Chapter 15: Discovery

Ricky tries to call Robin and gets her voicemail. He leaves a message saying he received her letter and asks for her to call him back. She returns his call a few hours later, but he is in a meeting and she leaves a message. After a series of several voicemail messages they arrange to meet at a restaurant near her home on Saturday morning.

“Hey, babe, I’m headed out,” yells Ricky as he puts his coffee cup in the sink.

“Be careful and good luck. Call me as soon as you leave. I’m very curious about what Robin has to say,” replies Maggie from the bedroom.

Ricky makes the drive in just under an hour and arrives at the restaurant a few minutes early. He enters and tells the hostess he is meeting someone for breakfast. The hostess tells him his guest has already arrived and is seated. He is escorted to a booth under a window that overlooks a patch of green grass leading into a heavy thatch of trees.

“Robin?” asks Ricky.

A woman in her late fifties easily slips from the booth and offers Ricky a firm handshake. As she slides back into her seat Ricky gets a good look. Robin is a very attractive woman who is wearing designer clothing and a few simple but exquisite pieces of jewelry.

“Please sit,” Robin says. “Thank you for coming to me this morning. My schedule is a bit hectic I appreciate the effort.”

Ricky sits opposite Robin in the booth. A waitress arrives at the table and takes their order.

Robin starts without preamble. “As you know, I am Robin Spencer. My father was Darren Brimble. He built the house next door to you for himself and my mother, and the house you are now living in was built for me and my husband shortly after we are married.”

Their coffee arrives and they both take a moment to take a sip.

“How do you like the house?” asks Robin.

Ricky says, “My wife, Maggie, and I have been in the house for about five years. We like it. Like the large lot that came with the house. Like most houses, there are some idiosyncrasies.”

Robin has a far-away look in her eye when she says, “Yes, the property is nice. Not nearly as large as what mom and dad kept for themselves, but still a good-sized lot. And yes, dad had some very ... original architectural design ideas.”

Ricky takes another drink from his coffee, letting Robin drive the conversation. She gets right back to the point.

“I understand you know your neighbors fairly well, and after their divorce have stayed close with Barb.” Robin states this as fact and does not wait for confirmation.

“I also understand that there have been some break-ins and potential unusual activity on or around the property.”

Now Ricky has to speak. “I am not denying what you’ve said, but how do you know so much?”

Robin puts her coffee cup on the table and cups what warmth is left radiating out of the cup.

“Humor me, please. Only a few more minutes. You said you have been in the house for about five years. What have you done to it – repaint, new appliances, new flooring, any other changes?”

Ricky crooks his head and looks at his companion with a air of bewilderment, but decides to humor her for the time being.

“Yes, it’s been about five years. Maggie and I have done very little to the house. I think it sat empty for a prolonged time and before it was put onto the market several upgrades were made that may not be exactly what we would have chosen, but they are good enough that we haven’t taken the time or spent the money to change them.”

“And the neighbor’s house?” prompts Robin.

“After the divorce Barb repainted and added hardwood flooring, but no structural changes.”

Robin is nodding her head.

Ricky then adds, “Of course, we have both had a security and lighting system installed after the recent break-ins.”

There is a brief silence at the table, then Robin says, “And that is why I asked you to meet me this morning. In the past several weeks I have had a few unusual encounters. I think they may be related.”

Ricky was initially curious as to why Robin wanted to meet in person, but hearing that she thinks there may be connected incidents in her life has his curiosity maxed-out.

“What could have happened that would lead you to think it is related to some break-ins at your former homes?” Ricky asks.

Robin explains to Ricky that in the past several weeks she has been contacted by suspicious individuals. Both phone calls started with innocuous questions, but then the caller tried to probe for information related to the time she lived in her childhood home and then the time spent in the house with my husband.

“I thought the first call was odd and didn’t think much about it,” says Robin. “However, after the second, and the questioning about the houses, I started to wonder who would be so interested in those houses. I hired a private investigator and that is how I got the information about you and your neighbor.”

Ricky is annoyed at the idea that this woman hired a PI to get information, but thinks there is more to the tale and keeps his mouth shut.

Robin sees the waitress approaching and motions for a refill of their coffee cups. She waits for the top-off before continuing with a question to Ricky.

“How much do you know about my family?” she asks.

Ricky tells her he only knows what his realtor told them when they were considering buying the house. Basically, her father made a lot of money and was able to buy the majority of land in their area. He put aside several acres for his personal use, including a section that was split off for a second house when his daughter got married. He also owned and sold much of the surrounding land to the city as it expanded.

Robin is nodding her head as Ricky speaks, apparently confirming the summary of facts he recited.