Post by dallanta on Jan 5, 2022 14:16:52 GMT -6
Ben
“Dammit Ben, I don't really want to move. Our friends and family are here!”
“Our friends consist of people that want or need something. When was the last time any of the kids called or visited?
“Honey, we are trapped here. Other than my contract work, my days consist of yard work. Yours are running errands for other people. Hell, I can do my contract work anywhere. I want a ranch or farm”.
“What? You never mentioned that before. A ranch or farm, out of town?”
“Well yeah, for some reason I thought you knew that.”
“No, I did not. I thought you were talking about an apartment or in some city.”
“Oh hell no! I guess that is my problem. Too damn many people and too much noise. Hell, the highway out here gets worse and worse. Once they finish widening it to more lanes it will be a nightmare.”
“Oh...Well, I need to think more on this. You surprised me. You are right about the kids and our friends. My daughters even forgot to call me on my birthday. Tell you what, you take me to that little steak place we like and we can talk more.”
“Deal, I just need my shoes.”
“Slowpoke, I already have mine on, see you in the truck.”
Trina sat in the truck waiting on Ben. Her mind was going a mile a minute. “I had not thought of that,” she said to herself.
“A ranch or a farm. We can afford it. Just going to be a lot of work. Wonder where he is thinking about.”
“Took you long enough.”
“The dogs needed water. You're baby had stomped in the bowl and splashed it everywhere.”
“Oh, she does love playing in it.”
“So, Mr. smart ass, do you have any idea of where this move might be if I were to agree with it?”
“Well, I have looked at a couple places online. One is in southwest Missouri. The other is in west Texas.”
“I would have to have water Ben. I like the desert as much as you, but I want water, lots of it, before I even think any on it.”
“Your wish is my command dear.”
“On second thought Ben. Go to Sonic down the road here. We can get takeout and go looking online for places. I don't really care about a steak.”
“Really? So, you are thinking of this as a possibility?”
“Honey, when you said farm or ranch, I was sold. Now, hurry up and find me a home.”
Grinning, Ben turned into Sonic.
Once home and eating, Trina says, “Tell you what. You do the boring stuff. I am going to do the fun stuff.”
“What do you mean?”
“You get all the papers on our property and find an agent. Me, I am going to look for a home.”
“Oh, that is the way it is?”
“Darn right buster.”
“I got all the paperwork together. We need an updated appraisal. A few years ago the value on this was $245 grand, without the extras we put in. I have no clue what the housing market is like right now though. And I got a couple of realtors to talk to.”
“Then you can help me. I have eliminated most of the country. The east sucks, the west sucks more, too far north is too cold, and we don't want to fight illegal aliens down south. So, this circle on the map is where I am thinking of looking.”
“That is a good start and I agree, but you can shorten your circle a little.”
“Why?”
“We don't want near Kansas City or St Louis. I don't like Kansas much. Maybe parts of Oklahoma or parts of Arkansas. Same with Missouri and Texas. Come to think of it, you can write off Texas. Since we live in east Texas, the only change for us would be to move closer to large cities or out west without the water you want.”
“How about this?” Trina said, as she made several smaller circles on the map.
“Yeah, that's better. Southern Missouri, northeast Oklahoma, and south Arkansas.
“You don't want to move to Louisiana?”
“I grew up there with bad memories. Not going back, Ben. So, are you wanting to move back to your home town?”
“Actually thinking of it, but not because it is my hometown. The property values there are really down in the dirt, or they used to be. I would never live in my hometown again though. I am willing to bet there are farms that have gone back to the banks or just on the verge. We even have friends there.
The economy is a little depressed. We would actually be ahead financially”
“Yeah, real friends,” said Trina.
“And if the kids get their heads out of their asses, they could visit us.”
“I won't hold my breath Ben.”
“I just had a thought Trina. Pull up Google Earth.” Ben clicks around getting the map to where he wants.
“See this area here?”
“That is where your mom used to live isn't it?”
“Close, but a ways farther out. I used to pay this old guy to fish in a lake on his back forty.”
“I see a farmhouse. Oh, there is the lake, or large pond. It is right beside a river there.”
“Yep, I have no idea of how large his property is or if it is for sale. That is just an idea.”
“I kind of like it though, Ben. Can you find out more?”
“In the morning. One of the realtors could tell me.”
“Well I am tired, and going to bed”.
“Be right with you babe.”
Ben was up early and had the coffee done when Trina got out of bed.
“You sleep well?”
“No, said Trina, my mind would not shut down, she said, laughing.”
“I talked to a realtor in Missouri. They are going to research that property and get back to me.
“So, Trina, what would you want to take with us if we did this?”
“Haha, sorry Ben, but most everything. I love my furniture. The washer and dryer are new. You need your tools and our keepsake stuff.”
“That actually narrows it down a bit with all the other stuff. I don't want that pool table or that broken trailer out there. I think I might even sell the jeep.”
“I see what you mean. We do have a lot of junk accumulated. I guess I need to go through our storage and sort that out.”
“Ben, are we serious? Before we stress out on work, are we going to really do this?”
“You know how I feel on moving. Do you have any reservations Trina?”
“No, not anymore. After sleeping on it I decided I really want this.”
“Ok girl, you need to get that pretty butt working then.”
