The Seventh One

Things didn't feel physically lighter, but mentally lighter. For the past three days, Billie had been over every single day, And I actually looked forward to his prescense versus waiting for him to leave. The sheriff had also come and gone again. Getting more evidence, they had cleaned up the broken China closet over an week ago, but were investing some other things. There is one thing that I seemed to have missed the day it all happened though. There were three crashes, one in the kitchen, one in the living room, and one in the guest room. So of course I recovered what the crashes in the living room and guest room was, but what the hell was in the kitchen. Nothing had been out if place. Nothing moved, so I couldn't come to any reasonable conclusion.
I looked out the big windows in the kitchen. The view went over the backyard. It was foggy out this morning. Supposed to be overcast today. With luck, we'll have some sort of sunshine.
I gripped the ceramic coffee cup tightly in my hand. Just awaiting Billie's arrival. I suppose I was gripping the cup so tightly because I don't need him sneaking up on me, making me break another coffee utensil.
I sat the cup down and went to get dressed. Taking my dear sweet time doing so, then on my way back into the living room, an knock sounded. I pulled open the front door and Billie waltzed in, all full of smiles. I rolled my eyes playfully at him and shut the door behind him. I turned to face him.

“Sup.” he grinned.

I laughed “Nothing, Armstrong.”

He nodded thoughtfully, “Cool cool.”

He ran an hand through his hair. Amazingly! It was still black. He's well known for constantly dying his hair.
“Uh, actually, I have something to tell you.”

I narrowed my eyes at him “What?”

“What if... This whole thing is just an prank? Someone broke into your house, flipped the cabinet And stuffed thr chest with forged documents?”

I paused, thinking about the possibility. Then I shook my head firmly. “No. No one could forge Jess's handwriting. He was raised to write old school. His mom was an handwriting teacher for Pete's sake! I can't imagine anyone being able to do what Jess does. Or did. Besides, no one besides you knows more about me Armstrong. So unless you were leaking my life to people, I can't say it's an prank yet.” I laughed And led him into the kitchen. Preparing an cup of coffee for him. He didn't have to come over every day. I know he has got better things to do at hid own home besides be my own couch potato.
I smiled as I saf the cup down before him. He mumbled an thanks and I dropped into the chair across from him.
I yawned, I still hadn't slept much over the cast of thr past week. I began to wonder if I'd ever sleep another drop. If I wasn't just coming down with some mysterious mid-life insomnia illness.
Just then the phone rang. I grudgingly got out of my chair and pulled the phone off the hook on the wall.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Amy Scott?” asked an gruff male voice on the other end.

“Sure.” I sighed, wrapping thr white curly phone cord around my fingers.

“This is officer Briggston. We'd like to come to your house today for further investigation, if that's ok ma'am?”

I took an deep breath and let it all out in an big puff. Turning to lean my back against the wall. I glanced over at Billie. I suppose today could work. It will be an tad hard commencing our secret investigations when there is a bunch of cops swarming my house.
“Yeah sure. What time?”

“10:30 if that works with you.”

I nodded solemly, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet. “Yeah that works, see you then...” I said awkwardly.

He muttered an thank you and the line went dead. I hitched up thr phone again and dropped back down into my previous seat. With an big puff of air. I was so tired of dealing with all of this, I wanted nothing more than to forget it. But I'll face if and finish it.
Billie writhed his hands together on the tabletop awkwardly. I looked over at him. While I began planning out in my head what we were doing for today. Same old stuff probably, reviewing letters, documents, blah! I need an change of scenery. If we haven't found any big clues in there yet, I don't think we are. Either that or we don't need to do it yet.

We talked casually. Unable to get into our old joking groove. Just stiff comments on the weather and whatnot. It became ten too quickly Becuasw the doorbell sounded again at the door. I got up and slugged off to answer it. Welcoming in the six officers and went back to sitting in thr kitchen. I looked around the small room. The door way from here to thr living room was all open. So you could easily see the front door from the kitchen table. The walls were pale blue. I hadn't changed much since Jessie passed. The old watercolor painting on the wall by the window that he had hung there some punch of years ago. Honestly, now that I think of it, I never even saw him hang it. It's almost like it was here before we ever moved in. The watercolor painting was at least two and an half feet long and two feet across. Id ask Jessie what the painting was of and he'd look at it thoughtfully for ab moment. And his response would be “It's an place I've seen before. It's somewhere in the mountains” but he'd never give me location or more details. Because he'd suddenly become very interested in something in the living room. I caught myself staring at the soft pastel colors. Trying to imagine what it was like to actually be there. The emerald color of the tree tops, the glitter of rosey pink on the water. The rustic brown of an old warehouse by the river. The waterwheel, the color of a terra cotta clay pot. Moss and grass grew along the river bank while an peaceful orange sunset settled into the background. As peaceful as it was, there was always something dark and unnerving about the picture. Something hidden. And I don't think it's supposed to be found. I looked away from the painting when Billie called me. At some point in my trance, he'd gotten up and stood in front of the front door.

“Amy, I'll be back in a bit.”

No explanation. That's Billie for you I suppose.
I rose from my chair and commenced work on lunch. I organized ingredients and began my work. I was halfway through stirring an soup in an big pot when there was an loud crash in the back of the hall. I warily sat the ladle on the cabinet And made my way down the hall. The officers, two of them anyways, had managed to dump the vanity. It had ab loose leg and tended to fall over. Which is why I had it balanced in the corner. They waved sheepishly. I shook my head and went back to the kitchen. Turning off the burner, I turned around. Jess's painting hung crookedly on the wall now. I'd never touched the painting. Only mearly dusting it because, it sort of had an eery feeling to it.
I grabbed the bottom corners of the frame and pulled it slightly back the other way. But it moved to far to the left, and I noticed the hole in the wall, the size of an dollar bill. My eyebrows pulled together and I scooted the frame farther away. An crawlspace behind the frame. I gaped. It was an space behind the wall. Dusty, an latter hung on the back of the wall. There was an wooden door beneath the latter and at the top. I looked back to the front door where Billie stood widemouthed. He was right, he was back quickly. I waved him over and he quickly made his way over until we were both staring up at the same thing. Then, everything went to shit... Cries enveloped the house. Screams From the officers, the windows rattled, floorboards squeaked and everything was in mayhem. What the hell?! We hugged to each other. Until the front door blew out with an loud crash And ab spray of splinters flew everything. My knees went weak, I stared in the doorway an an acient, flaming demon. I held my breath, before I could do anything else, Billie was shoving me up into the crawlspace, following suit and leveling the frame behind us. Our eyes met in utter horror. The same question was echoing in thr silence waiting to be spoken, what the hell was that?!...