She stops.
“Okay.”
“Anyway… That’s not the story,” she goes on, sounding a bit embarrassed.
“I’m listening.”
I lean against the kitchen counter, prop up my phone in the acrylic stand, cross my arms over my chest, and look at her poker-faced.
“She said she’d noticed a leak in the house. Drops of water on the floor. She thought my roof was leaking. There’s no way that can happen because of the attic. I may have problems with that house, but the ceilings are not one of them. Other than needing new paint. And the attic is dry all the time. Anyway…”
She pauses again.
I have no reaction.
“There was something else. She said she couldn’t find my baseball bat, and that scares me a little. I remember leaving it behind the door. I checked it before I left. It was just before I exited my place and walked to the limousine. So it had to be there. There was no way it could be missing. Makes no sense. Can you please go to my place and check that for me? It drives me crazy.”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.”
I push off the counter, snatch up my phone and my flashlight, and head to the door.
“How are things over there?” I ask, closing the door and heading to her house for the second time this evening.
She takes her time.
“Raven…?”
“It’s beautiful,” she says, her voice beaming with emotion.
“You sound transfixed.”
“I am. Did you know you can see the sunset from the bathtub?”
I smile.
I sure did.
“You made sure it was that way, didn’t you?” she murmurs.
“Uh-huh. I talked to the architect.”
“The architect? What are you saying? Is the building yours?”
“Yes, it is. It’s one of the projects I’ve worked on these past two years.”
“Huh…”
I laugh.
“Huh what?”
“Is this another passion of yours?”
“Yes. I like buildings. And I like to build things. It’s fun. I also like that area. It gives me good vibes.”
She stays silent.