Chapter Two

Previously:

…He finished the outside inspection, headed back down the stairs and headed for the back door only to stop dead in his tracks. The door, which had been shut, was now slightly open. Since he'd heard nothing and seen no one while he was doing his inspection, it bothered him that someone had entered the home, unawares-before him. He took out his pistol and started cautiously moving alongside the back of the cabin.

He might not have made the choice he had only he had been out in the open expecting the place. Surely, whoever had entered the home-would have seen him. To Heath that spelled trouble if he allowed the other party to get a drop on him.

Slowly, Heath opened the back door all the way and stepped inside. Once inside he could see an archway on his left, approximately four feet from the back entrance way. There was no other door or entrance way on that side. To his right, he could see two doors, side by side. He estimated the first door to be seven feet from the back door, and the second door ten feet. At the end of the hallway was another door. He could only guess it led into the kitchen he'd seen from the front window. Again, he moved slowly and cautiously until he reached the archway. He then entered the room as fast he could, his gun held out- ready to shoot if he needed to. However; the room, which appeared to be some sort of study, had nothing but a couch, table, small desk and a bookshelf with four shelves. The shelves were bare except for two books. If it weren't for the reading material Heath would have thought nothing about it-as everything else was listed in the will only-upon closer inspection-they too had been worked on. He could tell by the newer wood in various spots on the furniture. And the books…where had they come from? He exited the study and, crossing the hall, moved up the hallway slowly.

When he reached the first door, it was shut tight. When he pressed his ear against the door-he could hear absolutely nothing. He quickly opened it up. A cot and three drawer dresser were the only furniture in the room, and there was another door in the corner. Once again, he'd have thought nothing of it-as those items were also in the will and, from what Jarrod's friend had read-all the rooms had at least small closets in them. Only problem was- there was a shawl folded and setting on the dresser-which looked to be newer than what the will made it sound like. He didn't like that…as it was only proof that there was indeed someone making themselves at home. He left the room and looked at the second door; it was slightly open. He entered the room quickly and…nothing. Not a solid piece of furniture, picture or anything that spoke of inhabitants.

Heath started thinking, and the more he thought about it, he could come up with only one thing. Squatters. While he did not hate them-he didn't like the trouble that followed people who made themselves at home in a place that wasn't theirs. Besides, the trouble of getting them to leave always caused a lot of headache. Still…he was confused. If he was right, why had they not approached him while he was outside? Was it possible they really hadn't seen him? He left the room, shutting the door behind him. Deciding it was indeed squatters, the last thing he needed to do was scare whoever was in the house with a gun in his hand. He slid his weapon back in its holster, though he kept his hand on the top of it – just in case. Slowly he made his way to the door at the end of the hallway.

Just as he reached for the door handle with his free hand, he heard noise coming through the hallway ceiling-as if at least one person was moving around. He opened the door and stepped into what turned out to be another hallway, only was horizontal instead of vertical like the hallway he'd just stepped out of. There was an archway straight across from the door that he'd just opened; it led into what he knew to be the kitchen-as he could see the sink from where he stood. Had he stepped inside, he'd have seen the potbelly stove he'd seen from the front window. As it was, he was more concerned about the noise of someone moving around upstairs than he was in inspecting the kitchen. He looked down both sides of the hallway. There was a door at the end of the hallway to his left, most likely the bedroom he'd looked into, and there was another door across from it. Most likely another room. He would have liked to look inside of the second room only there was that noise again.

He turned to his right; he could see a door halfway down the hall only it was the partial set of stairs that caught his eye the fastest. He walked briskly towards the stairs. Just as he drew close to the stairs, he got the shock of his life when a young girl who appeared to be around ten and dressed in a simple gray dress descended the stairs. Her hair was dark brown and done up in two piggy tails. Before he could say anything, the young child-whose eyes had widened-turned around and hightailed it back up the stairs. She was screaming for someone named Casey and Melissa. Not knowing who Casey or Melissa were, Heath leaned against the wall across from the stairs and waited.

He didn't have to wait but a few minutes before a blue eyed, light brown haired young woman who appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen was standing at the bottom of the stairs; the young brown haired child that had ran for the young woman was hiding behind her. A young boy, probably around thirteen or fourteen, had also appeared.

No one spoke at first, and then Heath broke the silence. "May I ask who you are and what you're doing in William Vance's old home?"

Confusion appeared int the eyes of both the young boy and the young woman. "Did you say William Vance?" The young woman tried to move forward only to find the young girl-who was actually her sister – holding on tight.

"Yes, I did. Why?" Heath stepped away from the wall only to hear the boy mutter 'Well, that explains a lot.'

"Casey, hold your tongue." She then apologized to Heath. "My name is Melissa Leitch. My brother and I have spent countless hours putting a lot of work into repairing this place. I…" she shook her head and asked if they could go sit down in the living room. "It's a long story; I'd rather be sitting down. Though, may we ask your name and what brings you here as well? I'd like to know who I'm having to explain things to."

"Mr. Vance left the place to my brother, Jarrod. He asked me to come and take a look." Heath gave her a crooked smiled. "And, my name is Heath Barkley."

The moment he said his name pure unadulterated shock roll over the young woman's-and her brother's-faces. It made him wonder how they knew his name.