboozled by a sweet old lady in need of manual labor. Whatever.
I dutifully pulled the bins from the shelves, sliding others out of the way to make room for a pile of red and green containers I astutely guessed were chockful of holiday shit.
’Tis the season, I grumbled to myself.
It took three trips up and down the rickety staircase, and at least fifteen, “Don’t worry, I’ve got its,” to slog all the bins upstairs and stack them neatly in the hall next to the one her sister had managed to bring up on her own. Call me a sucker, but I couldn’t let an elderly woman schlep heavy ornaments, wreaths, and crap by herself. That wasn’t right. And you know…it kind of pissed me off that her nephew hadn’t made an appearance to jump in and help.
You’d think he’d have at least popped in to see what the fuss was about. But no…nothing. And he had to have heard us by now. Mary wasn’t exactly quiet. Her voice rose an octave with every bin I deposited in the hallway. She squealed with delight, unsnapping the lids and unpacking treasures, singing a flurry of holiday jingles as she lined nutcrackers on the long table in the entry.
I dusted my palms on my jeans and unzipped my jacket. I should have taken it off a few laps ago. It was suddenly hot in here. I reached for my clipboard, clearing my throat in an attempt to steer us back on track.
“Ma’am, I need to get going. If you’ll show me that office window and any other areas of concern, I’ll get an estimate to you by tomorrow morning.”