“Mr. Lorner, I found the information you wanted. That property is actually for sale. The grandfather passed away some time ago and left it to his daughter. She had rented it a couple of times, but never did any upkeep. It has been empty for a little over a year now. I have no idea of what kind of condition it is in. It comprises 200 acres of a mix of woods and farmland. She is asking $300,000, but I think she will come down if she saw cash. I gather she is having some financial problems.”
“Wow, I never realized this was actually a possibility. Could we look at it?”
“Anytime, the place is empty and not locked.”
“Just a minute Doris, I need to talk to the wife.”
“Sure, I will just hang on.”
“Honey! That place is empty and for sale!”
“Oh my God!”
“Maybe we should go check it out?”
“Hell yes Ben, tell her we will be there tomorrow!”
“Thanks Doris, we will be there some time tomorrow.”
“Great, see you tomorrow then.”
“I guess we need a couple of days of clothes.”
“Let me get the girl down the street to check on the dogs for us while we are gone.”
“Hi Liz, we are going to be out of town for a couple of days. Could Tracy check on the dogs for us a couple of times a day?”
“Thank you. This came up sudden and me and Ben will both be gone.”
“When do you want to leave Ben?”
“I am kind of excited. What say we leave now and go look over the property without the realtor tomorrow? She said it was empty and unlocked.”
“Good idea. We can check it out and see if it will work for us. I think I am too excited also.
“I got our clothes and some munchies and drinks in the cooler.”
“You got your handgun?”
“Nope, but will in a moment. Have we forgotten anything?”
“I don't think so, this is just a fast trip anyway.”
After gas and heading out.
“So what did she say about the place?”
“I am hoping it is not in bad shape. It has been empty for a little over a year. The owner has some financial problems and should come down in price if she saw money. I am hoping it did not turn into a party house. There is 200 acres of farm and timberland.”
“200 acres, wow, we could do anything we wanted!”
“Ben, why are you turning around?”
“Good thing we have not gone far. You just made me think of one thing we might need. To check out the property, we might need your Polaris.”
“Oh yes! Great idea!”
“This way, we can get a better idea of what there is, without walking.”
It only took a few minutes to load the utility vehicle on the trailer for it and get back on the road.
“Damn, this is a long trip.”
“It sure is Trina. I hope it is worth it.”
“Second thoughts?”
“No, just Murphy's law comes to mind.”
“Maybe he is busy screwing up someone else.”
“Hope so.”
After 8 hours of driving.
“Finally, how about we check into the motel and find some food?”
“Yes, let's do that. It is getting too dark to see much out there anyway.”
“Where do you want to eat?”
“Not too may choices, other than fast food. I know, a restaurant I used to work at when I was a kid.”
“He pulled into the 54 Drive Inn and they got out.”
“You used to work here?”
“I was a dishwasher.”
Laughing, Trina said, “too bad you aren't now.”
After finding a booth, Ben looked around. It all seemed different and no one was familiar. The food was really good though.
“Ben, that lady over there keeps staring this way.”
“What lady?”
“Over there, see she is staring again. Oops, here she comes.”
“I am really sorry to stare at you all, but you look familiar sir. My name is Connie Puller?”
Shocked, Ben says, “Wow, Connie, I am Ben Lorner. This is my wife Trina. It has been a real long time.”
“Honey, Connie and I used to go to school together. Her and my best friend Bob Martin used to date.”
“Nice to meet you Connie, you want to join us?”
“I don't want to intrude. I am just here to pick up my daughter. She is a waitress here.”
“No problem Connie, join us. Maybe you can help us out?”
Sitting down and ordering some coffee, Connie says, “What kind of help do you need?”
“This may surprise you, but we are thinking of moving here,” says Trina. “Can you tell us about the town, how it has changed?”
“Oh wow!” said Connie, that would be so great! Ben, I think you and my husband Bill would be great friends!”
“Who is your husband?”
“oh, Bill Williamson, he is from Ft. Scott. You might not have known him. We have been married for 18 years now.”
“We must have got our wires crossed as to who was picking Lindy up. There is Bill now.”
“Didn't know you were coming Connie.”
“I guess we got mixed up. I want you to meet a couple of friends here. This is Trina and Ben Lorner. Ben and I used to go to school together.”
“An old boyfriend? Asked Bill smiling.
“No silly, I dated his best friend.”
“Glad you meet you Ben. You live around here?”
“Sit down Bill, we live in east Texas, but are thinking of moving here.” Going to look over some property tomorrow morning.”
“Where are you looking?”
“Out 54, toward Deerfield there is a farm on the left side of the highway. I hear it has been empty for a while.
“I know that place. I have hunted out that way. The deer are thick along the river. Actually, it is not that far from us.”
“Where do you live?”
“Turn on 43, down there a ways. I farm part time, and am a deputy for the Nevada police.
So Ben, what gave you the idea of moving back?”
“We have been talking about a major move for a while now. Really stuck in a rut. I am an electronic contractor and my work takes me all over, so where I live is not a real problem.”
“We were going to pick Connie's brain about Nevada,” said Trina.
Sighing, Bill said, “things are pretty much the same as always. We do have a problem with meth heads and other druggies though. There are a few robberies in town now and then, or car thefts, and of course small town politics is a pain.”
“Any problems out west of town where we are going to look?”
“Not really, other than morons on the highway out there.”
“Ben, Trina, it is nice to meet you, I got to get on the road. I actually have to work tonight.”
