Chapter Text
The new house was taking some getting used to. It was far larger than anything we’d lived in before, despite the fact that it was only a modest 3-bedroom, 2-bath in the suburbs. It was a blessing, of course, to have a place all to ourselves. I shouldn’t let myself forget that. It was more than a lot of people had, and I should be grateful. Still, the ever-present sense of unfamiliarity was beginning to wear on me, and I found myself wishing for the millionth time that we could just get settled already.
We never had much furniture in the first place, and the stuff we did have was mostly junk. I brought it with us anyway to make it feel more like home. It was working, a little. Life felt slightly more normal with the same battered old coffee table sitting in the living room collecting unopened mail and empty juice cups. And I could never go anywhere without my perfectly lived-in couch, worn soft enough to bury my face in the cushions like I was doing just then.
There were about a million things I should have been doing, but I just couldn’t bring myself to get up. Carter was finally down for his nap, clean and fed and content, and that was the most important thing. My other responsibilities could wait another half hour or so. I let my eyes drift shut for a few moments. It would just be a short rest, to help me catch my second wind. I deserved it, with everything going on. I hadn’t been sleeping well at all lately, and the monitor was on full volume, so I’d hear if Carter woke up and needed anything. It would just be a quick rest…
A brusque knock sounded at the door. I groaned into the couch cushions and rolled onto my back. Maybe they’d just go away, whoever they were.
Knock, knock, knock.
No such luck. I got to my feet rather unceremoniously and padded to the door before whoever it was on the other side started using the doorbell, god forbid. I swung the door open on newly-oiled hinges.
Two suited men stood on my doorstep, looking very official and very imposing. They were also devastatingly attractive, had I been paying attention to that sort of thing.
“Ah, something I can help you guys with?” I crossed my arms over my chest as I spoke. I really should have put on a bra this morning. Or done something with my hair.
The taller man spoke first. “Yes, actually. I’m Agent Page and this is my partner, Agent Plant.” They flashed their badges at me in unison, just long enough for me to catch the FBI logo embossed in gold. Jesus. I had a hunch I knew what they were here about, but I had no idea it was FBI-level. I’d already spoken to the cops, told them everything I knew. What else was there to say?
The other man spoke next, not-so-subtly eyeing me up and down. “We’re here to ask you a few questions about the recent incident at this address. Mind if we come in for a moment?”
I paused, sparing a glance toward Carter’s room. There was really only one answer I could give them, and so I did. “Yeah, sure. If you’re quiet.”
The tall man shot me a quick, reassuring smile. Hello, dimples. “Of course.”
I snagged a sweater from the back of a chair and shrugged it on as I led the two men into the kitchen. “Sorry about all the construction stuff, we’re still finishing up on the floors. And I’m sure you guys can understand why it’s been slow going lately.”
“It’s no trouble. It’s a beautiful house.”
“Yeah, it was my grandmother’s. Left it to me in her will when she passed.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Agent Page said it so sincerely for a man whose job involved so much death.
“It’s alright. Happens to everyone eventually, right?” I gestured at the kitchen table and crossed to open the fridge. “Sit. You guys want anything to drink?”
The shorter man, Agent Plant, apparently, perked up a little. “You got beer?”
His partner elbowed him in the ribs and sent him a reproachful look. “No, thank you. We’re fine.”
Huh. These guys were weird, for FBI agents. They looked the part, certainly, in their pressed black suits, but didn’t act like government cronies at all.
I leaned back against the counter and crossed my arms over my chest again. I suddenly had the feeling that something was off. “I’ve already gone over everything with the police. Is this really necessary?”
Agent Page with the dimples looked sympathetic. “We do have our own set of questions we need to ask, unfortunately. We’ll keep it as brief as possible.”
“Alright,” I conceded. “Shoot.”
Agent Plant leaned forward in his chair. “From what we understand, there was an accident last week in your home that left a construction worker by the name of Scott Seely dead. Did you know Mr. Seely well?”
I shook my head. “I’d hardly spoken to him. My sister and brother-in-law live nearby, and I got the company’s name from them. I only really interacted with the foreman.”
“And on the day of the accident, did you notice anything… strange?”
I stared blankly back at Agent Plant. “Strange how?”
“Any unusual occurrences around the house, we mean.” Agent Page interjected. “Cold spots, things moving on their own, objects going missing after you set them down somewhere?”
These were not the kind of questions I’d expected. I was prepared to give them my alibi, to go over the sequence of events again, but not this. Cold spots? Missing objects? It was all nonsense.
“It’s an old house. We get drafts all the time.”
Agent Page scribbled something down in his notebook. “Anything else?”
I shook my head again. “No. It was a totally normal day.”
Agent Plant seemed unsatisfied with my answers. “And you can’t think of anyone in your life who would have wanted to hurt Mr. Seely?” He pressed. “Anyone who would’ve had a grudge against him, maybe wanted to take him out?”
I was starting to get irritated. “Look, guys, I don’t know what you think is going on here, but this is pretty straightforward. A guy fell off a ladder and hit his head. It’s just a horrible accident.”
The shorter, ruder agent raised an eyebrow. “Is it?”
My chest flushed hot with indignance. "What are you trying to imply, agent ? You really don’t have anything better to do than sit here and grill me about this like I don’t already have enough to think about?”
Right on cue with my raised voice, cries erupted from the baby monitor. Shit. I’d woken Carter up.
Both men looked surprised. I knew what people thought about me, that I was too young to be a mom, that I was throwing my life away. Well, these men could think whatever they wanted about me. I was used to the poorly-concealed bewilderment that I saw now on their faces.
“I think we’re done here,” I said as levelly as possible.
The agents stood up together. “Of course,” Agent Page muttered.
I walked them to the door, ready to latch it behind them. They were halfway down the front steps before Agent Page turned back to me.
“I’m sorry about my partner.” He looked so genuinely remorseful that I found myself believing him. “Just- just promise you’ll call if anything strange happens. Anything dangerous.” The strange man pressed a business card into my hand.
Agent Sam Page, FBI
I didn’t say anything, just took the card and closed the door.