"No, we'd remember that," she joked pulling a smile from Ursula. "Okay, see you down there."
"Eloise!" she whisper-yelled. An auburn head popped back into her room and Ursula pointed at her. "Hormone jeans is brilliant."
Eloise winked before leaving once again.
Eight minutes later, all three of them were sitting in the living room each with a mug of coffee in hand.
"Do you know a Rob Sandis?"
Dread filled both of them from head to toe.
"Know of," Eloise said.
"Unfortunately," Ursula said at the same time and Eloise gave her a quick, wide-eyed look. "Sorry, yes. I haven't seen him in a few months since he ran for mayor and left town."
"I've literally never met the man," Eloise said.
The police officer nodded, a look of superiority on his face. He was tall, over six feet, and had long, dangly arms, narrow shoulders and he was clearly balding but was clinging on to the hair left by combing it over. It was hard not to look at the strands with the obvious comb marks in the yellowish hair trying to stretch over shiny skin. Eloise pictured those little sandboxes executives had on their desks that they raked with the tiny wooden rakes to calm themselves from the corporate pressure.
"Did you know he got married yesterday?"
"We heard," Ursula responded.
"Did you know he got married in town and he is stuck in a yawn?"
"I'm sorry?" Eloise said as Ursula moved to the edge of her seat.
"As he was saying his vows Rob Sandis yawned, and to his claim, he heard a ringing that was otherworldly," he squinted, reading something from his tablet. "And now he has been perpetually yawning ever since."
Both women were shocked silent. Officer Peterson waited with a look of impatience on his long face. The click click click then low ding of the large grandfather clock broke the silence.
"Huh," Eloise finally said and looked to Ursula who shrugged.
"That sounds like a very serious medical condition," Ursula said.
"Like," Eloise's eyes half-closed as her mind worked creating a mental picture. "He just keeps yawning? Over and over?"
"Correct."
"That is exhausting. Have you tried making him go to sleep?"
He frowned. "He's being seen by a specialist now. But,"
"But, what?" Ursula asked. "Officer, a man who you know had a quarrel with myself and my friends, and more importantly this house and its history, heard a ringing that was, what was it?"
"Otherworldly," he supplied, a redness creeping up his pale neck.
"Right. Otherworldly. And he cannot stop yawning. And you're in our living room because?"
"Well, some people seem to think you might know something about that."
"I grow plants," Ursula said, matter-of-factly. "And Eloise makes coffee."
"Extremely delicious coffee," she added. Ursula nodded.
"Right, well, some would say,"
"Who?" Eloise asked interrupting him. She tilted her head.
