Run Away Baby

It was dim in there, but she could see his face. It contorted into a funny, fishy look. “Why do you ask?”

“Someone was there. That day we went to the diner? I stopped out there afterwards and there was a toaster plugged into the wall.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And I thought I heard someone walking around upstairs.”

“The day we went to the diner?”

“Yes. Right after that. I went from the diner out to the cottage and I noticed the grass was smooshed down, like someone had parked a little off the driveway. Then inside, I saw a toaster that hadn’t been there before, and then I heard the floorboards upstairs creaking. I mean, obviously it wasn’t you, but do you know anything about it?”

“We need to get some air,” Charlie said.

They both got dressed and reemerged from the mail truck. Charlie went up front for his water bottle, took a big swig of it, and offered it to Abby. She took a long swallow and they passed it back and forth a couple of times, trying to cool off.

“So, I guess you don’t know anything about this?” she asked.

“No. Of course not.”

“I didn’t think so.”

“I’ve got no idea what could have been going on,” he said.

“I guess it doesn’t matter. Randall made me put it up for sale, and we already got an offer. Would you believe that cleaning it up and decorating it made it sell for twice what we paid for it a few months ago?”

“Are you serious?”

“Totally serious. He’s not even mad about all the money I supposedly spent on furniture since we made back much more than that. I shouldn’t say we. It’s not like that’s mine.”

“You mean when you sold it you made back more than what you gave me to hold onto for you?” asked Charlie.

“How much was that again?”

“Twelve hundred,” he said.

“Yeah, we made more than twelve hundred when we sold it. I guess I ought to go into house flipping, right?”

“Oh. A lot more?”

“I don’t know the exact amount. Anyway, I can’t access it.”

Charlie nodded. “So, do you have more money from those fake receipts that you want me to hold onto it for safekeeping?”

“Yeah, maybe I’ll have you do that. Next time I see you. I’d better get home. We’ve got a new housekeeper and Randall has her reporting the time I get home from work to him. She tries to be all sneaky about it, but she’s totally obvious.”

“A housekeeper,” he mused.

“It’s not as great as you’d think. She’s like a spy who does chores.”

“Does she wear a French maid costume?”

“No. She wears yoga pants and old t-shirts.”

“Before you leave, what do you think about what I said? You could stay with me at my apartment. Or we could get a new place. We’ve got twelve hundred dollars for a security deposit, plus whatever else you can add to it. How much is that?”

“I’m not sure.”

“We’d make it work.”