Sam tried Deans phone for the third time but it went straight to voice mail.
"It's Sam. Call me."
He hung up and sighed. Dean had dropped him off at the motel two hours ago and then gone to pick up some beer and a couple of cheese burgers. They were done with the case, the demon had been vanquished and the people in the small town would live happily ever after. Those who were still alive anyway. But where the hell was Dean?
Laura had heard on the radio that the smoking remains of the killer had been found and so she finally felt safe being outdoors after dark. It was late and about time she got home to feed the cat, but she had another house to check on first. It was the 19th century seven bedroom house for sale just outside town. The owners had already moved abroad and had hired Laura as their realtor. The house had been put on the market with its furniture and everything. She was supposed to show it to a young couple today but they had cancelled after all the murders in town. This might prove a difficult sell. But for now Laura just needed to turn off some lights and make sure the place was locked up tight. Tomorrow morning she was leaving for Florida, for a well-deserved vacation and hopefully she could find distraction from the failing market in the hotel drink menu. Or maybe the pool boy. Or more preferably the pool man. Smiling she turned into the driveway outside the house and turned off the ignition. She got out of the car and took a deep breath of the clean, crisp air. It smelled like there would be snow tonight.
"Florida, here I come" she muttered under her breath. She closed the car door and pulled her coat tighter around her. The design lighting made the house look very inviting and she wondered what it would be like to live in a place like this. She walked up the gravelled road, digging through her purse for the keys, jangling them rhythmically in her hand when she found them.
She set her purse down on the porch and slowly unlocked the front door. It opened smoothly and revealed a mostly dark house. She loved being in people's houses when they were gone, even if it was dark and sometimes a little scary. But she wasn't going to stay long now. She closed the door behind her and walked into the house. There were just a few lights to turn off, plus the fridge and freezer. Some lights were on a timer and she would leave those, not wanting to invite burglars.
Spotting a crooked painting in the hall she stopped to correct it. There was a creak on the floor behind her and she turned abruptly, then gasped and took a step back. A man was standing there. He inclined his head and though she couldn't quite make out his features in the gloom, she thought he was smiling.
"Somebody better call God because heaven's missing an angel!" he exclaimed. His voice was deep and very loud in the quiet house. She couldn't tell if he was joking. It was an extremely disturbing situation either way.
"Who are you?" she asked in a no nonsense voice.
"I'm just having a look."
"I'm not showing the house today, you will have to make an appointment."
"Well how about now? We're both here."
She hesitated. Her gut told her this was a very dangerous situation that needed to be handled carefully. The man looked to be in very good shape, fast and surely strong. If he didn't want her to leave, chances were she wouldn't. She would have to find some way to talk him down or trick him.
"I suppose you're right," she replied evenly. So what kind of property are you looking for?"
"This one."
"Well, let's take a look then, Mr..?"
"Great," he said and nodded. "We can start in the kitchen."
He moved forward, put an arm around her shoulders and gently turned her around and pushed her forward, falling in to step with her as they walked toward the kitchen. She was very afraid now and wondered if it was still worth pretending that he was there to look at the house. Her cell phone was in her purse on the porch and of no use to her now. The house had a landline but it had been disconnected when the owner moved. An idea struck her. She turned her head and smiled at him.
"It is a lovely kitchen. The current owner remodelled it just two years ago. Made it into a real country kitchen, white panelled cupboards and a lovely oak worktop. The tile backsplash is quite nice. Do you cook a lot?"
"I'm more of a take-out guy actually."