The good news is that Coda, my security techie, can't find any secret passages in my house. The bad news is he must think I'm paranoid. But all the doors and windows were locked and yet somehow an intruder got in.
Since my family had a history of shady dealings including bootlegging and running rum during Prohibition, it figured they'd have some place to store booze and and maybe a tunnel to smuggle it off the property. But Coda found nothing.
Obviously, they didn't use the manor house for their illegal activities and must have had an other place where they carried out their schemes.
Coda spends the entire day working on installing cameras, motion sensors and security lights but is only able to complete half the job.
"Sorry, Bro," he apologizes, " but you've got a large property here and there's a huge area to cover. The cameras, lights and motion sensors will protect you tonight against intruders coming on your property, but the alarm system will be installed tomorrow and then, your protection will be complete."
"I understand. So, I'll be able to view all the outside cams on the monitors and my cell phone and also get push notifications if people are detected?"
"That's right. When I finish the job tomorrow, you'll be have a firewall around your house and property and nobody will be able to get in."
It was consoling to sit on my couch and view my property from every conceivable angle and know that the cameras were equipped with infra red so I could even see in the dark.
I made supper and then settled down again in the den with a thermos jug of hot coffee and my laptop. It began to storm, a cold November rain that simply poured down and I was glad to be close to the fire and dry and warm.
I checked the cameras and was surprised at sharp quality of the images and the clarity of the night vision. I felt reassured I was protected and was finally able to relax and fall into a deep sleep.
It was after midnight when I awoke and I instinctively checked the cameras and saw the property was deserted and there were no notices of intrusion in the event history.
I got up, checked the doors and windows to make sure everything was locked and then headed upstairs to bed. Despite having slept four hours I was still feeling exhausted from not having slept the previous night.
I didn't even bother changing into my pj's but just collapsed onto the bed fully clothed and within moments fell fast asleep.
But I awakened again as I had the previous night, just after 3 am. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I had been awakened by a noise coming from downstairs.
I grabbed my cell phone and checked the security app but there were no events and the cameras showed nothing.
I decided to get up and check downstairs anyway, but this time I did it stealthily, creeping gun in hand along the upper hallway to the top of the stairs.
When I reached the landing, I froze. Below me in the darkness I saw a figure moving and as I looked closer, I saw it was a young woman. She had tidied up the den and folded the throw blanket, placing it neatly on the couch.
The shock of seeing a stranger in my den made me stumble backwards in surprise and the noise alerted the woman who melted back into the shadows and disappeared from view.
I pressed the light switch on the wall and the huge hanging chandelier brilliantly lit up the entire foyer and the den beyond.
I quickly descended the stairs turning on lights as I went and made my way back to the kitchen, but it was empty. I forced myself to go downstairs into the basement but it was empty as well.
The girl had simply vanished.
