make out the driver inside. The car engine and lights turned off. The driver side door opened.
No one came out. Some movement nearby caught her attention. The small herd of deer was scattering into the woods.
When she heard the car door slam shut, she glanced once again at the rearview mirror. Still no one there. Strange.
She grabbed her cell phone from where she’d left it on the console. Alastair needed to get back here quick.
A knock on her window made her jump, and the cell phone tumbled into her lap.
“Sorry!” A blond woman stood by her car window. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Elsa caught her breath. Where had this lady come from so quickly?
“I’m Shanna Draganesti, but please call me Shanna.” She grinned. “I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a big fan!”
“Thank you.” Elsa grabbed her handbag from the backseat floor, slipped her cell phone inside, then opened the door slowly while Shanna moved out of the way. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Elsa Bjornberg.”
“Oh, I know.” Shanna’s eyes widened as Elsa climbed out of the car. “Wow. You must be over six foot.”
Elsa gritted her teeth and shut the door. Yes, I’m freakishly large. I’m so tall I occasionally suffer from altitude sickness. “I’m six foot two.”
Shanna’s eyes lit up. “You’re perfect!”
Huh? That wasn’t the usual response. Elsa hitched her handbag onto her shoulder. “Thanks. By the way, Alastair is here, too. He’s taking a look around. He’s very excited about renovating your house. I am, too. We think it has enormous potential.”
“Oh.” Shanna’s smile looked strained. “That’s nice.”
Another odd reaction. Owners were usually bouncing with joy at this point. Elsa motioned toward the house. “Can we take a look inside?”
“Of course.” Shanna glanced at her watch, then down the driveway.
“Hello,” Alastair called out as he approached. “You must be Mrs. Draganesti?”
Shanna spun around to greet him. “Oh, my. It’s Big Al.” She shook his hand. “I’m a big fan of your show. Please call me Shanna.”
“Delighted to meet you, Shanna.” Alastair turned off his flashlight. “I just finished a quick exterior inspection, and I must say I absolutely adore this house. I can’t wait to start work on it!”
Shanna gave him a weak smile. “Well, you might change your mind once you see the inside.” She dug in her handbag and removed a set of old keys.
Alastair gave Elsa a questioning look, and she shrugged. The owner seemed to be having second thoughts about them working on her house.
Shanna climbed the steps to the front porch. “I’m afraid the inside is a disaster. The electricity and plumbing don’t work, and I think there are some birds living in the attic.”
“Those are fairly common problems with an old house,” Elsa assured her. “We’re accustomed to completely redoing the wiring and plumbing.”
“And Oskar loves trapping birds,” Alastair added with a smile.
“I see.” Shanna unlocked the door, and it creaked open. “I have some extra flashlights here.” She reached inside a basket by the door and handed one to Elsa, then took another for herself.
Alastair clicked his on and gasped. “Good Lord, Ellie, look at the staircase! It’s magnificent.”
“Wow.” She moved forward, running her flashlight beam up the elegant curve of the staircase.
“Look at that!” Alastair aimed his flashlight straight up at the cupola. “Stunning, absolutely stunning.”
“And this is a gatehouse?” Elsa turned to Shanna. “There must be a really spectacular main house somewhere near by.”
Shanna winced. “Well, yes. There’s a mansion about three miles down the road. But it’s a very private school, and under no circumstances can its existence be made public.”
That amount of secrecy seemed a bit odd. Elsa exchanged a look with Alastair. “There would be no need to ever mention the school on our show.”
“But it would be
No one came out. Some movement nearby caught her attention. The small herd of deer was scattering into the woods.
When she heard the car door slam shut, she glanced once again at the rearview mirror. Still no one there. Strange.
She grabbed her cell phone from where she’d left it on the console. Alastair needed to get back here quick.
A knock on her window made her jump, and the cell phone tumbled into her lap.
“Sorry!” A blond woman stood by her car window. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Elsa caught her breath. Where had this lady come from so quickly?
“I’m Shanna Draganesti, but please call me Shanna.” She grinned. “I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a big fan!”
“Thank you.” Elsa grabbed her handbag from the backseat floor, slipped her cell phone inside, then opened the door slowly while Shanna moved out of the way. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Elsa Bjornberg.”
“Oh, I know.” Shanna’s eyes widened as Elsa climbed out of the car. “Wow. You must be over six foot.”
Elsa gritted her teeth and shut the door. Yes, I’m freakishly large. I’m so tall I occasionally suffer from altitude sickness. “I’m six foot two.”
Shanna’s eyes lit up. “You’re perfect!”
Huh? That wasn’t the usual response. Elsa hitched her handbag onto her shoulder. “Thanks. By the way, Alastair is here, too. He’s taking a look around. He’s very excited about renovating your house. I am, too. We think it has enormous potential.”
“Oh.” Shanna’s smile looked strained. “That’s nice.”
Another odd reaction. Owners were usually bouncing with joy at this point. Elsa motioned toward the house. “Can we take a look inside?”
“Of course.” Shanna glanced at her watch, then down the driveway.
“Hello,” Alastair called out as he approached. “You must be Mrs. Draganesti?”
Shanna spun around to greet him. “Oh, my. It’s Big Al.” She shook his hand. “I’m a big fan of your show. Please call me Shanna.”
“Delighted to meet you, Shanna.” Alastair turned off his flashlight. “I just finished a quick exterior inspection, and I must say I absolutely adore this house. I can’t wait to start work on it!”
Shanna gave him a weak smile. “Well, you might change your mind once you see the inside.” She dug in her handbag and removed a set of old keys.
Alastair gave Elsa a questioning look, and she shrugged. The owner seemed to be having second thoughts about them working on her house.
Shanna climbed the steps to the front porch. “I’m afraid the inside is a disaster. The electricity and plumbing don’t work, and I think there are some birds living in the attic.”
“Those are fairly common problems with an old house,” Elsa assured her. “We’re accustomed to completely redoing the wiring and plumbing.”
“And Oskar loves trapping birds,” Alastair added with a smile.
“I see.” Shanna unlocked the door, and it creaked open. “I have some extra flashlights here.” She reached inside a basket by the door and handed one to Elsa, then took another for herself.
Alastair clicked his on and gasped. “Good Lord, Ellie, look at the staircase! It’s magnificent.”
“Wow.” She moved forward, running her flashlight beam up the elegant curve of the staircase.
“Look at that!” Alastair aimed his flashlight straight up at the cupola. “Stunning, absolutely stunning.”
“And this is a gatehouse?” Elsa turned to Shanna. “There must be a really spectacular main house somewhere near by.”
Shanna winced. “Well, yes. There’s a mansion about three miles down the road. But it’s a very private school, and under no circumstances can its existence be made public.”
That amount of secrecy seemed a bit odd. Elsa exchanged a look with Alastair. “There would be no need to ever mention the school on our show.”
“But it would be
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