FOUR
“Yes, I arrived with the car intact, although just barely. And it cost a fortune to fix the starter, which I can ill afford.” Alden took a deep breath, and opened the door to what he remembered was a formal dining room. He half expected to find ghostly, sheet-covered furniture lurking in the darkness, but the room, like so many others he’d surveyed in the last half hour, was empty.
“So long as you’re safe. Alice wants to know when we can see the place,” Elliott said, the faint clicking of keys reaching Alden’s ears. No doubt Elliott was anxious to get back to work, and had called only to make sure Alden had arrived at last. “Not that we’re pressuring you. I know from hard experience just how long it can take for repairs to be made.”
“Given the amount of work I’m seeing, next year w
