The Stories That Haunt Us by Bill Jessome Page A

hocus-pocus anyway.”
    Sandy stood in the yard waving as her friend drove down the highway. She stayed there until the car disappeared. She couldn’t put a finger on it, but she had an uneasy feeling as she went back into the house.
    Two and a half hours later, Adeline turned the car onto the long and winding driveway that led to her new home. She noticed a green truck parked by the side of the house. When she got out of the car, a man came out of the house smiling.
    â€œI’m Eddie Colter. The bank hired me to get things in shape for you.”
    â€œYes, Mr. Colter, nice to meet you. I’m Adeline Colby. How’s everything? I mean with the house.”
    â€œOh, great. No problem. Everything is ship shape, like my daddy used to say.”
    Adeline took in the sweep of the ocean. It was so enormous it took her breath away.
    Eddie Colter was watching and sensed her nervousness.
    â€œYou gotta be real careful when near the cliff ’s edge ma’am. It’s a mighty long drop to the rocks below. Sometimes if you’re standing too close to the edge, the wind will sneak up and lift you clear off your feet and down you go. That’s why there’s them poles staked out along the edge. Something to hold on to if you have a mind to peek over the side.”
    â€œWhat’s down there?”
    â€œTwo hundred feet of God’s air and jagged rocks to fall on. If that don’t kill ya, the fierce surf will. And something to remember ma’am, only a fool walks out here when the fog rolls in.”
    â€œWell thank you, I’ll remember. It will be some time before I find the nerve to get that close. Well then, I’d like to see the inside of the house before I get things out of the car.”
    â€œRight, and then I’ll help you with your things?”
    â€œThe heavy things, anyway.”
    Adeline was certain she’d feel differently about the place tomorrow, but today she felt somewhat disappointed. She had assumed the cottage would be warm and welcoming. She had thought wrong.
    It wasn’t that there was anything specific she disliked. From the outside the cottage looked small, but inside it was quite spacious. There were two large bedrooms, the master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. There was an enormous living room off the dining room and a good old-fashioned kitchen with ample cupboard space. On the west side of the living room there was an alcove facing the ocean, the perfect spot to write her book. Still, she couldn’t shake the disappointment she felt about the house’s atmosphere. Oh well, we’ll grow to like each other, I’m sure , she thought.
    Before leaving, Eddie Colter offered to continue the handy work, and she accepted readily.
    â€œI left my phone number on the kitchen table, ma’am, just in case.” Eddie Colter then saw the slightly alarmed expression on Adeline’s face and quickly added, “It pays to be enterprising these days ma’am; early worm and all that.”
    â€œYes. Thank you. I’ll have to see what needs to be done first.”
    â€œI left a list of things that should be taken care of with the number ma’am. Well good day to ya.”
    â€œGood day.” There was something about Eddie Colter that bothered her. Something strange. But if the bank people recommended him, he must be okay.
    Adeline was surprised when she checked the refrigerator and shelves. Sandy had bought enough cans of food to last the winter—and, Adeline noticed with relief, a sufficient supply of wine, too. After supper, she watched the news, read a while, and fell asleep.
    When she woke in the morning, the dream she’d had cluttered her mind. It was a most peculiar one. It had something to do with people arguing over where to hide a body. She also remembered how angry some of the voices had been.
    After a shower she went downstairs to the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the automatic coffee pot.