“You take care Bill. It is nice to meet you too. Take care Connie.”
In their motel room
“What do you think of Bill and Connie,”asked Trina?
“They seem ok. It might be handy to have a cop as a friend.”
“Connie seems like a nice person too. Maybe we have met our first friends out here?”
“You might be right. I can't wait to see the place.”
Exhausted, they both crashed immediately.
“Hey get up honey. I found donuts and coffee in the office.”
“Gimme, I was so tired last night.”
“Me too, I don't think I moved after my head hit the pillow.”
It is light outside, we can do what we want.”
“I need more coffee Ben.”
“Good, so do I.”
With extra coffee, they headed out of town.
“I hope the house is semi-livable,” said Trina.
“Me too, guess we will see.”
They pulled into the yard and looked around.
“Not a lot of trash. It does need a serious mowing though,” said Ben.
“The porch looks ok, the roof looks alright on the outside.”
Opening the door, Trina stood transfixed.
“Honey, at first glance it looks gorgeous,” said Trina excitedly.
“The floors are solid, I am looking for roof leaks.”
For the next hour, they wandered the house, making notes to themselves.
“What do you think Ben?”
“I do not see anything serious. It needs cleaning and paint. We should probably get someone out to really inspect it though.”
“Yeah, how about you call Doris before we go on looking? She might have the property lines.”
“Good idea, she should be there by n ow.”
“Hi Doris, this is Ben Lorner. We got here last night and are actually out on the property.”
“Thanks, we will be here.”
“She is coming out. She said she had the plat for the property and other stuff. I am going outside and take the 4 wheeler off the trailer.”
“Cool, I am just going to look around more.”
Making notes to herself... This kitchen needs a serious upgrade and so do the bathrooms. I sure hope the septic and other stuff is good. I think it is probable septic anyway.
Hearing a knock on the door.. “Hi I am Doris Peters.”
“Nice to meet you, I am Trina Lorner. We have been checking out the house.”
“What do you think?”
“It needs some work, but does not seem to be in bad shape.”
Hey Ben, this is Doris.
“Nice to meet you Doris. Thanks for coming out.”
“This place has been on the market for a while. I don't think it is in terrible shape though.”
“We have looked through the house. Do you have the plat of property lines? We are going to go look around a bit.”
“Yes, here it is. The line starts on this side of highway 43 and goes over to the river and then back.”
“So it should be easy to figure out then. You want to come along?”
“No thanks. I really don't know anything else about the property so I am just going back to town. Let me know if you have any questions at all.”
“Thank you Doris, we will let you know.”
“It is more comfortable with just me and you looking anyway isn't it Trina?”
“Yes, now we can take our time and dig through anything we want.”
In the Polaris, they headed to the highway. “So the property line starts around here. Are those goats?”
“Yes, wonder who they belong to?”
“I have heard that goats go where they want.”
Through trees and dry creek and on they went, going slow.
“I think this might be the back end, see the broken down fence line?”
“Yes, could be, and that is where the goats came from probably. I see a house across that field.”
Going by near the broken fence, they come across a small creek.
“Ben, stop!”
“Why, what do you see?”
“That creek, I think it is a spring.”
“It is, see there it is coming out of those rocks.”
“Nice to know.”
Ben I really like this place.”
“Oh you do? I guess we will have to get it inspected. We need to know about the foundation, septic, electric and plumbing. Oh, and the roof.”
“Lets head on over to the river, I want to see that.”
They followed the river for a ways, then cut back to the farmhouse and stopped at the barn and outbuildings.
“Trina, they are full of stuff.”
“Anything useful?”
“Don't really know. It is going to take some work though going through them.”
“That shed does not look good. A strong wind will knock it down. I wonder how solid the barn is?”
“Honey, I am tired to drive all the way back. What say we stay another night?”
“Works for me Ben, should we talk to Doris?”
“Lets go get lunch and try to figure out our offer.”
Back at the 54 Drive Inn, they sat down and ordered sandwiches and coffee.
Trina turned on her hot spot and started her computer.
After some looking, she said “Property here is running about 800 an acre right now. That would be 160,000 for the acreage. On the county tax website, the taxes for that place are $1100 a year. The tax office valued the property at $300 grand a few years back. What do you think Ben?”
“How about this. We schedule someone to look over the condition of the house. In the meantime, we offer $200,000 for the property, contingent upon the inspection.”
“You know Ben, if she were to accept, we would not need a loan.”
“Scary thought, isn't it Trina?”
“Yes, and I love it!”
“ok, lets go see Doris.”
Walking into the office, Ben says “Hi Doris, we have thought this out a bit. We may want the property if the seller is willing.”
“Great! What is your offer?”
“We are going to get an inspector to check over the house. Everything will be contingent on what they come up with. Our offer is for $200,000 cash. For that, they do not have to do any cleaning or maintenance, or upgrades. All I require is a clear title and mineral rights.”
“That is a lot less than they are asking.”
“Yes, but it needs a lot of work. The back fencing is torn down, the main yard has weeds higher than my truck, the kitchen needs work, and it will take time and money to fix it up, and that is what I can see.”
“I will let them know and see how that goes. Will you be heading back to Texas?”
“Not til tomorrow. It is too late to drive that today.”
“Oh, so you will be available this evening if need be?”
