The Clockwork House

by Wendy Saunders

  She glanced up at the unmistakable rumble of an engine and the crunch of gravel beneath tires. Smoothing out her forehead, her smile widened showing off the pretty white veneers which had been her eighteenth birthday present. She once again smoothed down her red power suit and tucking the file under one arm, waited for the huge black truck to park beside her.

  Ava climbed out of the truck, with Bailey jumping down behind her as she approached the young woman smiling at her like a toothpaste commercial.

  ‘Miz Cortez,’ the girl offered her hand politely, her smile dimming slightly as her eyes dipped to the big dog at Ava’s side.

  ‘Hi,’ Ava took her hand and shook brusquely. ‘Don’t worry about Bailey, she doesn’t bite.’

  ‘I’m Courtney Keller of Gillespie Realtors, may I be the first to welcome you to Midnight Island,’ she forced her smile up another watt. She really wanted this sale, even if it meant she got mauled by what looked suspiciously like a wolf.

  ‘Thanks,’ Ava murmured absently, her gaze already drawn to the towering building behind them. ‘It’s bigger than I thought.’

  ‘Twelve bedrooms,’ Courtney beamed enthusiastically, ‘and an absolute steal for a property of this size and location.’

  Ava stared up at the house, it was pretty much the size of a mansion. It was at least three storeys. A flight of stone steps led up to a huge double entranceway above which was a balcony. Above that was a gorgeous old rectangular statement window and directly above that a smaller metal balcony and another massive rectangular window, this time topped with a steeply gabled roof.

  To the right was a large circular section which looked like a tower. The second storey metal balcony continued to wrap around the tower to the back of the house. The third-floor windows of the tower were each framed with stunning brickwork arches and the whole tower was topped off with a tall cone-shaped roof.

  To the left of the building was a slightly shorter squatter tower, which instead of being smoothly rounded seemed more angular, almost hexagonal. The windows were slightly less ornate, just plain sash windows, some of which she could see were either cracked or missing glass panes altogether. The roof was less conical than the other tower, with another more angular gabled roof.

  The back of the building or at least what Ava could see of it, seemed to be a rectangular shape. The third floor once again had a small metal balcony like the front of the house and the third-floor window was framed by a brick arch which ended in a sloping pitched roof. Next to it, right at the edge of the main roof, sat a huge tall chimney stack.

  Ava glanced along the roofline and from what she could see there seemed to be several smaller chimneys, perhaps half a dozen in all, leading her to surmise that there were real fireplaces in most of the rooms, typical of the time period.

  She was desperate to get a closer look, but the ground level was all boarded up and the entire perimeter was surrounded by a metal fence, punctuated at intervals by signs warning, KEEP OUT and DANGER!

  ‘So,’ Courtney opened her file, although she needn’t have bothered. She’d already learned every detail about the house, determined to be the one to sell the ancient turkey and win the approval of her peers.

  ‘The house,’ she began, ‘was built in the mid-19th century by a noted architect from Boston; he liked to vacation here with his family. They owned the house for twenty years until he passed away and his son sold it to the Lynch family. It has remained in their family since then. Now the house hasn’t actually been inhabited since 1919 so it still retains all of its original features.’

  ‘I don’t suppose there’s electric or running water then?’ Ava mused quietly.

  ‘There are actually several bathrooms with toilets, however they do date back to the late 1800’s and would need some updating. I believe the property when it was last inhabited was lit by gas lamps so the electric would also need installing, but it’s a charming period property. There is a working water pump at the back of the building and it also comes with several acres of land and a private beach at the foot of the cliff.’

  Courtney threw that in with a wide enticing smile.

  ‘Uh huh,’ Ava murmured, only half listening to Courtney as she studied the house. It was massive, what the hell was she going to do with such a huge property? It wouldn’t sell, judging by the length of time it had been on the market, especially not in its current condition. If she had any hope of selling it on it would need to be rehabbed before she could flip, it and that would take some serious dollars. She had no doubt, that even with the ridiculous amount of money it would take to make it livable she could afford it, maybe even make a profit on it. A sizeable one given the location and the private beach, but did she even want to sell it?’

