Agent Holmes stories are based on true events, which have happened to actual real estate agents. Wanda Holmes and any characters that appear in these tales are fictitious, and the people and stories have been modified to disguise and protect the participants of the real events.
“Step by step, slowly I turn, inch by inch!” whispered Toni with a little giggle followed by “This place is creepy”. Encased in ivy vines, wisteria and overgrown bushes, the front of the property looked just like something out of an old horror movie. “Sorry but you go first, Wanda”, said Brenda. “Oh for goodness sake, what do you expect from a place that’s been vacant for this long. It’s just a bit overgrown”, laughed Wanda. “The house was well taken care of by the previous owners. I remember coming here years ago. What a beautiful house and property. That old rule my home economics teacher drilled into our brains in 7th grade comes to mind: A place for everything and everything in its place. That certainly applied to this place. The owners were a pair of sweet old spinster sisters. Lived here all their lives I expect. I don’t think either ever married. Story is they both died at the same time. Don’t recall exactly how, but they were both old so it wasn’t unexpected.”
“If you say so Wanda”, quirked Toni.
Wanda cautiously walked toward the house. A vine archway barely big enough for a person to squeeze through allowed access to the front porch. Five wide wooden steps preceding this arch showed signs of age through layers and layers of paint. A small multicolored skink raced across the bottom step as Wanda was about to set her foot upon it.
“Oh, did you see that? It was a relative of the Geico Gecko”, squealed Wanda. “They won’t bother you. They are really quite friendly. I see them all over the place during the summer months.”
Toni, Brenda and Kathy clung to each other as they inched their way up closer to the front stair case. “Are we sure we want to see this property Wanda”, Kathy quickly asked? “I know I said I wanted to see it. It sounded so interesting at the time. An older home we could buy cheap and fix up to its original condition. But now I am not so sure.”
“Come on, it isn’t that bad. Look at this wonderful veranda”, urged Wanda as she stepped up under the vine archway attached to the porch overhang. Can’t you picture a couple of wicker chairs with a table between them, a porch swing, maybe a palm plant down on the corner and Boston ferns hanging between the posts. I can see the three of you sitting out here enjoying the summer breeze and sweet tea. “
“Well since you put it that way, let’s have a look”, said Kathy. “What do you think girls?”
“Well ok”, “Why not, we’re here now”, piped up the other two perspective buyers.
Inside the house, the girls changed their tone. “Wow this IS beautiful. I love the hardwood floors throughout and the built in book cases”, exclaimed Toni. “This staircase is magnificent, Wanda. You were right, it is everything you said it was”, gushed Kathy. “Kitchen could use some updating but there is plenty of room to do whatever we want”, offered Brenda. “Yeah, that is very important since you will be doing most of the cooking”, laughed Toni.
Brenda gave Toni an evil look, then smiled. Yes I can see myself in this house, thought Brenda. “Let’s look at the upstairs” suggested Kathy. All marched up the stairs together, still a bit cautious of what they might find. Satisfied that all the bedrooms were good size and the bathrooms were acceptable, Wanda asked if they wanted to see the basement.
“I am surprised at all the furnishings that are still here, Wanda”, said Kathy. Wanda explained, “Yes, the sisters didn’t really have any family left when they died so just a few antique pieces were sold to pay for funeral expenses and to settle the estate from what I heard. The rest just stayed here and convey with the house.”
Wanda opened the basement door and turned on the light switch. “I am glad the electricity is still on. It really helps to see where you’re going, especially down here. Looks like there are nothing but a few small windows opening out to window wells just below ground level. Watch your step ladies”, cautioned Wanda. Slowly they all made it down the steps that turned to the right half way down.
“Not much down here, just a big chest freezer over in the corner”, said Wanda.
“What?!, a chest freezer? Oh my gosh, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”, piped up Toni, looking around at the other faces. “Wow it just hit me, what was that old play with the two sisters that were killing off young gentlemen and putting them in the cellar?” asked Kathy. “Oh yeah, Arsenic and Old Lace. One of the movie versions stared Cary Grant”, offered Brenda. “I wouldn’t open that chest”, exclaimed Toni as Wanda walked toward the freezer. “Oh come on girls, this house was checked over by all kinds of people before it was put on the market. Don’t you think the freezer was opened and checked too? I’m sure it’s just an old empty freezer” assured Wanda.
Wanda reached to open the freezer as the girls huddled together several feet away. As Wanda lifted the lid of the chest, all the lights in the basement flickered several times and then went out.
Mortal screams echoed through the house as four female visitors raced for the staircase and stumbled up and out of the house as fast as they could go. They didn’t stop on the porch or in the yard. They all jumped in the car and quickly locked all the doors.
Catching their breath, they looked at one another. Wanda and Kathy began to laugh while the other two screeched accusations of insanity at the two giggling women.
~
A couple days later, Wanda called the girls to explain that the freezer had an old rusty cord that was plugged into the same circuit as the basement lights. When she went to open the door on the chest freezer, the cord touched another live wire and short circuited. That’s all it was. There wasn’t anything in the freezer and it has since been removed.
The girls were so intrigued by the place, they bought it and fixed it up to its former grandeur, albeit with a little more modern touch and with the entire electrical system replaced. Sweet tea on the veranda was oh soooo sweet for Wanda as she and the three girls shared laughs about their first visit to the “Old Lace Estate”, as the girls now refer to it.
Another chapter closed for Agent Holmes. Watch for the next adventure of Agent Holmes, in which she hurdles and dodges the obstacles of life as a Real Estate agent.
Author: Kathie Abercrombie
Real Estate agent for Avery Hess Realtors, Inc. For Real Estate, community and related information contact:
540-373-9300 (ext.111)
kathiesblog.wordpress.com
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