“Yes we will.”
“I will get right on this. Thank you Ben and Trina.”
The next morning:
“Cullen Properties here, can I help you?”
“Yes sir, I was told you do property inspections. I am looking to buy a piece out here.”
“Yes sir, I have a flat fee of $500. For that we inspect the property and give you a list of any deficiencies we find. We also guarantee our work, so it is a detailed inspection.”
“That sounds exactly what I am looking for.”
“Your name and address of the inspection sir.”
“Ben Lorner, and the address is 3850 Hwy 54.”
“I believe that is the old Parsons place, isn't it? It has been empty for a while.”
“Yes sir, it is. I used to fish there when I was a kid.”
“A lot of us did Mr. Lorner.”
“Lorner, did you graduate from here? I had a Ben Lorner in my class with me.”
“Ronnie Cullen?”
“I will be damned! It has been a few years Ben.”
“It sure has. You been doing alright?”
“I work like a dog, but do fine. Tell you what, come by the office and do some paperwork. I will get someone on that right away.”
“Thank you Ronnie, I appreciate that.”
“So many people moved away and some come back.”
“That is us alright. My wife and I were tired of where we were and looking for some peace and quiet.”
“My wife will be surprised Ben. I think you and her used to date.”
“Really, what is your wife's name?”
“Debbie, her maiden name was Hanson.”
“Small world Ronnie, she was always one of the nicer girls in school.”
“Well, come on over, we will get this going.”
“See you in a bit then Ronnie.”
“What?”
Smiling Trina says, “so, we got an old girlfriend. Got any more hiding out?”
“Nope she is the only one. Ronnie don't know it, but she was my first heartbreak.”
Laughing, Trina says, ok, I will be watching you mister.”
“Hi Ronnie, this is my wife Trina. Just call us Ben and Trina, no formalities. Honey, me and Ronnie went to school together.”
“Did that involve a lot of beer drinking?” Asked Trina
Both guys just turned red a little. “might have happened, mumbled Ben.
HAHA, laughed Ronnie. I need your signature here. You can pay now or when it is done. I can have a guy out in the morning. I know that place. It is pretty big. Might take him a while.”
“Just as long as he inspects it good. If not much is wrong, I will purchase it, if the seller agrees anyway.”
'Margie owns it lock stock and barrel. She would probably fuss about any offer you make if it is less than she wants, but will probably accept anyway. She has been trying to sell it for a while.”
“Is there a problem with the property?”
“No, lots of people think parts of it are haunted is all.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh yeah, the house is fine, but the barn and back property is supposed to be haunted.”
“I don't think I will let that bother me much. We would take it in spite of that.”
“Come to think of it, my guy will inspect the house top to bottom, but I am not so sure he willing to go near the barn. That is the haunted part.”
“That's fine Ronnie, I just need to be sure of the house.”
“Ben, should we stay another day or two? If they inspect it tomorrow...”
“Why not, might as well get it out of the way. It is a long trip here.”
“I am going to reserve two more nights. That should be good enough, you think?”
“Yep, works for me Ben.”
“Sorry to bother you so late Mr. Lorner, but I talked to the seller.”
“What was their response?”
“She agreed, but was not happy. She said in that case, the place is sold as is. She will not be responsible for any trash or anything on the property or in the house.”
“Haha, that works for me. I agree.” I do have an inspector coming out in the morning. If everything is acceptable we can do paperwork. My wife and I are staying in town a couple more days.”
“Excellent, talk to you tomorrow then.”
“Wow honey, it all hangs on the inspection now.”
Trina just sat on the bed, in shock. “I cannot believe how things moved so fast.”
“I know, let have a drink, otherwise I won't be able to sleep.”
“Well sir, what do you think?”
“The outbuildings are trashed and not really repairable. The barn is ok, but needs some roofing on the southwest corner. That wall under it is also showing deterioration and needs repaired. You also have a rat problem.
The house now is actually in ok shape. The foundation is solid, the basement is good. The electric and septic look excellent and your roof is in good shape, although it is getting a couple of years close to replacement. The plumbing for your water needs some work. It is pulling well water, but either you have a leak or the pump is faulty. The pressure is not very good.
That is what will be on my official report. I will have that done some time today and turned in to my office.”
“Thank you very much. It is actually better than I figured. One thing though, I did not know there was a basement.”
“Oh, under the stairs is a small door you must have missed. It goes down to the basement. A lot of stuff down there though.”
“There is?”
“Yeah, you might want to take a look. Glad I don't have to sort through it.”
“Thanks for your time, I appreciate it.”
“No problem, Ronnie is paying dearly for this one, haha.”
Staring at Trina, “what do you think?”
“Same as you, tell Doris we got a deal, then I want to see this basement.”
“Yeah, Doris, the inspection went well enough. Go ahead with the paperwork. We want the house. In fact, if you could rush it as well as possible, we will stay in town as long as needed. I will bring a cashiers check as soon as we arrange for signing.”
“Glad to hear that. The owner is here in town. I will see how early we can do this and call you back.”
“Thank you”
“ok, lets check our basement.”
“Damn small door. I bet there is another way in from outside.”
“Like a storm cellar door.”
“Yeah.”
“look at all this crap. This is going to be major work cleaning out. Going to need some bug bombs before we start. Looks like no one has been down here in a while.”
