It wasn't until I saw his obituary in the paper that I learned my neighbor, Dave, had passed away. How awful is that; not even knowing a neighbor well enough to keep up with this kind of information? He was quite an older gentleman whose wife had passed away years ago and he had lived alone ever since. I never really got to know him at all but now I suddenly wish I had. I'm not exactly a recluse but I do like keeping to myself especially since my divorce. I moved into my house two years ago and Dave has been dealing with failing health this entire time. His son would check on him regularly but, until recently, Dave had finally been placed into a nursing home where he spent the last few months of his life. His son Paul and I have only exchanged a few short verbal acknowledgments but I never got the chance to strike up an actual conversation with him.
I look out my kitchen window and happen to notice Paul pulling into his father's driveway. I don't know if I should go over and express my sympathy for his loss or just find his address and send a nice card. I've never been good in situations like this. My mind is quickly made up as I watch an unfamiliar vehicle pull into the driveway and park behind Paul's. An older gentleman climbs from the driver's seat; by older, I'm guessing he is to be around fifty years of age. "Older" considered to someone in her mid-thirties such as me. I instantly find him attractive. He's very tall and wearing a business suit; his salt and pepper hair stands out nicely against his tanned complexion. He has a goatee that also has speckled gray within. 'Very handsome indeed,' I think to myself as I continue to gawk out the window.
I bought my house when I divorced my ex-husband. When we sold our marital property, I had enough money from my half to put down a very nice payment on my current home with a little extra to help me get on my feet. I have not had a serious relationship since, though; an occasional date here and there; a couple of one night stands that really weren't even worth that. My ex, however, is still with the woman he was banging while he was still married to me. I am not the type of women to give second chances when it comes to cheating and I left as soon as I found out about the affair and had enough proof built up for a nice case against him.
I watch Paul and the gentleman shake hands before walking into the house. I'm curious to find out who this individual is. There are no markings on his car and I can't hear anything as they introduced themselves. I can only guess he is someone possibly going over either insurance claims or funeral details. I've never had to lay someone to rest before and it breaks my heart thinking about everything Paul has been involved with. Unfortunately, I have errands to run and will not get the chance to find out more unless they are still there when I return.
After running to town for my weekly grocery shopping, I pull into my driveway just as Mr. Handsome and Paul are parting ways. I see them shake hands once again just before the man gets back into his car. I park my car in my driveway and, when I open the trunk to get the groceries out, Paul comes rushing over.
"Here, let me help you with those," he says as he approaches me.
"Thank you; I appreciate it," I say with butterflies in my stomach. I finally just give in and offer the best sympathy I can muster. "Paul, I'm really sorry to hear about your father's passing. Please let me know if you need anything."
"Thanks, Erica. I was actually able to take care of most of the arrangements back when I first moved him to the nursing home so I wouldn't have to deal with it all at once. I've decided to put the house up for sale. I have no use for it and being an only child leaves no one else to consider."
"Good luck with that. I wish you the best and that the house sells quickly so it's not something you have to keep worrying about," I say as he and I both reach for my bags of groceries. We carry them into my kitchen and place them on the center island.
"There will be quite a few people coming and going as they schedule appointments to see the house. I've given Mark, the real estate agent I spoke with earlier, full access to the house rather than waiting for me to be present to show it. I don't really have the extra time to drive all the way here just to unlock the door. Would you let me know if you see anything suspicious around the place? I'm sure I have nothing to worry about but it still makes me nervous letting anyone and everyone walk through the property."
"Absolutely, please write your number down so I can call you if I see anything weird," I say as I gather a pen and piece of paper for him. 'So, Mr. Handsome's name is Mark,' I dreamily think to myself. Paul passes the paper back to me and I stick it to my fridge with a magnet. "It'll be right here and ready just in case I need it," I say with a reassuring smile.
"Thanks. It means a lot to me," and he returns the smile.
A few days go by and I finally see a "For Sale" sign standing in my neighbor's front lawn. It's such a somber feeling and has finally hit me that Dave is really, truly gone. I can only hope whoever buys the house will make great neighbors. It's been a peaceful neighborhood so far; I'd hate to see rowdy people move in and ruin it.
The house sits on the market for a couple of weeks before anyone actually takes a walk-through. There have been a handful of visitors before the first official showing that have stopped and looked around without the help of Mark or any other real estate agent. I have no idea if that is legal or not, but I don't see anything that warrants a call to Paul. The first family whom Mark assisted with consisted of two adults and three children. They looked like your average middle-class family and seemed to be friendly enough. Among the house hunters were a gay couple and another young couple expecting a child; I'm assuming it is their first. All the house visits with Mark have taken place in the early evening hours and nothing suspicious has caught my eye.
On a Friday night while in my bedroom, which is located on the second floor of my home, I see Mark's car pull into Dave's driveway. It's past 9:30 and I'm surprised to see him there so late. Another car pulls in behind his and both individuals get out of their vehicles. This time it's a lone woman wearing a tight business dress. She's very attractive with dark brown hair that's pinned up into a twist. The weather has been beautiful and I had opened my windows earlier in the day. I can hear her heels on the sidewalk as the two of them greet each other and walk inside. While I find it odd that they are there this late, it looks as though she may have worked late and decided to meet him afterward.