  Courtney’s heart started beating faster, she could see that the woman was actually considering it. She might actually pull this sale off. Her stomach clenched in excitement as she tried to school her features into the cool, aloof professional she was.

  ‘So, what do you think?’ Courtney asked after a moment of silence.

  ‘I think,’ Ava replied quietly, ‘that it looks sad.’

  ‘Sad?’ Courtney frowned.

  ‘Sad and neglected, like it’s been waiting for someone to bring it back to life, to make it happy again.’

  ‘Well,’ Courtney beamed, ‘well then, if you’re interested in making an offer, we can…’

  Ava turned back; her dark eyes fixed on the girl.

  ‘An offer?’

  ‘An offer to buy the property,’ she confirmed. ‘As I said it’s an absolute steal at this price.’

  ‘I think there’s been some misunderstanding,’ Ava replied, ‘I’m not buying the house.’

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘I’m not buying it because I already own it,’ Ava told her. ‘I just wanted to have a look at it, so it seemed best to call the realtors and have them show me around.’

  ‘Oh,’ Courtney frowned, ‘oh…’ she repeated flatly, any trace of warmth gone from her demeanor.

  ‘I understand it’s been on the market since the fifties?’

  ‘That’s right,’ Courtney replied sourly as she watched her commission disappear before her eyes like a fine mist.

  ‘And no one was interested?’

  ‘They came close, a couple of times in the seventies and eighties but no one actually made an offer.’

  Ava turned back to the house her lips pursed thoughtfully.

  ‘Take it off the market,’ she decided.

  ‘Excuse me?’ Courtney replied.

  ‘Take it off the market,’ Ava repeated.

  ‘You’re going to live here?’ Courtney asked incredulously.

  ‘I don’t know yet,’ she shook her head, ‘but I do know that it won’t sell in this condition. Either way it needs a lot of work.’

  ‘Understatement,’ Courtney muttered under her breath.

  ‘I’d like to take a look inside,’ Ava turned back to her. ‘Do you have the keys, or something we can pry the boarding loose with?’

  ‘No, I don’t,’ Courtney shook her head. ‘The realtors don’t keep the keys to the property, not since…’

  ‘Since what?’ Ava asked curiously.

  ‘Nothing,’ Courtney swallowed uncomfortably, ‘um… Mr Pearson, the lawyer in charge of the estate keeps the keys at his office. You’ll need to see him.’

  Ava’s eyes narrowed curiously. All of a sudden Courtney didn’t seem to want to look her in the eye and her lips were tightly pinched together as if she were holding something back.

  ‘Okay then,’ Ava answered slowly after a moment, realizing the girl wasn’t going to be any more forthcoming. ‘Well thanks for your help.’

  ‘You’re welcome,’ she muttered sulkily. ‘If you want to follow me back down into town, I’ll show you where his offices are.’

  ‘Thanks that would be great.’

  ‘No problem,’ Courtney responded trying to remember her manners.

  Ava watched the girl stomp as gracefully ba
ck to her car as she could in those ridiculous heels which were already covered in dust from the gravel. She couldn’t have been more than her early twenties and seemed more like a kid playing dress up in her mommy’s dramatic red power suit. Driving a minivan wouldn’t help her get taken seriously either but each to their own.

  Whistling for Bailey they climbed back into her truck and headed back down into town. As they drove down the Main Street, Courtney honked her horn and pointed to a glass fronted office with ‘Pearson Attorney at Law’ stenciled onto the window in a perfect arch of gold lettering.

  Ava honked in thanks and pulled into a parking space directly opposite the building, watching as Courtney sped off in her minivan not paying much mind to the speed limit.

  Ava headed into the office with Bailey in tow. A loud distressed squeal demanded her attention as the glass door swung shut behind her.

