GA Writing Prompts - 44. # 260 Rose Garden

Rose Garden

"I've found an object on PrimeLocation. It would perfectly fit out exclusive programme," Ethan said.

He placed his notebook on Lucas' desk and opened it. When the notebook had finished booting, Ethan opened a bookmarked site. An image showed the mansion.

"Thirty years old, built in Victorian style, completely renovated three years ago," Ethan said enthusiastically.

Lucas looked at the image. The mansion looked indeed beautiful. Climbing red roses covered white walls. Lucas saw a nude statue in the garden.

"Rose Garden. We'll call it Rose Garden," Ethan said excitedly. The name's just perfect. I'm certain this mansion will sell very well."

Ethan Miles offered exclusive objects for sale, beautiful apartments, houses and mansions with illustrious names like Eden's Place and Angels' Park.

"Completely renovated," Ethan said. "Top location. Situated on top of a hill with a perfect view at the mountains. And surprisingly cheap."

Lucas glanced at Ethan sceptically. "What's wrong with it?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong with it," Ethan said. "I've already called the agent. He said that the owner was Dr. Robert Matthews. Matthews left the house to his only heir who is resident in Australia. The man offers the house for sale."

"But why below price?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know," Ethan said lightly. He pulled his cell phone from a pocket and typed a number. "Ethan Miles. Mr. Irving, I'd like to visit the house. Can we arrange a date please?" He ended the call and looked at Lucas. "I'm going to visit Rose Garden. I'll meet Mr. Irving at eleven o'clock," he said. He looked at his watch. "I need to hurry. See you later, Lucas."

Ethan left the office room and hurried down the corridor. He stopped and called out to Lucas. "Would you print out the site please, Lucas, so that I can take it along."

Lucas clicked the print button, but the printer in the corridor didn't respond. Lucas clicked the button again and the printer finally started printing. A few seconds later, the door fell shut. Ethan had left the office.

Lucas looked at the image on the screen. Why did the man sell below price? What was wrong with the mansion? He opened Google and started researching on the object and the agent who sold it. Mr. Irving's office was located in a small town. His website didn't look very professional and he didn't offer many objects. The mansion wasn't listed on Irving's site, which Lucas found was very odd. He looked for the house on other real estate sites, but found it nowhere. He searched on the previous owner of the house, but didn't find anything either. Lucas finally closed the browser, shut down Ethan's notebook and resumed his previous work.

The afternoon passed by. Ethan did not return. Lucas sent Ethan an email and tried to call him the following morning, but Ethan did not respond. Lucas opened his browser, surfed to the site with the mansion again and gazed at the screen in shock. The object had been deleted. Lucas searched the whole site, but didn't find the mansion.

He opened Mr. Irving's website, printed out the page with the contact dates and hurried to the printer in the corridor where he spotted a piece of paper on the desk, the page he had printed out for Ethan. Lucas remembered he had clicked the print button twice. Ethan had taken along one copy and had placed the other on the desk. Lucas studied the paper that showed the image of the mansion. A cell phone number was listed in the upper right corner. Lucas seized the phone receiver and typed the number. A recorded message told him that the number was unavailable. Lucas' heart beat faster.

He took the paper he had printed from Mr. Irving's website. A different cell phone number was listed there. Lucas typed it and, against his expectations, Mr. Irving answered his call. Lucas asked Mr. Irving at what time Ethan Miles had left the previous day. Mr. Irving he had never spoken with Ethan nor had he met him in person. Lucas explained the matter in more detail.

"Dr. Matthew's house?" Mr. Irving asked. "Yes, I sold it three weeks ago. You're saying it was listed again on PrimeLocation together with my name?"

Lucas offered Mr. Irving to fax him the printed copy.

"Incredulous. Someone's selling under my name. I guess I should complain to the police," Mr. Irving said a minute later. "The false agent told Mr. Miles that Dr. Matthews was the owner of the house?"

Lucas confirmed.

"It's just," Mr. Irving continued, "The image doesn't show Dr. Matthew's house."

"What?" Lucas asked. "I fear, Mr. Irving, that something is very wrong."

"Yes, definitely," Mr. Irving said slowly. "Wait a minute, please. Something came to my mind. I need to get a folder." He returned two minutes later. "I was right," he said. "The image reminded me of an object I was asked to sell eleven years ago. Definitely the same house, Victorian style. The former owner was Henry Fitzgerald. He died eleven years ago and left the house to his long-time domestic servant Boris Stepan, a Russian immigrant. Stepan asked me to sell the house, but suddenly withdrew the offer."

"Do you think he's trying to sell the house again?" Lucas asked. "But why under your name? And why did he say the former owner was Dr. Matthews?"

"I have no idea," Irving replied. "He tries to sell below price. He's either desperately in need of money or something's wrong with the mansion. I suppose he can't engage an agent to do the transaction. Any professional agent would detect if something was wrong with the house. I could imagine that's why he used my name. I have a good reputation."

