Page 15 of The Haunting of Paynes Hollow
She walks onto the driveway, and I follow.
“The first thing is that we switch phones,” she says. “There are no cameras. No eye in the sky. The only thing that tells the lawyer you were here is your phone. I’d love to leave it on the table and go, but it’ll need to show you moving around. So I’ll take it and stay here.”
“You can’t—”
“I can. I will stay, and you will go. I have a list of hotels where you can get a room, all within a half hour’s drive. We’ll book under my name.”
“What about the caretaker?”
“We’re giving him the month off, remember? At worst, someone will spot me from a distance and think it’s you. I’ll wear one of your ball caps to hide my shorter hair.”
“Gail…”
“We’ll put a security alarm on the gate. Oh, and I’ll replace the lock. If someone comes to check on you, the security system will alert us and the locked gate will slow them down.”
“Then you’ll call me, and I’ll sneak back?”
“Why not?” Her jaw sets. “You’re allowed to leave for an hour. If you can get here in thirty minutes, that’s perfect. We’ll say you took my car for an errand.”
I sigh. “No, Gail. I appreciate the offer, but it’s not worth the risk.”
“We can do this, Sam. Screw my father. You will spend the month—”
“Right here,” says a voice, making us both jump. “Ms. Payne will spend the month here.”
A figure walks from the trees. I can’t make him out at first. Just a tall figure with a masculine voice, slinging what looks like a backpack off his shoulder. Then he steps out of the shade, coming into the sunshine.
He’s a few years older than me. Tall and lean. Dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt that’s too warm for late August, though he’s rolled up the sleeves. Sandy beard and shaggy light brown hair. I can’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses, and the beard doesn’t help me see his face, but something about him looks familiar.
“May I help you?” Gail snaps. “This is private property.”
“Yep. It is. I believe Ms. Jimenez mentioned a caretaker?”
“That’s you?” Gail sounds surprised.
“That’s me.” His voice is flat. “I am the caretaker of this property, and for the next month, the caretaker of Ms. Payne herself. Making sure she doesn’t… What was it I heard you say? Have her live off the property while you stay and pretend to be her?”
Gail’s jaw set. “If you heard that, you were mistaken.”
“Yeah, don’t think I was. But it won’t work anyway. You forgot about this.” He unzips the bag and pulls out something with a black box and strap.
“An ankle monitor?” Gail’s voice rises.
“Worn one, have you?”
“I’m a social worker,” she says coldly. “I have seen them. You are not putting that on my niece.”
“Well, then she’s not getting the… what is it? Ten million dollars from the sale of this place?” He hefts the monitor. “This is one of her grandfather’s stipulations.”
“No one mentioned an ankle monitor,” I say.
“Seems your lawyer left the dirty work to me.” He holds out his phone. “Go ahead and call her. You’ll be wearing this, and I’ll be monitoring it. Small price to pay for ten million, I’d say.”
“Look,” Gail says. “I don’t know who you are but—”
“The caretaker. You mean my name? Right. I forgot that.” He turns to me and removes his sunglasses. “You don’t remember me, do you, Samantha?”
“It’s Sam,” I say reflexively. “And I’m sorry. You look familiar, but it’s been a very long time.”