  ‘No dogs!’ The short rotund woman with a tightly curled perm practically climbed onto her chair. ‘No dogs in here!’

  ‘Oh um,’ Ava frowned, ‘I’m really sorry but it’s too hot out there to leave her in the truck. Honestly, she’s very well behaved. I know she looks a little intimidating but she’s a big softie, she won’t harm you I promise. I just need a few moments with Mr Pearson.’

  ‘Do you have an appointment?’ she demanded, her face turning red as she watched Bailey with beady eyes, as if she expected her to pounce and sink her teeth into her at any moment.

  ‘No, I’m afraid I don’t, I’ve only just arrived on the island, but we have spoken on the phone. My name is Ava Cortez.’

  ‘You can’t see him without an appointment, so you’ll just have to go back wherever you came from and take that beast with you.’

  ‘It’s alright Philippa,’ a deep calm voice intruded, ‘I have a few minutes.’

  Ava looked across and got her first look at Dennis Pearson and unlike Baz, he actually looked like a lawyer with his carefully parted salt and pepper hair, his neatly groomed beard and well-tailored dark blue suit.

  ‘Ava,’ he crossed the room and held out a hand, ‘it’s nice to finally meet you.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she shook his hand. ‘Sorry about Bailey, it really is too hot to leave her in the car.’

  ‘It’s no problem,’ he waved his hand. ‘Why don’t you both come on back to my office, Philippa is a little uneasy around large dogs.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Ava muttered contritely as she passed by his flustered assistant. As he closed the door to his office, she caught a glimpse of the small woman as she flopped back into her chair, her hand pressed to her rather ample, heaving bosom.

  ‘What can I do for you Ava?’

  She watched as he retrieved a bottle of water from his desk drawer. He set an empty coffee mug down on the floor beside Bailey and filled the cup so she could drink. Bailey, being the unladylike slob that she was, simply stuck her nose in the cup, following it as it moved slowly across the floor, causing the water to lap up and over the sides like a miniature tsunami and making a complete mess of his pristine floor.

  ‘Sorry,’ Ava winced.

  ‘It’s alright,’ he chuckled good naturally, ‘I have dogs of my own.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘Labradors,’ he grinned, ‘big, bouncy and boisterous, so compared to my heathens she’s actually very well behaved. German Shepherd?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Ava replied looking down at her dog who sat back on her haunches watching them, her long, wet pink tongue dripping slobber and water, ‘although given the size of her I sometimes wonder if she’s half werewolf.’

  He laughed loudly.

  ‘You’ve just arrived on the island I assume?’

  ‘A few hours ago,’ she nodded, ‘I’ve been up to the house and had a quick look at the place. I met one of the realtors.’

  ‘Which one?’

  ‘Courtney Keller.’

  ‘Ah yes,’ he smiled in amusement, ‘she went to school with my daughter. She’s only just recently got her realtor’s license; it’s so new it still squeaks if she turns around too quickly.’

  ‘I think she was a little disappointed when she found out I already owned the house.’

  ‘I’m not surprised. Marv who owns the realtors has been trying to off load it since he took over the business from his daddy back in the late seventies. I believe he was offering a hefty bonus to anyone who could sell it. I expect Courtney was seeing dollar signs the minute you drove up.’

  ‘Something like that,’ Ava agreed, ‘she didn’t seem to happy when I told her to take it off the market.’

  ‘You’re not selling?’ he replied in surprise. ‘You’re going to keep it?’

  ‘I honestly don’t know yet,’ she shook her head, ‘but as we’ve already seen, it won’t sell in the condition it’s in now. So, I either have it rehabbed and flip it, I fix it up and live in it or I bulldoze it to the ground and sell the land.’

  ‘Is the last a serious contender?’

  ‘What the bulldozing part?’

  He nodded.

  ‘No,’ she replied after a moment, ‘it’s such an old house and although it’s in a bit of a state you can see how beautiful it must have looked in its glory days. Although it would be easier and infinitely cheaper, I can’t bring myself to knock it down, not unless it’s too far gone to save it.’