"A fraud," Lucas said.

"Definitely," Irving replied. "I will report him to the police. He used my name to tempt potential buyers into visiting his estate. He probably planned to talk them into the deal. A dilettante plan. Who, in all honesty, would fall for it?" There was a brief silence. Mr. Irving cleared his throat. "Mr. Miles is a professional. He must have seen through Stepan's plan at once. That's why Stepan deleted the page and doesn't answer the phone," he said.

"Mr. Miles has disappeared," Lucas said.

Irving coughed. "Odd," he said. "Have you tried his landline number?"

"He has only a cell phone," Lucas replied.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you, Mr. Reed," Irving said. "I suggest you call the police and ask them to send a car to Stepan's house. They can call me at any time, of course, if need be."

They ended the call. Lucas looked at the wall. Was he overreacting? He sent Ethan another email and tried to phone him again, but Ethan did not reply.

***

Police came to the office the following morning. Two policemen asked to speak to Mr. Miles. Lucas told them that Mr. Miles was missing. The policemen said they had found Ethan's car on a deserted property. They had checked the car sign and were trying to contact Ethan. Lucas told them what he had found out.

"I fear Mr. Miles has gotten involved in a crime," one of the policemen said.

They told Lucas that Patrick Irving had set off an emergency call at ten past three in the morning. He claimed he was seriously injured after someone had thrown him out of a window. Irving panicked but was able to communicate his location. An emergency car arrived at the place at 3:28. The team found a corpse in the yard of the deserted mansion. The dead man was identified as Patrick Irving. An autopsy would be performed in the course of the day. The emergency team called the police who arrived at 3:50. Ethan Miles' car was detected in the place and police found a broken shoe and a flash light. Lucas was asked to accompany the policemen to the police department. A detective questioned him.

"Patrick Irving claimed that someone had thrown him out of a window. He said 'someone', so we must assume he didn't know or recognize his attacker," the detective said. "We were wondering why Mr. Irving went to a deserted place at night. Do you have an idea, Mr. Reed?"

Lucas shook his head. "I can only imagine he was curious to visit the place after what we had found out in the afternoon. But why at night? I have no idea," he said.

"Mr. Irving told you Boris Stepan was the owner of the house? Didn't Mr. Irving tell you that Boris Stepan died four weeks ago?" the detective asked.

"I don't think Mr. Irving had already learned of his death," Lucas replied. "He suspected Boris Stepan of having created the page on PrimeLocation."

"Mr. Irving's office is currently being searched. I have already received a few items, among them this folder," the detective said, pointing at his desk. "Did Mr. Irving mention a folder?"

"Yes," Lucas said. "He told me Boris Stepan had asked him to sell his house eleven years ago. Mr. Irving looked up the details in a folder."

The detective opened the folder and pushed it to Lucas. He pointed at the page. "Don't touch it. Just read the text and check the date," he said.

It was a letter from Boris Stepan to Mr. Irving. Stepan cancelled the deal. The letter was dated 7th of July 2013. Lucas looked up in confusion.

"Boris Stepan wrote the letter five weeks ago, one week before he died unexpectedly," the detective said. "Patrick Irving lied to you."

"But why?" Lucas asked. "Do you think Mr. Irving wanted to sell Stepan's house despite Stepan having cancelled the deal?"

"This would explain why his name was listed on the internet site," the detective said. "It would explain why Irving tried to sell below price. He wanted to complete the deal fast. He apparently saw a chance to get away with the crime." He paused. "We've also found a plane ticket."

Lucas gazed at the man. "The heir and the notary would have found out about it," he said. He straightened. "What has happened to Mr. Miles? He wanted to meet the agent. Ethan must have instantly seen through the fraud when he arrived at Stepan's place."

"The property is worth at least a million. Irving offered if for half the price. Mr. Miles might have thought this a profitable deal. Perhaps Mr. Irving asked for a partial payment, a certain amount in advance, that he thought Mr. Miles would be willing to pay in order to make the deal?" the detective speculated.

Lucas shook his head. "No, definitely not," he said.

"Ethan Miles is missing. There must be a reason for it," the detective said slowly.

Lucas turned pale. "You mean Irving has murdered him?" he asked.

"We'll find out about it," the detective replied. "We're currently investigating Stepan's house and Irving's apartment and his office rooms. We're currently investigating Mr. Miles' cell phone. We found it in his car."

"Why should he have left it in his car?" Lucas asked.

"A good question. We will answer it," the detective said. He rose to his feet. "We might want to question you again, Mr. Reed," he said.

Lucas nodded and stood as well. He stopped short. "Who killed Mr. Irving, detective?" he asked.

"We'll find out about this very soon," the detective said with an intent look.

***