Page 72 of Shadowed Witness

“Anytime. Thankyoufor the cookies.” Allye waved and snatched her phone. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hey. I didn’t think I was going to get you.”

“Sorry, I was in the middle of something. What’s going on?” She heard her front door close behind Shannon.

“Just checking to make sure you’re doing all right.”

She barely suppressed a sigh. It had only been a couple of hours since they talked. This was one of the reasons she’d been hesitant to admit her health issues.

“Everything’s fine.” She wrinkled her nose. “But I think my neighbor just told me my house stinks.”

Throaty laughter filtered through the line. “What does that mean?”

“She asked me if I have a mold problem.”

Her mom’s voice turned serious. “Do you?”

“I’m not aware of one.”

“You should check. I know you don’t own your place, but it’s something you should be proactive about.”

“My neighbor said they’re running some sort of test for it.”

“Good.”

They chatted about other things for a few minutes, but then her mom turned the conversation back to her home.

“When Corina’s side of the duplex flooded last year, did you have your side inspected?”

“No need to. Nothing got in.” The way the ground slanted in front of the duplex, Corina’s door was practically even with the ground while Allye’s required a few steps to get inside. Her half had stayed dry, and Corina’s ended up with three inches of water, requiring the landlord to repaint several walls and replace the carpet. Or at least, that had been the plan before her stalker trashed it, requiring a more extensive remodel.

“How long was it between the flood and when Mr. Bright did the repairs? I seem to remember him dragging his feet.”

Allye massaged her forehead. “I can’t remember. Why?”

Her mom was quiet for a few seconds, and Allye could picture her pursing her lips. “I’m just wondering if mold might have gotten into the walls between your units or into your basement.”

“It’s possible I guess, but that was over a year ago.”

“Exactly.”

“And your point is...?” She let her words trail off, hoping her mom would elaborate. Whatever she was getting at should be obvious, but Allye wasn’t following. She hated this brain fog.

“Mold spreads. Untreated, the problem gets worse, not better. If you’ve been breathing in increasing quantities of mold spores for the past year, that could be a factor in your illness.”

Allye propped the phone between her ear and shoulder and began prerinsing her dishes. “Mom, I don’t have allergies. I’m having MS-like symptoms.” Except it wasn’t MS.

“I’ve dealt with mold-infested homes,” her mom insisted. “Mold doesn’t devalue properties just because it’s ugly or irritates allergies.It can lead to serious health issues. Just consider it, okay? Maybe do a little research when you have time.”

She sighed. “Okay. I can do that.”

“Good. Listen, I expect to finish work early today. Is there anything I can bring you? I don’t mind swinging by the grocery or grabbing takeout.”

“I have everything I need, but thanks.”

“Anything I can help with on the festival prep?”

“The only thing left to do is load everything into my car and do the actual setup tomorrow morning. I can handle that.”

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