Appearances Deceive
Chapter Three
It was now around seven in the evening and Sydney and Gage had only begun unpacking the numerous boxes...some filled with every day items, such as clothes and books, and others filled with special cameras and microphones for them to wear to monitor their interaction with neighbors.
"I don't' know about you, but I'm starving Syd." Gage said, compacting an empty box and throwing it on a pile.
"Yeah, me too. Let's go get something to eat, and then we can come back and get a little more unpacking done." She replied.
"I don't know.I was thinking of cooking you my specialty tonight."
"Gage, get the car keys." Syd said.
"Why?"
"Well, number one, we have no food, and number two.you don't have a specialty to make. And even if you did, I'm not sure I would want to eat it."
"Okay, fair enough." Gage said, picking up the keys from a desk and motioning towards the front door. After turning off the lights, both left the house, locking the door behind them, and entered the truck on an excursion to find some decent food. From an upstairs window in a neighboring house, a hand pushed back the curtains and set a pair of binoculars on a table near the window. After watching the truck leave the driveway, they made their way towards their new neighbor's home.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"So what do you think Walker's doing right now?" Sydney asked Gage. They were both seated at a table in a local restaurant not far from their 'home' called The Orchard Inn. It was now almost nine o'clock and both were just finishing a desert of a triple fudge layer cake and coffee.
"I don't know.probably sleeping without a care in the world. Or maybe he and Alex went out for the night." Gage replied.
"Either way, we have to remember to call him when we get home. Speaking of which." Sydney now gestured towards the door. "Ready to get going cowboy?"
"Of course!" Gage said. He began to get up.
"Uh uh." Syd said waving the check in his face. "You're not getting away that easy."
"Oh, come on Syd.How about I pay the next time we go out? Or maybe the time after that?"
"Nope." She replied smiling.
"Okay, okay." Gage said, pulling out his wallet. After paying, the two headed back to the house.
"So do you think we'll spot anything tonight?" Sydney asked after getting in the truck.
"I don't know. I kind of doubt it. I mean, how long had the Brandish's lived in that house? A year?" Gage replied.
"Yeah, I think it was around fourteen months when they disappeared. I just have a feeling that if something' s going to happen, its going to be our first night." Syd said.
"Maybe.we'll just have to wait and see." Soon they pulled back in the driveway and entered the house. Everything was exactly the same as it had been left. After locking the door behind him, Gage put the car keys down on a table in the hall.
"We're going to have to try to get to know the neighbors a little better tomorrow. We need to try to find out what they thought of the Brandish's and stuff like that."
"Yeah.about that. How about you let me do the talking Gage?" Syd smiled.
"I'm hurt Syd." Gage said in mock anger.
"Well.its just I don't want them to suspect anything."
"Okay, I know what you mean.I'm not exactly the best actor."
"Good.now lets get back to unpacking." Syd said.
"Awe, come on Syd.do we really have to? I mean, we might only be here for a few days.what's the sense of unpacking all this stuff when we just have to pack it back up again later." Gage protested.
"We could only be here for a few days.or we could be here for a few weeks or months.it all depends." Syd replied.
"Okay, come on. I want to get to bed at a decent hour." Gage said, moving a large leather armchair and ottoman into the living room.
"That's the spirit Frankie!" Syd said, picking up a box labeled china and putting it into a china cabinet in the dining room which adjoined the living room. By eleven thirty, the rooms were somewhat in order, and a majority of the boxes were unpacked.
"Whew, I'm beat." Gage said, wiping his forehead and collapsing on the couch.
"I know the feeling." Sydney said, sitting down beside him. "Oh my god.I forgot. We better call Walker."
"Right." Gage said, picking up the phone on the table next to the couch, and handing it to Sydney. She dialed Walker's number, which was responded to with ringing and eventually Walker picking up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Walker.its Syd. Sorry to call so late.we just got a little tied up in unpacking."
"No problem. So what's happened?"
"Well.nothing unusual has happened yet.but we left for dinner for a few hours, so you guys will have to check the tapes from the cameras outside at HQ tomorrow."
"Okay.have you met any of your neighbors yet?"
"Actually we have. A woman named Sharon Dillard. She lives across the street from us."
"Okay.let me write that down.we'll do a background check on her tomorrow just to be safe."
"And that was pretty much it. So do you have any advice for us on what to do next?"
"Well.the only thing I can tell you is to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Other than that.get some rest. I'm sure you're both tired."
"Okay, thanks Walker. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Say hello to Alex for us."
"Okay, Bye Sydney." Sydney replaced the phone and turned to find Gage sound asleep next to her on the couch.
"Gage.wake up." Sydney tapped Gage. He made no response, and continued sleeping. "Okay, have it your way." Syd said, finding a blanket and throwing it over him. After placing a peck on his forehead, she headed up the stairs to the Master bedroom and was soon asleep as well.
