Chapter 5

With Tina away I had a quiet day that Thursday. I busied myself looking on the internet for any property auctions that may be coming up. These auctions usually offer re-possessed property, where the Bank or Building Society try to recoup their outstanding debt. They put on a reserve that matches their debt so if they have a property with a debt of say three hundred thousand pounds that's their reserve price, even though the value of the property was much higher. As long as they get their money back they don't care, it's the poor sucker who defaulted on the loan who loses. By law any monies recovered in excess of their debt should go to the defaulter. The bidders are not often able to view the property before the auction, so knowledge of the area and the wording in the description of the property is very important. Terms like 'needing attention' or 'in need of decoration' are danger signs. I had fallen foul of such terms before, believing that the blurb was accurate. I learned the hard way, which is the expensive way. I made notes of a couple of auctions that may be interesting. However I wouldn't confirm my attendance until I had Mr. Ander's money in the bank.

On that Friday I arrived at Chetford just after ten. Aleksy's van was parked outside the front door. He had persuaded the gates to open fully and then obviously ignored the brambles and nettles drove straight through them creating an almost cleared path. I didn't follow suit, but left my car just inside the entrance. I was wearing jeans and heavy boots, yet walked gingerly along the cleared path he had made. I was surprised that the boarding had not been taken off the windows. I couldn't see either Aleksy or Tina, but I heard them as I approached the opening where the front door had been. I heard Tina giggling and her words, "stop that!" followed by a slap.

I called loudly. "I don't pay you to mess around on my time." I waited and shortly a red-faced Tina appeared from the back of the house, followed by a grinning Aleksy. "So! What do you think?" I addressed Aleksy.

"Lot of work to do." He told me. He indicated the doorways. "No doors, all gone. No windows, same. Stairs very bad. You can get upstairs with care, but rot in stringers and risers, need new staircase. All plumbing gone." He indicated the tiled floor of the entrance hall. "Tiles cracked and many missing. Floorboards in room's o.k. but need sanding, staining and sealing. Wall plaster has to be patched where gas pipes were ripped out. I think we will come up with many more problems as we go, but everything fixable. Depends on how much you want to spend." He had a damp meter in his hand which he slapped against the wall the red light flickered briefly and went out. "Is good. No damp in walls. I have been upstairs but not checked thoroughly yet." He had a morose expression as he spoke. I think he possibly thought it wasn't worth even trying. I however looked at the house from a different aspect. Tenuous it may be but I had a familial attachment to this house.

"Right. Start on a thorough inspection. If you need more time, I will pay you a daily rate. Make a realistic survey and a ball park figure of what it will cost."

His face cleared. "O.k. Boss. I get started now. Probably need another couple of days here though." I was about to suggest that they come back next week but Tina whispered in his ear. He nodded.

She turned to me. "I am sure we can keep the room at the pub, so if it's all right with you we will stay here over the weekend. I am certain that Aleksy can get his inspection done in another couple of days."

"So I am expected to pay for your dirty weekend?"

Instead of the flippant answer I was expecting she said. "No Daniel. I'll pay for the room. The food's good and the Landlady has provided us with flasks of coffee and a picnic lunch. It's like a little holiday for me."

"That's fine with me. I'll let you get on, I am going to wander up to the ruins. The exercise will do me good. See you in a while."

I couldn't really understand myself. There was nothing up at the top of the gentle rise apart from the merest suggestion of the rubble that a house had been there. That was nothing that impelled me to see them again, yet something did urge me to visit the site once more. Did I expect to hear voices from the past? No! I was a practical businessman who wouldn't be swayed by emotions or my mind playing tricks to divert from my course. Yet some emotion I couldn't understand was directing my steps up the slope to what?

I didn't stay too long amongst the rubble. There were no answers here, that is, if I was seeking answers anyway. However the exercise was good and other ideas played in my mind. I didn't hear the voices.

"Is that him."

"I don't really know. Adelaide."

"It must be, Rupert. If I did not know better I would believe I was seeing Danbury. It must be him."