On Shadow.

[realmrsreynolds]

Sallie's accustomed by this point in her career in Milliways with bringing people through to her house.

Sometimes however, she does forget to mention that her door leads to the back end of her walk-in pantry.

"Mind the rice bags, please," Sallie throws out behind her. "I haven't had a chance to put them away yet."

'Them', here, meaning 'a stack of burlap bags waist high that restricts the narrow walkway of actual living space to about half of its original width'.

Sallie's concise like that; even she has issues navigating it all.

Comments

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean shrugs, checking under a couple chairs for any charms or symbols. Just in case.

"I'd say split up, but it's gonna look kinda hinky if I'm over here and you're somewhere else."

Huh. Nothing. Go figure.

"Not that it ain't gonna look hinky if we're both somewhere else. Split up? It'll get us finished faster."

[gavemea_45]

"Sounds good."

He nods to Dean and then retreats the way they came, moving cautiously back up the hall.

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean, meanwhile, makes himself busy.

First he pours a drink--one for Sam, too.

Versimilitude's handy.

Then he starts looking through drawers, under furniture and rugs, and behind paintings.

This is where the EMF detector comes in real useful.

Except for the part where it seems like everything sets it off. Huh.

[realmrsreynolds]

Sallie's in her habitual chair, and Dorothy's in her recliner.

At least the mirrors aren't still covered.

"So, hired on some new folk?" Dorothy makes conversation, playing with the sweetroll Sallie pulled out of her bag.

"That I did. They are brothers; tend to work best as a team, so I hear."

Sallie's the only one with a view of the hallway, and notices Sam moving out of the kitchen.

"Know what they're doing, far as I can tell."

[gavemea_45]

There's a door that opens off the main hall, but it leads to a spare room-- an empty one. He gives it a fast scan just in case, but comes up empty.

Not far past that, though, he finds a set of stairs. Sam makes a face and eases his way slowly up them, avoiding creaky boards as best he can.

[hopeitsworthit]

Yeah, okay. This EMF thing is just weird.

Maybe the chick--Dorothy?--maybe she's just evil. Or something.

He's having a hard time buying it, though.

Dean keeps the detector out anyway; one free hand's all he needs right now. And if that changes--he can just drop it. New one won't be that hard to rig up.

Now.

What else is on this floor?

[gavemea_45]

Turns out that the late Dr. Gaetano's home office is upstairs, and it doesn't take him long to get into the file cabinet.

Or the desk drawer.

The computer system's a little more of a challenge, though.


What's worse, there's nothing unusual in any of it.

[hopeitsworthit]

Doesn't seem to be anything weird. Except the EMF thing.

So Dean heads for the stairs, too, meeting Sam on his way down.

"Nothing down here. Well--weirdass EMF, but unless a Christo's gonna work on Dorothy, pretty sure it's not all that. You?"

[gavemea_45]

"I found jack."

Sam sounds as disgusted as he looks.

"There's an office, yeah, but nothing pings."

[realmrsreynolds]

They're back in the hallway again.

Talking.

"Help you with anything, gentlemen?" Sallie calls to them, doing her level best to remain official-sounding.

[hopeitsworthit]

"You mind if we head outside, ma'am?"

Dean's voice is carefully diffident.

"Sammy, here has this thing with claustrophobia."

[gavemea_45]

Sam cuts a look at Dean before letting out an exasperated breath.

"Yeah."

For some reason, it comes out more than a little flat.

"Claustrophobia."

[realmrsreynolds]

Claustrophobia? They're worse than Malcolm.

"Certainly. I won't be much longer."

[hopeitsworthit]

"No need to rush, ma'am. We'll be fine."

Dean's already turning to head outside.

It's just easier.

[gavemea_45]

"Take your time, ma'am."

Sam nods to Dorothy as well, then follows Dean out.

He waits until they're all the way outside before punching his brother in the shoulder.

"Claustrophobia? What the hell was that?"

[hopeitsworthit]

"Divine inspiration, what the hell do you think?"

Dean reflexively slaps the back of Sam's head.

"Now come on, there's gotta be something around here."

[realmrsreynolds]

More like someone, actually. Someone in overalls and a shovel.

Some things never change, five hundred years and change later.

"You two lost, or here to help?" It's rough and solid, even if the question comes from a man who doesn't look much older than Dean himself.

[gavemea_45]

"Not lost," Sam says. "We're here with Mrs. Reynolds."

[realmrsreynolds]

"Good -- the more someone's here with Missus, the better."

The shovel blade is stabbed into the dirt of the flowerbed butting up against one side of Dorothy's house, and the man leans on its handle.

"The Gaetanos didn't have much friends as they did customers or admirers, really. 'S nice o' Reynolds to come up as she does."

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean's eyebrow goes up.

"Don't tell me people find the whole 'doctor' thing creepy."

Dean does, but--

Never mind.

[realmrsreynolds]

"Sure, at first. He was so helpful to folk though, didn't charge 'em nothin' more than what they thought he was worth. Sometimes they'd bring him jewelry for Missus, or supplies for himself for his office.

"Hell, half that kitchen is filled with stuff ain't even his."

[gavemea_45]

"Really?"

Sam trades a look with Dean.

"It's a real shame what happened to him."

[realmrsreynolds]

"That it is - not fair for a woman to see her husband all cut up like somethin' you're cookin' for dinner."

Still leaning on that shovel, with an added glance downward to the unusual (for Sam and Dean, most likely) sort of yellow almost!peonies. The gardener is definitely trying to give the impression that he's got work to do.

[hopeitsworthit]

"Yeah."

Dean shoves his hands in his pockets.

"Here's hopin' no one was actually planning on making that dinner."

Uh.

[realmrsreynolds]

The gardener looks appropriately disgusted at the notion, but tries to change the topic quickly. It still comes off awkward as hell.

"Aren't you two supposed to be in with Missus Reynolds?" he questions, finally lifting his shovel out of his particular divot.