“And some cats for the barn, I don't want to spread poison Ben.”
“Hey look. That is an old barber chair. I see a lot of boxes of canning jars.”
“I guess we will have to clean it carefully instead of throwing stuff out.”
“There is another door. Help me move these boxes out of the way. I think the inspector missed this part. I sure hope it is not a bad thing.”
“It is locked.”
“There is a key hanging over here, maybe that fits.”
“It unlocked but hard to open all the way. There, what the hell?”
“Are those solar cells?”
“They sure are Trina, a lot of them. They look brand new, just dusty. You know, we may have to look over this place more carefully.”
“More doors honey.”
“You know, this basement area is outside the house I think.”
'Well, lets see what we got here.”
“Wooden boxes, wonder what is in them? There is a screwdriver, try prying one off. The right tool haha. ”Holy crap!” There are guns in these boxes!
“They look weird honey.”
“They are still in packing grease. Six guns to a case and 10 cases.”
“What does that paperwork say?”
“I don't know about the others, but this is six AR 15s.”
“Ben, lets lock up and go back to the motel.” We can discuss it there.”
“Ok honey, yeah, we need to think on this a bit.”
“Do we need the police or talk to Doris or anything?”
“Absolutely not, we keep this to ourselves at least until the whole place has been inspected by us, then we will decide what to do.”
Back at the hotel
“What do we do Ben?”
“I am kind of in shock. I know. For now, nothing has changed and no one needs to know anything. The first things we do, after buying the house and getting that done is move and clean over every inch of the house and property. I don't know what other surprises may be out there. If we come across something crazy, we may have to involve the police. At the moment we just have a bunch of free guns.”
“You and your guns, that sounds logical. And no worry until we have to.”
“Right sweety.”
“Hi Doris, you got a hold of the seller?”
“Yes I did. She is willing to do the paperwork in the morning. She wants your money.”
“Sounds good to me Doris. I will require the keys and she needs to know that the property is private after we give her the check.”
“I will insure that, but I think she plans on leaving very soon after the sale. She was talking about an aunt in Kentucky.”
“Thanks Doris, see you in the morning.”
“We need to run to the bank and get a cashiers check. We do it all in the morning.”
Grinning widely, all Trina could do was bob her head yes.
“You go, I am going to clean up Ben.”
“You look a little tired.”
“I am just tired of running around Ben. That and everything else we have to do for a move. It just hit me how tough moving can be.”
“I am not looking forward to it either, but it is that or stay where we are.”
“Well said, I will be fine.”
“Good morning Doris. We all ready?”
“Yes, got everything together and the seller should be here soon. I cannot believe how this has worked so fast. Usually it takes a month or so to get through all this.”
“I know we are kind of surprised also. We only started talking about this a few days ago.”
“Good morning Margie. This is Ben and Trina, and this is Margie. Shall we get this going then?”
Everyone nodded.
OK, Margie, for the sum of $200,000, you transfer the property and everything on it, including mineral rights, to Ben and Trina here. Once done, you will have no claim to anything on the property and You, Ben and Trina will own it outright, including any problems that may arise in the future. Margie will have no responsibilities in any way or fashion. The paperwork here states all of that and all the legal mumbo jumbo required by law.
Here is your paperwork and here is yours. I am going to get some coffee while you all read over this. Oh, some people prefer a lawyer present to go over this stuff. I gathered that none of you are asking for a lawyer?”
“No, I have known you a long time Connie. I trust your expertise,” said Margie.
“We haven't known you long, but I think we will go along also, otherwise I would already have one here,” said Ben.
“Good, be back in a bit then.”
Coming back in
“I need to get a coffee pot. The line at the cafe was a little long.”
“Well, what do you all think?”
“I am pleased,” said Ben.
“So am I,” said Margie.
“I am so excited I might bust,” said Trina.
Laughing, Doris said, “sign on the X's here and initial all the other X's. Your money Ben?”
“Here you go, a cashiers check from 1st National.”
“And, we are done. All I have left to do is file the paperwork. Here are the keys Ben and Trina. The place is yours.”
“Margie, you have a bit of money now, enjoy yourself.”
“I am so glad to get rid of that ghosty place, oops.”
“I guess I should have told you. It is haunted. Hunters won't go near parts of it.”
“Don't worry, we have heard that already and don't care.”
“Great! I was afraid to tell you.”
“Not a problem, Margie, we are all good here. Thank you for selling it to us.”
Smiling, Margie walked out, heading to the bank.
“Well, Doris, we are going to head out. I really hate moving, but we will get it done.”
“Thank you two, my commission for this sale will help me also,” said Doris. “Be safe.”
As they left her office, Doris was thinking wow, that monstrosity is gone now.
“Hey Trina, how fast can we change our life?”
“It seems to be pretty darn fast right now. I wish the move could be as fast.”
“Yeah, lets head over to our new house and take some pictures and make a list of what we might need to do first.”
“We really did it,” said Trina.
“I am still in shock sweety.”
“The water lines need fixed along with a major mowing of the area here.”
“You going to do it or have it hired out?”
“I think I will hire it out. WE are going to be busy with other things for now.”
“Who's that coming?”
“Hi Connie, you are our first visitor. We just bought the farm.”
“Good to see you guys. I am glad to have a friend nearby.”
At that, the ladies ignored Ben and started talking redecorating.
