Entrapped

25 Weird short drop-in

Chloe is driving her Cooper today and first they visit the shop where she excuses herself. She wants to pay Mrs. Kennedy a quick visit while Hunter is talking to Hayley.

Mrs. Kennedy is doing a young woman's hair and Chloe sits down on the sofa. Mrs. Kennedy, standing with her back to Chloe, peeks at her in the huge mirror. "Good morning, Chloe, I don't hope you bring bad news and that the ghosts are starting to chase you."

Chloe smiles. "Why do you expect bad news? I'm living quite happily there and I only want to say thanks for all Robert's hard work and I want to assure you that I will carry all the costs of the improvements. I hope it is okay with you."

"It is fine, Chloe, thank you very much. I really feel guilty. We should have thought about those things, but without tenants, there is no income to justify the improvements."

"I don't understand. You know about the money I spent but your first words implied that I want to run away."

"Robert visited me this morning for a short while before he went shopping for groceries. He told me about last night's false alarm the first night after it was installed. What happened, lovey?"

"Sometimes you get false alarms, Aunty. Luckily there was only one last night. Thereafter everything was fine."

"I don't want to sound negative, my girl, but an alarm in that house will never work. Maybe in Isaac's place, but not in that house."

"Why Aunty? Robert showed me the monkeys in the high trees and in no way they can still enter the house. I think it was the monkey's antics that chased the tenants away."

"Did they trigger your alarm last night?"

"No, maybe it was a mouse or a cockroach. Who will know? There must be way many things that can trigger an alarm."

"Robert told me his friend, Hunter, had informed him about your nightly visitors through the attic windows and then Robert showed you the monkeys. Why do you think the intruders were the monkeys?"

"Robert was thinking the same; that's why he showed us the monkeys."

"Robert also showed the monkeys to some of the previous tenants, but that didn't help. They all fled soon afterward. Oh, and another matter. How do you get by with your new neighbour, Chloe? I know Isaac since he was a little boy and look; today he is an attractive, medical doctor."

"We are relating just fine, Aunty."

"Yes, he now is an attractive man, isn't he? He can easily sweep any lady off her feet."

She glances at Chloe as if she expects Chloe will confirm her words, but Chloe only smiles back. Mrs. Kennedy continues: "Chloe, I should really have warned you. You moved into a haunted house. Isaac's place has up to now been free from all these strange events. It has always been that house of yours that unnerved the tenants. Isaac is alone in a huge house and maybe he can accommodate you when things get out of hand. He is a bachelor. Do you know that?"

"Aunty, nothing is amiss. I'm just fine there."

"And what is wrong? Robert told me Hunter is very worried about your safety. He believes someone is threatening your family's safety. Robert told me your father and Hunter were bosom pals in the war and he is now very worried about you. Hunter is an exceptional man, Chloe. He is Robert's only friend and can interpret sign language very well. Robert usually only talks to me who also can interpret sign language and he is very lonely there in the woods. It really is a small world we live in. Who could predict that you would move in there and needs Hunter's help? Now Robert is seeing his old friend regularly."