  ‘I see,’ he leaned back in his chair and studied her. ‘You look a little like her you know.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Caroline,’ he answered simply.

  It was a jolt to hear her mother called by her birth name, she had only ever known her as Serenity.

  ‘You knew my mom?’

  ‘I did, although I was a few years older, we went to school together,’ he told her softly. He wasn’t going to tell her that everyone knew who the Wallaces were because of their wealth and connection to the Lynch House. ‘I suspect you favor your father more, but I can see a little of her in your features,’ he continued. ‘She always was a free spirit, the island never sat well on her. I wasn’t surprised when she left as soon as she turned eighteen.’

  ‘Yeah, sounds like mom alright,’ Ava replied, ‘she was never big on responsibility.’

  He heard a tiny trace of bitterness coloring her tone, but he politely chose not to mention it.

  ‘Anyway,’ Ava changed the subject, ‘Courtney mentioned you have the keys to the house?’

  He leaned back studying her for a moment longer before opening one of his desk drawers and retrieving an old, heavy bunch of ancient looking keys.

  ‘Why do you have them?’ she asked curiously, ‘I just would’ve thought the realtors….’

  ‘We thought it best that I hang on to them,’ he laid the keys on the desk in front of her. ‘There have been several break-ins over the years, kids mostly scaring themselves with ghost stories and dares.’

  ‘Ghost stories?’

  ‘Like any house of that kind of age,’ he shrugged, ‘it’s primed for attracting gossip and rumors. I wouldn’t pay any attention, but I will warn you the keys won’t do you much good. Other than the padlocks for the safety fences we had to board up the entire ground floor after…’

  ‘After what?’ her eyes narrowed.

  ‘It isn’t safe,’ he hedged around her question as he reached for a yellow legal pad and picked up a pen. ‘I can’t guarantee what state the interior is in, you shouldn’t go in until it’s been thoroughly checked and declared structurally sound. Here’s the number of a local construction business, its family run, has an excellent reputation. They take care of pretty much the whole island and although they’re based here, they do take on work over on the mainland too, so if you do decide to fix up the house, they’re the ones you need to speak with.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she reached out and took the paper as he folded it and handed it over.

  ‘Sorry to cut this short,’ he looked down at his watch, ‘but I do have another appointment.’

  ‘Not at all,’ she scooped up the keys and tucked the paper in the pocket
of her jeans. ‘Thanks for your time.’

  ‘My pleasure,’ Dennis smiled, ‘make sure you stop by and let me know how things are going.’

  ‘I will.’

  Giving him one last look, she opened the door and hurried through the office as quickly as possible before Philippa freaked out again.

  Once back in her truck she pulled out the paper Dennis had handed her and read his neat scrawl. Not only had he given her the name and number of the construction business but also instructions on how to get there.

  She could’ve blamed the fact that she spent the next hour driving around in circles on the fact she’d been reading his map upside down, or the fact that none of the roads were marked clearly, but what the hell, it was a pleasant enough drive and she certainly got to see more of the island and the more she saw, the more she liked.

  Her mother had always avoided places like this, instead preferring big bustling cities or dry, dusty, arid towns in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps small costal islands and towns reminded her too much of home, but then again, she never did understand what was going on in her mother’s head half the time.

  But now, surrounded by the scent of briny waters and watching the glittering waves sparkle around the edges of the island she felt a strange sense of contentment. As the air cooled and the sun began to dip toward the horizon, setting the skies ablaze with powerful slashes of pink and purple, she abandoned any thought of finding the construction company and drove back toward town as her belly began to rumble loudly.

  She parked out front of a local bar and grill. Now that the sun had gone down the air was cooler, so leaving Bailey in the truck she headed inside.

  Kelley tore his gaze away from the game on TV as a collective denial rose up from some of the regulars. Although they still watched avidly, despite their rather vocal disapproval Kelley had already lost interest, he wasn’t really a sporty kind of guy anyway.