Guess I know my place, thought Ben with a grin.
The girls wandered around and Ben headed to the barn.
So this is haunted. Not much trash really. Wonder if that tractor works.
“Hey Ben, me and Connie are going shopping for a couple of things. When do you want to start back?”
“Tomorrow will do. We can spend the rest of the day here and go over some things.”
“Good, we will be back after a bit then.”
“See you later babe.”
Good, thought Ben, now I can think and wander around.
Going back to the house, he went to the basement and to where the guns were.
Wow, I don't even know what to think. Hmm, some of these are AR 15s, some are old M-14s.
Check this other door here off the side. Glad it is not locked.
I kind of figured he thought. Boxes of ammunition and other gear. This is strange. All this stuff here and no one knew?
Coming out of that room he saw a rifle in the corner. It was not covered in grease. He first checked to see if it was loaded and found it to be fully loaded with one in the chamber. Quickly unloading it and making sure it was safe, he realized it was an old M-24 over and under. A 45 cal on one barrel and a 20 gauge in the other. Oh man, I love this one, I am keeping it for sure.
Sitting it in the corner, he left and locked everything up, taking the keys with him.
Ben went through the rest of the house to see what needed done and made a list of things to fix or improve. Time flew by.
“Hey Honey, we are back.”
Hi girls, have a good time?”
“We stopped at a friend of Connies. Their son mows for extra money. He will come out this weekend and do the yard up, but I don't know how much you want mowed.”
“Good, I can mark it off. That will be good enough for now.”
“He wanted a hundred and since I did not know where we would be, I went ahead and paid. You just need to decide where.” I also found a plumber. He is going to come out tomorrow morning and go over things with you.”
“Great! That saves me from worrying about it.”
“Bill is off tonight and I promised to cook out for him. It has been a busy week for the police. Please come over. We can have some beer and steaks and relax.”
“Thank you, Connie, when should we be there? What do I need to bring?”
“Maybe some beer. Not much else I can think of..”
“I am looking forward to it Connie. Don't have to eat restaurant food tonight,” said Ben.
“I have been going over the house. You know, other than some plumbing work and a major cleaning, we could move in anytime and do the other work wwhile living here.”
“Really Ben? I was wondering about that,” said Trina.
“So, what if we stayed, took care of all the untilities and cleaned the place up. If we got a couple of sleeping bags...
“Ok, since you are thinking that way, tomorrow while you and your plumber fool around, I am going to get some sleeping bags, kitchen utensils, food, and have a new refridgerator delivered. Our other one is old anyway. So tonight will be our last night in the motel.”
“Love it, maybe we should go ahead and have all serrvices scheduled?”
“What?”
“Oh, TV, internet, all that kind of stuff.”
“Might as well Ben. The move here will be fairly quick. It's just the work that is bad.”
“By the end of next week, we could be moved,” said Ben.
“Oh my! I had not thought of that!”
I guess we dig into this stuff tomorrow then, but I still got time to call for utilities and water today.”
“Connie, what is best internet and TV out this way?”
“We use dish for TV. For internet there is a newer company we started a couple of months ago. Their service is very fast and reasonable. I think they are called Clearwire.”
“Thanks, I will look them up and call them, said Ben.
“I really hate dealing with salespeople, said Ben.”
“Everything ok hon?”
“Oh yeah, got it all taken care of. They want to sell you more than you want to buy. Everything I can think of is scheduled though. Tomorrow will be a busy one though. Everyone and their mother is scheduled for tomorrow, sometime.”
When we go over for the cook out, lets get a bunch of cleaning stuff tonight.
“Yeah, good idea. We can come back here and do some work.”
“There it is Ben. Connie said she would tie a balloon on the mailbox and to turn down that lane.”
“Hey, welcome! Hope you didn't have any trouble finding us.”
“Nope,” said Ben, “the balloon was a good trick.”
“You are just in time for a beer. Connie is in the kitchen, go on in if you like Trina.”
“So, you bought the place.”
“Yep, your new neighbor. We went through today checking things over. I already have services scheduled for tomorrow. We think we can be moved in by the end of next week.”
“You move fast. I am glad you are here. Connie gets a little lonely out here sometimes. I work some really bad hours and am gone a lot. In fact, I am hoping to eat and have some relaxation here, hoping I don't get called in.
“Should you be drinking beer then?”
“I will only have a max of two. I have 25 years in, so if they get too pissy I would just retire. Been thinking of that anyway. Retire and do more farming and stuff I want to do.”
“I hear you Bill. I am retired, but do contract work. I accept jobs I want to do and ignore the requests that are too cheap or ones I don't like.”
“So how went policing today”
“It was crap. On the north end of town was a meth house we took out. They had just gotten started, but they won't be bothering anyone for a while.”
“You have any violent encounters out here?”
“Those are rare. A couple of years ago we had a gang problem, but they all got removed by the feds. I did not have to deal with them much.”
“Bill, come get the steaks and put them on.”
“Coming boss.”
“This is so much nicer than the restaurant,” said Ben. “Thank you for having us over.”
“Our pleasure. It is not often we get company out here,” said Bill.
“You know, Connie, honey, I just decided something.”
“What are you talking about Bill?”
“I am tired of the horsecrap. I am putting in my papers to retire tomorrow. Let someone else deal with this stupid mayor and council.”
