Chapter 13

Matt came out of the car, intending to close the garage doors and enter the house when he received a call. He picked on the third ring.

" Hello?"

"Matt, why are you not in the office today?"

"It's sort of a long story. If you want me to come in, I can. And I'd explain to you when I get there, boss", said Matt in a placating voice.

"Just hurry up. Your clients are here and Jon is out. He could have taken them for the house inspection if he was around, so you see where that leaves me?"

Matt groaned inwardly, bosses would always be bosses and his boss was no different. "Yes, boss."

"Good. See you soon then." A final click that signified the call was over.

Matt, a real estate agent sighed and considered whether to enter the house and go upstairs to let Janey know he was leaving for work or if he should just enter the car and back out of the garage to go straight to work. He was well dressed for it anyway with proper shoes. He looked down at his body, trying to verify his judgement of his appearance. Indeed, he wore a sky blue long-sleeved shirt, with a navy blue sleeveless jacket and matching slacks. He looked at his watch and decided that he had enough to choose the former option.

He climbed upstairs to look for Janey in their bedroom first, feeling confident that she would be there but she wasn't. Then he came back downstairs mentally cursing why he hadn't checked the kitchen in the first place to look for her.

The kitchen was one of the brightest rooms in the house with at least three large windows. One overlooked the driveway, and the other into the surrounding forest while the last overlooked the garden. There was a kitchen island in the centre of the large kitchen. They sometimes ate their breakfast in this room in the mornings when everyone was in a hurry and rushing to meet up with deadlines. The rows of kitchen cabinets looked so elegant this afternoon with hung copper and stainless frying pans, ladles and manual whiskers hung off rooks on the racks to one side of the wall in the kitchen.

He finds Janey at the sink rinsing out a washcloth at the tap.

"Been looking for me?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Asked Matt, coming up behind Janey to put his arms around her waist and nuzzle her neck.

"Because I know things and you don't", teased Janey.

Matt laughed and threw his hands up in the air. "Alright, you win… I've got to come in at work anyway. Boss called."

"Oh, I thought you were going to take the day off, dear."

"Another time, promise", he spun Janey around from the sink and kissed the tip of her nose.

" Okay. See you later."

Matt was nearly at the door when Janey called after him again. "What about the orphan girl?"

"What about her?"

"What should we do with her?"

"Well, we have adopted her and we can do as we please with her. Between you and Ariella, I'm sure you could find something to do with her."

And as if on cue, a female scream erupted from the back of the house.

•

"I'm not going in there", cried Claudine as she tried to pull away from Ariella who was grabbing her left wrist in a death grip.

"But I say you are and my word is law", insisted Ariella.

Claudine had been so occupied with detaching herself from Ariella that she didn't see the big rat that ran out of the room with the wooden door until it climbed her leg, that was when she looked down and gave a blood-curdling scream. She hated the stupid hairy and smelly vermins. She struggled with Ariella who wouldn't let go of her wrist while she simultaneously kicked her legs to get the rat off her jeans.

"Let go of me, let me go", said a perplexed Claudine but Ariella only reversed their positions such that Claudine was now standing in the open doorway of the outhouse while Ariella stood outside.

Ariella suddenly let go of Claudine's wrist and shoved her as hard as she could. Claudine landed in a heap on a cold and sticky floor. She hastily took her hands away from the floor and smelt it. Rat's urine and wet floor stench. The worst kind of combination.

The room was pitch dark and the only rays of sunlight were the ones that came in through the crack in the wooden door and some open places up on the roof. Claudine suddenly heard the click of a key being turned in its lock and she ran forward to throw herself against the door, banging on it with her fists and crying.

"Please, please", she pleaded tearfully, "Let me out of here. I'm begging you."

Ariella who stood on the other side of the door smiled in satisfaction. The girl thought she was strong, but she didn't know that Ari was the strongest of them all. It gave her a lot of pleasure to hear her crying, she couldn't explain it but she just loved the sound.

"Ari, what happened? Who gave that scream?", questioned Janey as she hurriedly walked up the scene.

Matt joined in the questioning. "Was it you? Did the dumb girl hit you?"

Ariella scoffed at her dad's question. "She couldn't even if she tried, dad."

They all heard Claudine's voice as she started to plead all over again with them. Claudine could hear Janey and Matt conversing, so she decided to try her luck with them.

"Please, ma'am, don't let Ariella lock me up and leave me in here. I promise to be a good girl, I'd do anything you want me to."

They all pretend not to hear the pleading, especially Janey who the pleading was specifically meant for.

"Stay safe, munchkin. Be aware of the rats though, they come out more at night. Don't say I didn't do anything for you", said Ariella sweetly.

Janey, Matt and Ariella all walked back to the main house, ignoring the screams that emanated from the little outhouse.