I have to do a double-take when I see a woman waving at me from outside a white painted two-story house.The panhandle driveway is hidden by bushes, but I see the signpost just in time.It’s not showing a street name or number.The black words have been singed onto a roughly hewn piece of wood and then suspended from a log pole.
Denn die Todten reiten Schnell.
Is that German?Did someone named Todten Schnell live here before my aunt?I will have to look up what that means on Google Translate when the damn cell phone reception decides to show up.
Why did my Aunt Tempest leave that sign up there?I mean, it’s not very helpful for anyone trying to find her house.
I hope Tempest had a happy life.This place seems kind of deserted.If Ben Magoo was her nearest neighbor, at least he seems to remember her fondly.
Pulling up the handbrake when I reach the house because I have to park on the incline, I step out of the car and struggle to suppress the giant stretch I want to make.I hold out my hand instead.“Hi there.”
The agent clasps it firmly and pumps hard.“Hi there, welcome to Landslide, Luna!May I call you Luna?I’m Linda Farmer.I’m originally from here, can you believe it?I swear I could not wait to turn eighteen so I could go work on the mainland.Oh my God, you’ve got the same hair as your aunt.My condolences, of course.How was the trip up here?”
Whew.But her info dump is sweet.I’ve been on Landslide for less than an hour and I’m already in love with the candid way of speaking the locals have.
“I drove it over two days to be on time to catch the ferry this morning.”
“Clever!”Linda approves of my strategy as she beckons me to follow her up the incline towards the front door.“So, you’re nicely rested.”
I wouldn’t put it quite in those terms.I’m too excited to sleep well.As a naturally creative person, I have only two sleep modes in bed.I’m either sliding off into a doze when an idea or past incident flickers through my mind enough to wake me back up, or my brain is turning cartwheels with images, fleeting conversations, and faces that stand out in a crowd.
Those people who can nod off in front of the television, I envy them.
Linda plops a massive bunch of keys into my hands and begins talking in her rapid fire way.“Okay, I gotta dash.Mr.Bryant tells me you want to flip Miz Aherne’s property portfolio?If you want it to sell fast, there are a few things you might want to fix up a little bit first so we can get the best offers.Have a look around in the morning and let me know when you want me to list them.”
She presses her card into the palm of my other hand.“That’s my address.”
“Are you saying that th-there’s more than one house?”
She’s already heading for her car.“The other properties are at the end of this road—and the dog is penned in a cage out back.Ihaveto go now, Luna.Goodbye—and good luck!”
My head feels like it’s spinning.
“There’s a dog!?”
But her door is closed and Linda can’t hear me anymore.
Fumbling with the keys, I try to squeeze them into the back pocket of my jeans, but the bunch is too large to fit.I guess I’ll have to hold onto the keys while I warm my hands in my jacket pockets.
Trudging around the house, I’m amazed at how quickly I get tired.Puffing, I look behind me.Okay, this is quite an incline.I’ll have to bring my car closer to the door if I stand any chance of carrying my case and boxes of supplies inside.
Glancing around the backyard, I see the usual suspects: a washing line, a shed, and an old stone wash basin.
Where’s the dog cage?
A loud purring sound like a motorboat far away is coming from behind the shed.The purr turns into a howling bark as I get closer.What kind of dog is it that makes that kind of noise?If it’s a guard dog, there’s no way I’m going to introduce myself to it just as the sun is starting to sink beneath the horizon of dark trees.
It’s like my eyes are blinded when my aunt’s dog bounces out of the kennel and lurches at the chain link fence.The dog’s fur is so white and fluffy, it’s ridiculous.
And when it barks, it’s not fear or territorial bullshit that’s making the dog do it.From the way it’s smiling at me, I have no doubt the dog is happy to see me.
But there’s a slight frown between those black, slanting doggy eyes.Perhaps the animal is a little bit bored and anxious, as if it needs stimulation and love to make its life worthwhile.
I think this doggy and me are going to get along just fine…
ChapterThree
Luna
