This is strange. Oh, there’s one of the men. Wait, no it's Stephanie. Why is she the only one in the house? She shouldn't be working by herself. Oh wait, she’s just eating lunch. “Hi, Stephanie. No thanks, I’ll go to the gas station and grab something. Where are the other guys?”
I should have known, smoke break. At least they took it outside. I hope they don't leave their butts all over the place. Wow, watch those claws. I like it when you ride on my shoulders but you need to put those claws away when you’re up there. Did you see that old Tom again? Where is he? He’s not out in the garden. Maybe I’ll ask the guys if they've seen him.
The draft is coming up from the basement again. I thought I closed this door. How did the lock get clear over there. I’ve asked the men to leave the lock in the catch, even if they don't lock it. I don’t want the locks to get mixed up on the doors. It would be a nightmare trying to keep the keys straight.
I’m starving kitty. Do you want to go to the gas station or the coffee house. I don’t know if Claire would be at either place. I saw her at the coffee shop earlier in the day but it was late at night when I saw her at the gas station. She has to live in the neighborhood if she was at both of those places at those times. I could go door to door and see if she lives in one of the houses on the street, but I might run into a few more lonely single mothers. Not that I wouldn't mind a few more store-bought cakes disguised to look homemade. What do you think, kitty? Do you think I might be able to finagle out a few good meals out of the lonely neighbor ladies? A few days ago I wouldn't have hesitated, but now, I don't know, kitty. There’s something different about Claire. I can't stop thinking about her. Every time I pass the burned out shell of a house down the street I catch a whiff of wood smoke and I can clearly imagine the springy curl of her hair. Where is this woman hiding? Kitty, we are going to find her today,
Let’s go see what the men are doing.
Kitty, I don't know why the men were so skittish. You would think I came at them wearing a hockey mask and carrying a machete with the way they jumped and nearly took off. And they did leave their butts all over the ground. I’m trying to get this yard cleaned out. I’m glad this crew will be gone by the end of the day today. They're always complaining about how drafty the house is and they refuse to go into any of the rooms alone. The only one of them who doesn't complain is Stephanie. She’s the only one who will work in the spare bedroom. She seems to like it in there. I'm going to talk to her about joining my team. Mark is going to let me put together my own crew to take on the houses he wants me to flip.
It’s funny, but earlier today I thought I heard two voices coming from the spare bedroom. I thought Stephanie was talking to another crew member, but when I went in there she was alone. She said she was trying to work out a wiring problem and was talking to herself, but when I left the room I thought I heard someone laugh. It wasn't Stephanie’s voice. I’ve heard her laugh. She is loud and brays like a donkey. The voice I heard sang like crystal. It was a child’s laughter.
I must have imagined it. I think I just had a child on my mind since the neighbor came over with her kid. And I found another doll. It was tucked away in the back of a closet. The box was yellowed and crumbly, but the doll was in pristine condition.I can’t believe none of the previous occupants found the thing. I need to find someone who can appraise the thing. My mom might know a few people.
I wonder if Mark is going to want to keep the money from the doll. I can't keep this from him. It’s his house. He won't trust me with future projects if I don't tell him. 18 more days kitty. We can hold out for a few more days, especially since we will have electricity
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