“Oh my God! I cannot believe! I have prayed for this!”
Putting her plate down, she grabbed Bill and started hugging and kissing him.
Laughing, Ben said, “uh you want us to leave now?”
“No silly, he does not get his present til later tonight,” said Connie.
Bill smiled and said, “if I had known that I would have quit long ago.”
“Congrats Bill, we can tie one on when that happens.
“Yes, we can go fishing and get drunk!”
“Ok boys, calm down, me and Trina will keep you busy enough.”
“Ben,” said Trina, what about our basement problem? Can Bill help?”
Instantly serious, Bill said, “whats wrong? I will help if I can.”
“Well, it is hard to describe and I am afraid of the outcome.”
“Ben, tell him!”
“I am going to take him to the house sweety, and show him.”
“Good, that has bothered me, a lot. Can I tell Connie?”
“Yes, we need flashlights though. Got them in the car Ben. I am ready when you are.”
“When we bought the place the lady told us we were stuck with cleaning all the trash and stuff out and getting rid of what we wanted. I suspect she had no idea of what was in the house.”
The basement is easy to miss. I did not even know it had a basement until the inspector told us. We found another door in the basement buried behind boxes. The inspector missed that part. I will let you see what we found when we get there.”
“Wow Ben, that basement is easy to miss. I see you got a lot of cleaning to do.”
Y”yes we do. This door was blocked and we did not see it at first. The key was hanging over there,” Ben said as he unlicked the door.
Opening the door and shining his flashlight, he shined it on the boxes for Bill.
“Holy shit! These were here?”
“Just like you see. The one box we pried the lid on. There seems to be a mix of AR 15s and M14s.”
“I am not guilty of anything. I am hoping I can keep this stuff for myself, but am worried about where it came from.”
“I see your point Ben. Tell you what, I am going to take a few numbers off the guns and the boxes and check them out. I can do that without anything coming back on you. If they are clear, then I guess they are yours. Don't bother them until we can see what is going on though. In fact, just to make you safe, let me keep the key for now. That way, if anything pops up, I can say I had them secured while researching them.”
“Sounds good to me Bill. I feel better now. You want to check the other rooms?”
“Other rooms? What did you buy into Ben?”
“I have no clue.”
“That room is full of ammo. The other two I have not looked in yet.”
“Mind if we do a quick look?”
“Not at all. I would feel better I think if we did.”
“Lot of food stores in this one. I think the guy was a prepper.”
“Do you think it was the old guy that lived here?”
“Must have been. Some of this has been here a while.”
“It is a wonder that it has not been bothered. All this stuff would be worth a fortune.”
Yeah, I just decided I needed new locks on all the doors. I will take care of that in the morning. I also have a bunch of security cameras I bought. I will set them all up tomorrow too.”
“Not a bad idea. Come to think of it, you really need some kind of safe for all this.”
I guess so. IT would have to be a big safe though.”
“Might be easier and cheaper to make a real arms room.”
“I had not thought that far ahead Bill.”
Lets check this other room. Damn, it is locked up tight.”
Not able to find any keys, Bill said, “if you want, a tire tool will take it off.”
“Yes, good idea. I want to check the stuff out while you are here anyway. That way I have deniability if there is a bazooka or a body in there.”
“I sure hope not Ben. That would change the whole situatiion.”
It took more work than they ahd thought. They finally managed to rip the hinges loose. The door jam was trashed but niether really cared at that point.
“What the hell!”
“Is that what I think it is Bill?”
“Yep, I am pretty sure you own a bomb shelter.”
“It's open wide. I wonder how the lock on it works?”
“Lets block the door with something, just in case. I don't want locked in.”
“Here is some scrap rebar, lets just lay that in the doorway. Well, the door moves back and forth easy enough.”
“Wow said Ben, this place is fixed up pretty good. Looks like you got bunks, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Water dont work, maybe it is just shut off somewhere.”
“It is going to take some time and work to figure all this out. I am going to be busy with it. I guess I need to fix the door we broke and put a good lock on it too.”
ok, guys, what should we do?
I took some serial numbers Trina. I am going to very quietly look for them to see if any flags pop up. Don't say anything to anyone else and do not let anyone down there until we know what to do. It should only take a day or two.”
“we found something else too sweety.”
“What, she asked suspiciously.
“seems there is a bomb shelter down there with bunks and a kitchen.”
“What!”
“We just have to inspect and clean it out.”
“Oh Ben, this just keeps getting stranger.”
“I know, but we still got a great deal.”
“Lets go babe, I am really tired.”
“Thanks for dinner and the advice and help.”
Yes, thank you, and it is great to have made friends so quick with someone.” said Trina.
“Yes it is Trina. Sometimes it is lonely out here when Bill is working.”
Lets throw out the sleeping bags and leave for the house after all the utility people get done. We need to finish moving.”
“Not looking forward to that, but yeah. Before we leave, I also need a new lock for the basement door.”
“I got one in the Truck Ben.”
Not bad I guess. We can be home by 10 PM anmd be ready for the move.
All the people coming to get us set up today was a chore but they got done faster than I figured.
We still need to clean the house though. We can do that later.
“Lets get coffee and head out. I am antcy to get going.”
“Me too. I am going to call Connie real quick and let her know we are going.”
Thanks Connie, we will be back in a few days.”
“They will keep an eye on the place for us Ben.”
