A Realtors Halloween

The Inspection

I called Roger in the morning and made the appointment for 1.30. Technically it was an inspection, not a showing. The house was coming on the market tomorrow and I wanted to view it before bringing clients. We both worked for the same brokerage and had become good friends and colleagues.

“What time did you want to come by John?”

“How’s 1.30?”

“OK but I have to tell you there is still one tenant living there. An older lady who thinks she owns the place. She isn’t taking the sale very well John. I’ll drop by later this morning and let her know you will be there at 1.30.”

He gave me the lockbox code and I went to the coffee shop to study the feature sheet, floor plans and pictures.

Cold, damp and overcast. It was the last day of October and as I drove up the street, I could see the wispy ghosts and creepy spider webs hanging from the trees, acting as sentinels guarding Brunswick Ave from intruders.

I found 145 Brunswick and parked on the street. Got out of the car and took in the 3 and a half storey Annex style house. It was over 5500SF with the classic Annex red brick and terra cotta shingles. Rusticated stone foundations and window sills with carved sandstone detail. A front facing gable and a recessed side entry turret complete with a winged gargoyle. It was built in 1896 and looked like no one had kept it up since then. It needed a complete renovation.

Roger Bannister, the listing agent, estimated $1.5 million would bring the 19th century features back to life and add some modern standards to the interior.

I walked to the side entrance turret, the gargoyle watching me carefully. I found the lockbox. It was right where Roger said but it was open and the key was gone. A shiver went thru my backside.

The door was ajar so I entered and took in the grand foyer. Gleaming hardwood, a grand entrance with stained glass windows, a large fireplace with a glowing hearth that emitted warmth and dissipated the damp chill of October. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a body lying face down at the foot of the stairs.

I ran over to it. There was a red blood stain on the back. I gently turned the body over.

“Good God! Roger!” The left side of his head was covered in blood, dripping down the side of his face. He had been stabbed and then hit on the head.

I gently lifted his head and spoke “Roger, Roger can you hear me?”

I checked for his pulse. It was pounding. He opened his eyes and in a hoarse whisper

spoke to me – “Run John…Run!”

“That’s right John…..you run, run away or face the same fate!” came a cold commanding

voice.

I looked up and there on the first landing of the staircase was a woman. Her hair was a

mess, her clothing of poor quality and tattered. My mind was racing trying to associate

the facts with the immediate scenario … The evening news headline immediately entered

my mind …“Toronto real estate agents murdered in the Annex!…CITY TV news at 6pm.”

My eyes became transfixed upon the kitchen knife, covered in blood, which she held in

her outstretched arm pointed at me.

I quickly stood and took a step back…she took one step down towards me.

“No one takes my home from me, NO ONE!” she screamed in a high pitched voice.

Adrenaline was now pounding through my body. What to do? THINK!

She pounced down the last 4 steps and raised her hand, the knife clasped firmly high

above her head. It was a scene out of the movie ‘Psycho’.

I took another step back, facing her. She stood beside Roger’s prone body, knelt down

and thrust the knife into his abdomen. Once… twice… three times!! Hard strokes deep

into his stomach. I couldn’t watch anymore. Bile rose up my throat. Blood oozed from his

abdomen, drenching his white dress shirt, spilling out onto the floor.

She stopped, the knife buried into him up to the hilt. She slowly turned her gaze to me

and a smile came across her face…

“Hello Johnny. Nice to meet you.”

Just then Roger moved, he rose to a sitting position…

“Hey John, meet my wife Emily…..Trick or Treat!”