Chapter 9 - Standing Behind the DoorThe taxi pulled up the long, gravel driveway of the suburban colonial just after noon on a bright, chilly Tuesday.
From the high-definition security camera feed on her phone, Clara watched the scene unfold. She was standing inside the warm, quiet house, looking out through the sheer curtains of the living room window.
Eleanor was the first to step out of the car. She looked disheveled, her expensive linen resort wear wrinkled from the flight, her face pale under her fading Florida tan. Richard and Leo followed, dragging their heavy suitcases behind them, their faces tight with anger and fatigue.
They marched up the stone steps to the front door, their boots thudding over the wood.
Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out his heavy brass house key. He slid it into the lock.
It didn't move.
He frowned, pulling the key out and examining it. He tried again, forcing it into the cylinder with a sharp twist. Still, nothing.
"Richard, what are you doing?" Eleanor snapped, her voice carrying through the closed window. "Open the door. It’s freezing out here."
"The key... it’s not turning," Richard muttered, his voice tense. "The lock feels different."
"Oh, for god's sake," Eleanor sighed, pushing past him. She grabbed her own set of keys and jammed them into the lock with aggressive confidence. When the key refused to budge, her face contorted in rage. "Clara! Open this door! We know you're in there!"
She pounded her fists against the heavy wood, the loud, desperate thudding echoing through the quiet house.
And then, she noticed it.
Directly above the old lock was a sleek, black digital keypad, its small blue light blinking steadily.
And right next to it, pasted in the center of the door, was the bright red legal notice.
Richard stepped back, his face draining of all color as he read the bold, black letters. "No... no, no..."
"What is this?" Eleanor screamed, tearing the notice off the door. She held it up, her hands shaking with a mixture of fury and shock.
"ACCESS RESTRICTED BY LEGAL COURT ORDER. ENTRY PROHIBITED. ANY ATTEMPT TO BREACH THIS PROPERTY WILL BE REPORTED TO THE POLICE AS CRIMINAL TRESPASSING."
Below was the name of Clara’s legal team, and one final, devastating line:
"The former occupants have been notified."
"Former occupants?" Leo repeated, his voice suddenly high and nervous as he dropped his suitcase onto the dirt. "Is this a joke? Where are we supposed to go?"
"She can't do this!" Eleanor shouted, her voice rising in a screech that made the birds in the nearby trees scatter. "This is our house! That ungrateful little bitch is insane!"
But Richard wasn't listening. He was staring at the security camera mounted above the door, its small red recording light blinking. He knew I was watching. For the first time in his life, the reality of his silence and his cowardice seemed to crash down on him. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and dialed my number.
May you like
Inside the house, Clara watched her phone screen light up with his name.
She didn't answer.