Chapter Three
It was now around seven in the evening and Sydney and Gage had only begun unpacking the numerous boxes...some filled with every day items, such as clothes and books, and others filled with special cameras and microphones for them to wear to monitor their interaction with neighbors.
"I don't' know about you, but I'm starving Syd." Gage said, compacting an empty box and throwing it on a pile.
"Yeah, me too. Let's go get something to eat, and then we can come back and get a little more unpacking done." She replied.
"I don't know.I was thinking of cooking you my specialty tonight."
"Gage, get the car keys." Syd said.
"Why?"
"Well, number one, we have no food, and number two.you don't have a specialty to make. And even if you did, I'm not sure I would want to eat it."
"Okay, fair enough." Gage said, picking up the keys from a desk and motioning towards the front door. After turning off the lights, both left the house, locking the door behind them, and entered the truck on an excursion to find some decent food. From an upstairs window in a neighboring house, a hand pushed back the curtains and set a pair of binoculars on a table near the window. After watching the truck leave the driveway, they made their way towards their new neighbor's home.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"So what do you think Walker's doing right now?" Sydney asked Gage. They were both seated at a table in a local restaurant not far from their 'home' called The Orchard Inn. It was now almost nine o'clock and both were just finishing a desert of a triple fudge layer cake and coffee.
"I don't know.probably sleeping without a care in the world. Or maybe he and Alex went out for the night." Gage replied.
"Either way, we have to remember to call him when we get home. Speaking of which." Sydney now gestured towards the door. "Ready to get going cowboy?"
"Of course!" Gage said. He began to get up.
"Uh uh." Syd said waving the check in his face. "You're not getting away that easy."
"Oh, come on Syd.How about I pay the next time we go out? Or maybe the time after that?"
"Nope." She replied smiling.
"Okay, okay." Gage said, pulling out his wallet. After paying, the two headed back to the house.
"So do you think we'll spot anything tonight?" Sydney asked after getting in the truck.
"I don't know. I kind of doubt it. I mean, how long had the Brandish's lived in that house? A year?" Gage replied.
"Yeah, I think it was around fourteen months when they disappeared. I just have a feeling that if something' s going to happen, its going to be our first night." Syd said.
"Maybe.we'll just have to wait and see." Soon they pulled back in the driveway and entered the house. Everything was exactly the same as it had been left. After locking the door behind him, Gage put the car keys down on a table in the hall.
"We're going to have to try to get to know the neighbors a little better tomorrow. We need to try to find out what they thought of the Brandish's and stuff like that."
"Yeah.about that. How about you let me do the talking Gage?" Syd smiled.
"I'm hurt Syd." Gage said in mock anger.
"Well.its just I don't want them to suspect anything."
"Okay, I know what you mean.I'm not exactly the best actor."
"Good.now lets get back to unpacking." Syd said.
"Awe, come on Syd.do we really have to? I mean, we might only be here for a few days.what's the sense of unpacking all this stuff when we just have to pack it back up again later." Gage protested.
"We could only be here for a few days.or we could be here for a few weeks or months.it all depends." Syd replied.
"Okay, come on. I want to get to bed at a decent hour." Gage said, moving a large leather armchair and ottoman into the living room.
"That's the spirit Frankie!" Syd said, picking up a box labeled china and putting it into a china cabinet in the dining room which adjoined the living room. By eleven thirty, the rooms were somewhat in order, and a majority of the boxes were unpacked.
"Whew, I'm beat." Gage said, wiping his forehead and collapsing on the couch.
"I know the feeling." Sydney said, sitting down beside him. "Oh my god.I forgot. We better call Walker."
"Right." Gage said, picking up the phone on the table next to the couch, and handing it to Sydney. She dialed Walker's number, which was responded to with ringing and eventually Walker picking up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Walker.its Syd. Sorry to call so late.we just got a little tied up in unpacking."
"No problem. So what's happened?"
"Well.nothing unusual has happened yet.but we left for dinner for a few hours, so you guys will have to check the tapes from the cameras outside at HQ tomorrow."
"Okay.have you met any of your neighbors yet?"
"Actually we have. A woman named Sharon Dillard. She lives across the street from us."
"Okay.let me write that down.we'll do a background check on her tomorrow just to be safe."
"And that was pretty much it. So do you have any advice for us on what to do next?"
"Well.the only thing I can tell you is to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Other than that.get some rest. I'm sure you're both tired."
"Okay, thanks Walker. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Say hello to Alex for us."
"Okay, Bye Sydney." Sydney replaced the phone and turned to find Gage sound asleep next to her on the couch.
"Gage.wake up." Sydney tapped Gage. He made no response, and continued sleeping. "Okay, have it your way." Syd said, finding a blanket and throwing it over him. After placing a peck on his forehead, she headed up the stairs to the Master bedroom and was soon asleep as well.
