The lake house - Part 3

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It was nearly two weeks before they heard something from the police again. The house was still secured, but the investigation was well on its way and the victim had been identified from dental records. The body was identified as a Susan Bowler. She was the previous owner of the house and was reported missing a few years ago. Her estranged husband moved away shortly after she was reported missing, but the police was now trying to locate him. 

Susan had sold the lake house to an old man after she and her husband split up, and Kathy bought it from him. He moved into a retirement home as he was too old to look after the house.  He never suspected a thing and lived there for many years.      

Chris and Kathy were well into their renovation planning. They've already decided which renovations needed to be done first and they've even picked out new cupboards for the kitchen and a beautiful new front door. They were extremely anxious to start on the house, but they knew they had to wait for the final word from the police. 

Three weeks later Kathy got the call that she had been waiting for. The police cleared the house, and they would be able to start renovating immediately.  Chris was overjoyed when she phoned him and he invited her out to dinner to celebrate. Finally they could continue. 

Chris gathered his crew together the next morning, and picked up Kathy on his way to the house. The second Kathy stepped foot into the house the house had a different vibe. She suddenly had a very eerie feeling and just couldn't shake it off. She hoped that there would not be any more surprises, but all her built- up excitement suddenly just vanished. 

While Chris and the crew continued inside, Kathy walked out to the lake and took a seat under a tree. The view was absolutely stunning and she felt more relaxed. 

While she sat there, staring at the lake, she could just imagine herself in Susan's shoes. She wondered how many times Susan had sat there, exactly where she sat now. She suddenly wondered about Susan's life, and what her hopes and dreams were. 

The sadness suddenly overwhelmed her, and she wiped a tear for the life that was lost. Kathy was determined to find out more about Susan. She decided to phone the detective and find out everything that she could. Perhaps she could even do something here at the house in memory of Susan.    

Kathy walked back to the house and couldn't believe what they had accomplished in such a short time. They had already started on the deck outside and she was able to walk outside through the sliding door. Chris joined her and they both realized the view was even better from there. 

Kathy asked Chris to take her home so that she could start digging into Susan's past. She dialed the detective's number and she explained to him what she wanted to do. She didn't remember him from the lake house, but he could remember her.  

When he was called out to the lake house after the body was found, Kathy was still in shock and never even took notice of him, but detective Hanson was intrigued by her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but he reckoned that she was married. After doing his own bit of research he found out that she was single, and on more than one occasion wanted to call her.  Perhaps it was fate that brought them together, but he wanted to get to know her better.   

James Hanson, offered to tell her as much as he could if she went out to dinner with him. She laughed, and even though she said yes, she had no intention of getting involved with anyone. Detective Hanson had a different agenda and he was going to make sure to get to know her better. 

He looked charming when he picked her up at her house that evening. Kathy was dressed casually but she still looked breathtaking, and she was impressed by detective Hanson. They immediately clicked and started talking like old friends.  

She told him about her life and then he told her everything he knew about Susan Bowler, which unfortunately was not much. They had a lovely evening and even though she did not find out much, Kathy knew that she could walk a long way with detective Hanson.  He was charming and perhaps, just maybe, she would like to see him again.  He dropped her off at her house and she waved goodbye when she reached the porch.  

That night she lay awake for hours thinking about her own life, and the wild and weird turns life took to bring people together. She smiled at the thought of detective Hanson and somehow he made her feel more at peace.