After yet another nod, Jack left the two alone. Shutting the door behind him, the Magpie let out a breath, glad he wasn’t caught eavesdropping. He set Ellie onto her feet and gradually began unpacking their suitcase. There wasn’t much in it – mostly sundresses for her and a few things for him. His clothes were all meant to stay discreet. Casual, ordinary, bland - another unremarkable nobody walking down the street or sitting on a bus. They were also comfortable and cheap. Knife cuts and bullet holes were difficult to mend and blood stains were virtually impossible to clean. It was best to just toss those, along with any evidence they might hold.
Some of his clothes might work here, but blending in with the rural village population wasn’t the same as staying unnoticed in a city. From his drive in, he imagined it would involve a large amount of denim and plaid. After a quick assessment of the situation, he could buy anything else when he needed it. In reality, he had plenty of money, but wealth brought attention, so Sam only had a modest savings after quitting his job and paying off his late-wife’s debt. He would need to find temporary work to pay for everything else.
Whatever he did, it was obvious he wouldn’t go completely overlooked here. It had been less than an hour and the two people he’d met were already gossiping about his appearance and demeanor. Good or bad, it brought attention.
What was my biggest advantage is now my greatest weakness…
Ellie shuffled around the room as he moved, never more than two steps behind him. Her little yellow dress swayed and her hands were always slightly raised, as if always reaching for him. When she stopped suddenly to avoid bumping into his legs, her pink rain boots would squeak against the wood floor.
Perhaps not my greatest weakness, he thought, as he grabbed a handful of socks and she brushed against his thigh.
The space was modest and a bit cramped, the distance between furniture almost too narrow for his wide frame, which made unpacking a challenge with a toddler constantly underfoot. A dresser and mirror sat beside the door, and a queen-size bed and two end tables were under a window to the far left. There were taller windows across from the entrance, with a small table and oversized chair in one corner, and a tiny closet in the other. A TV hung on the wall between them, and a few landscape paintings filled open areas, but otherwise it was plain.
After he finished, Ellie trailed him to the window. It was already late afternoon and the sun had started to sink back down to the horizon. Jack didn’t say it with sincerity and he’d been too distracted before to actually look, but the view really was beautiful. There was a large side lawn with trees and flowering bushes, gradually turning to forest, and a wide, stony creek ran behind the house. The water was so clear, it reflected the colors of the setting sun and still showed the rocks and pebbles covering the bottom. For someone who had never left the grimy, bustling city, it was both peaceful and eerie.
He took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly, thinking of how he ended up here in this tiny, old-fashioned room in the middle of nowhere. There hadn’t been time for contemplation over the past two days. There was barely time to process anything beyond the moment he was in. Now he was standing, gazing out into the wilderness, with a mute toddler at his side. It felt surreal and he was out of his element. He had a wide variety of skills, but what use would any of those be? He didn’t belong here.
There was a soft tap at his thigh and he glanced down to see Ellie's big eyes on him, probably wondering why they were staring at nothing. He grunted and gestured for her to follow him.
“Let’s go have this tour.” And study the layout for weaknesses.
She stayed close until they hit the stairs, but halfway down, he realized she was still at the top, just watching.
Is three too young to walk down stairs?
Climbing back up, he used a hand to coax her toward him. She moved reluctantly, placing two feet firmly on each step before proceeding to the next. Sighing quietly in frustration, he walked with a short, uneven pace backward, eyes fixed on her wobbling body to be sure she didn’t fall.
“So cute,” Jack commented through an amused chuckle as the two finally made it to the landing. Jade was gone and the rest of the house was quiet. Leaving the counter to join them in the foyer, he crouched down to her, her big eyes a little wider as she stared. “How old are you, Ellie?”
“Three,” the Magpie answered in her place, knowing she wouldn’t tell him.
Jack nodded and smiled, petting her wavy blond hair. She didn’t react, unbothered by his touch. “Ready for your tour?”
They wandered through the house and in each room, the Magpie took note of every advantage and disadvantage he might have in a fight. Their first stop, the kitchen, was long and sat opposite the desk wall off the entrance, with a door to the foyer and one to the dining room at the back of the house.
Two entries, two exits.
Entering from the foyer, cabinets and large appliances ran down to the left, then continued along the far wall past the dining room door. A large kitchen island surrounded by mismatched stools sat in the middle. Of all the rooms in the house, this appeared to be the largest and most modern.
The island blocks the view from both doors.
“Are your appliances gas or electric?” he asked, running a hand along the stove. If something happened, this might be the best place to hide out, but not if it could explode. Blowing things up did create a good distraction, however.
“Everything’s electric.” He unintentionally bobbed his chin at that, making a note in his mind, and Jack smiled. “A gas range would be nice, but not worth the cost.”
Though it was set up as a separate space, the dining room was part of a large, open sitting room, surrounded completely in tall, glass windows overlooking the back deck and lawn. Like the foyer, there was a random collection of old furniture and a handful of plants hanging or seated in the dwindling light.
Too open. Everything from here to the front door is exposed.
“It isn't original to the house,” Jack explained with a grin, amused again. “My great grandfather named it ‘The Glass House’ after himself and his family. Apparently, before it was a bed and breakfast, most people in town liked to call it that.” He smirked. “But, after countless disappointed guests, it was easier to just renovate.”
“Your great grandfather?” The Magpie tapped on a window, then leaned in close to examine it. “When were they installed? Is it tempered?”
Jack hummed, eyeing him curiously. “I don’t know? Maybe the late sixties? Before my time.”
Probably not safety glass then. At least it might provide a quick escape.
They continued through the house this way - a two-story sun porch off the back corner, built in the traditional Victorian style, then a locked door leading to a hallway beside the stairs. Down this was Jack and Jade’s bedrooms, separated by a bathroom and small living space. The second floor was a long hallway of guestrooms, and the third was the attic, used only for storage.
When they were finished, they headed back to the glass sitting room and Jack chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. The Magpie eyed him, but he shook his head with a smile.
“Umm, it’s nothing really...” He hesitated and tilted his head. “It just kind of seemed like you were casing the place or something. I don’t think any guest has asked me those questions before.”
“Ah.”
Shit.
Before he could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket, saving him an immediate explanation. Ellie, who as usual had been attached to him through the tour, never releasing her handful of pant fabric, glanced up at the noise. Raising a hand to excuse himself, he asked, “Can you watch her while I take this?”
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