Stinky Is Good In A Garden Of Lies

Brad pulled in front of the house. They already warned him he’d have his work cut out for him, yet he eagerly accepted the challenge. He looked at the exterior and was pleased with his work. It was starting to look the way it had when Patience lived there.
Benny and Karen stood in front of the closed door. The attic was the last stop, and they were determined to clear out as much junk as they could.
“Are you sure this is how you want to spend your vacation?” Karen looked up at him.
“Between the three of us, it won’t eat up two weeks. Where is Brad? I saw him pull up.”
“He’s showing the guy where to park the dumpster. Ready?”
Benny took a deep breath and headed up.
It was worse than they thought. It appeared as though each tenant for twenty years had used the room as a catch-all storage space, but never returned to collect or discard anything.
“Let’s start by opening that window over there.” Benny made his way through the maze of clutter.

Dayna and Xavier sat on the front porch with their morning coffee. On warmer mornings, it had become their way of starting out the day together. No fuss, no muss. Just the two of them, and their coffee.
“I wonder what they’re having Brad do now?” Xavier slurped from his mug. “I thought they were just about done inside.”
“I’m not sure, but I forgot to tell you that they found a key.” She looked over at him. “And I think it’s the one that went with Patience’s precious ‘Blackmail Box’.”
They sat quietly for a few moments, neither wanting to voice their fears or concerns to the other.
“Why don’t I hold off on going into the station just yet.” He brought the mug to his lips. “In case our neighbors need help again.”