“That is a relief.”
Things sure have changed over the last few days.”
“Pinch me Ben.”
“Oh hell, I just thought, we still need to sell the house.”
“No worry Ben. We can talk to an agent in the morning and set it up.”
They found an agent and put the house on the market. They also gave her a limited power of attorney to finish the sale without them present. She was an old friend and they trusted her.
Three days later...
“Is that it Ben?”
“I have gone over the house twice and can find nothing else.”
“I called Connie, she says things are fine back there. We just neerd to go I guess.”
“Good, then we can head to our new home.”
“Let me call the realtor real quick.”
“Hi Wendy. Yes we are done and are about to head out. Our keys are all on the kitchen cabinet.
Thank you, talk to you later then.”
“She will have the cleaners coming in the morning to touch up the place. All we got to do is drive now.”
A long drive...
Lets unload tomorrow, I am exhausted.
Yeah, the sleeping bags tonight and tomorrow we can actually clean the house and move in.
Ben, the house has been cleaned!”
What the hell?”
“I suspect your friend Connie had a hand in this,” said Ben.
“What a relief! All we got to do is move in tomorrow!”
“We definitely owe them now.”
“Honey, I cant sleep. My brain will not shut down.”
Be right back dear, I will get us a drink.
“What? Orange juice and tequila?
“It was easy to find. A warm drink but should help.”
“Guess that worked on us both. It is already 9AM”
Doesnt matter Ben, we got a few days at least.”
“Knock knock, anyone home?”
“Hey guys, come on in. We seem to have slept in. Ugh, we don't have anything to offer you. The coffee is out there somewhere.”
Got it covered, said Connie. Plenty of coffee and some breakfast.”
“Wow, said Been. We found the house clean last night and now you bring us breakfast!”
You should not have, said Trina, but we sure do appreciate it.
“Got another surprise Ben, those weapons hidden down there, are completely clear. They were legally bought a long time ago and packed away. I suspect most have never been cleaned or fired. You would think that many weapons bought at once would have set off the ATF, but evidently not. They were bought by Anitcorp, which is a defunct company now. It was a company of the old owner. So I guess they just got wrote off somewhere. That was before the goverrnment cared much I guess”
“Holy crap! Say, how would you like a couple of your own?”
“I couldn't do that Ben”.
“Sure you can. What am I going to do with that many rifles?”
“Tell you what, ask me again after I retire, which is 8 days from now.”
“Congrats! I see trouble for the ladies, haha”
“I put in my paperwork and I cannot tell if they are angry or relieved. HAHA. I don't exactly follow what the mayor or council demand.”
“How did your police chief react?”
“Well, he was not happy at all. I seem to be one of the few he can count on. He said he would not be running for reelection this year.”
“Lot of changes then coming?”
“Yeah, and they won't be logical changes either. Glad we are all out side the city limits. After we are done eating how about we help unload?”
“No need to do that, we got it covered.”
“Nope, we are going to help. We planned that.”
ok then, I sure will apprecitate it.”
“We tried to clean good, but we did not touch the basement. That is your own nightmare.”
“That will take some time. I need to figure security for all those weapons first, then start dragging stuff out.”
“Oh, I did play with your shelter. When were cleaning I found a notebook. Most of it was junk, but there was a set of numbers that had red writing around them. It said safe. They work on the door. We tried it out. It locks and will open from the inside easily, but you need the code to get into it.”
“Wow, that solves a problem I have been worrying about. Hey! A good place to put all those guns while we clean up down there!”
“That would work and get them securely out of the way.”
“Well, I guess we need to get started. I will back the Uhaul up.”
Six hours later:
Everyone on the porch with drinks.
“Crap Trina, I am a little tired to put things away tonight.”
“Me too, but the bed is together, the fridge and microwave are hooked up. We are good.”
“I forgot how rough volunteering to help can be,” said Bill ”I will sleep real well tonight.”
“I sure thank you for your help. I will get rid of the truck and then all we got to do is sort things.”
“Lets do that now Ben. I will follow into town and bring you back. We could use the time away from these slavedriving woment.”
Smiling, Ben said “You are so right. When we go to turn in nthe truck, make sure it is filled completely up and clean said Bill. They mayor owns the stashion that supports Uhaul, and he is an ass.”
“Thanks for the tip. It is clean, I just need to fill it up.”
“Hi, I have a truck to turn in. Here is my paperwork.”
“Sure, so you drove up from Texas?”
“Yes, moving back to my home area.”
“Let me see that paperwork said an older man.”
“Looks ok, you gas it up?”
“Yes I did and it is cleaned out.”
“You bought a place out on 54 didn't you?”
Yes, and we just finished moving.”
“I was trying to buy that place. Lady did not like my price. You want to sell?”
“What? No, we just moved in.”
“I am the mayor here and I can be helpful when needed.”
“Squinting at the mayor, Ben said, “no thank you, we will be staying.”
The mayor looked angry for a moment, but walked off.
“That is why I wanted to come with you Ben, just in case there was a problem with him.”
“Is he always like that?”
“Oh yeah, he is a real ass. Hope people wake up for the next election and get rid of him.
“Well, hope we don't run into each other then.”
“Get in Ben, lets go back to the house.”
Ben Lorner
Trina
Doris Peters...realtor
Connie and Bill
Ronnie and Debbie
Margie...seller