LAndweir House Chapter 19 - Tony Lane's Blog

Landweir House

Chapter 19

Back to the Stacks

HGTV paid to have an ultrasonic scanner sent to the Landweir House in order to scan the walls just in case there were more bodies tucked away. The network executives were pleased with the numbers that the show had been putting up but they also knew that the eyes of the whole nation were on them and they wanted to eliminate any more surprises. They did not want some workman discovering a body and getting photographs of it onto the internet before they had a chance to spin the situation in a favorable light.

Kirby James had been doing this kind of work for several years and had found many very interesting things in the walls of people’s houses. He was never too surprised if he should find money or jewelry or embarrassing photos tucked into a wall. He had even found a body once when he was working with the police to find evidence in a murder investigation. But the prospect of working at the Landweir House was special. He would have done the job for free if he could have used it in his portfolio as a reference but HGTV wanted the whole thing kept a secret so they paid through the nose for his confidentiality.

Dr. Jacobs went back to the warehouse where the stacks of junk from the Breen years had been stored. He was looking for anything that might add some understanding to the story. Lisa Marie went with Dr. Jacobs to see if she could be of any assistance. Donald and the rest of the cast of “Renovating History” stayed at the Landweir house to conduct business as usual.

“My dear, do you mind if I ask how you are holding up through this adventure? It must be exhausting for you?” Jacobs asked Lisa Marie as they made their way through the oddly abandoned streets of the city. Katrina had done an excellent job of keeping people away.

“Oh, I’m doing fine, just fine. I have the strange feeling that everything is working out just the way it is supposed to. Secrets like that can’t stay hidden forever. It’s best to have them exorcised from the house before we call it home.” Lisa Marie said to him.

“Then you are planning on keeping it as your home, even after all of this?” Dr. Jacobs asked as he turned into the parking lot of the warehouse.

“Yes, definitely. After all of the sacrifice I am ready to be the mistress of Landweir House.” She said.

“Well, shall we go inside and look around for a bit? Although I don’t have the foggiest idea what we are looking for.” He said as he opened the door to the van and slid out of his seat.

“A key.” Lisa Marie said to herself as she also got out of the van.

****

Donald watched Kirby James as he worked. From time to time Kirby would stop and take some notes and then take out a measuring tape and measure the wall and then make some more notes.

“That’s quite a piece of equipment you’ve got there.” Donald said hoping to get some update.

“Oh, yeah, quite a piece of equipment.” was all that Kirby was giving up.

“Anything that you care to share with the homeowner yet?” Donald pressed.

“Maybe so.” Kirby said as he moved his bare hand over the plaster wall. “Go get the fancy people would you?”

Donald ran upstairs to where Molly, Bart and Terry were still investigating the closet. They had moved the body into the bedroom and it was now covered with a tarp and it blended into the piles of construction stuff perfectly. No one would be drawn to that spot over any one of a thousand other spots just like it in this house. Hidden in plain sight.

“He’s ready for us.” Is all Donald needed to say to get them all moving to the first floor. They all stood and watched Kirby work.

Kirby James was running the scanner across a section of wall but then stopped and rechecked the settings and then ran the scanner over the wall a second time until he was sure.

“Folks,” he said, “don’t anyone ask me if I’m sure because I am, there’s a hidden room behind this wall.”

“Are you sure?” Terry asked anyway.