"It's just a pantry," Enrico said, disappointed. "Or a dungeon?"
Mitch pointed to the door. "This door bolts from the inside, so it's not a dungeon but it might be a bomb shelter," Mitch said noticing that the door was heavy and there was more room in there than just for storage.
Enrico perked up. "A fallout shelter? That has potential."
"By the look of it, it might be just a regular bomb shelter," Mitch told him.
"What, from WWII?"
"That's just a guess. Some people did think the bombers might reach here." Getting down, Mitch was examining a corner to make sure it wasn't damp when Enrico came over to crouch next to him.
"Any dead bodies? Satanic symbols? Nail marks from kidnap victims trying to claw their way out of this pit?" Enrico asked.
"None of the above. And I hope you won't say anything like that in front of my kid," Mitch warned him.
Enrico stood up indignantly. "What do you take me for?"
"I'm not sure," Mitch said even as he again noticed his smooth, agile movements and his lean physique. Enrico was one really attractive guy, but there was no reason for Mitch to pay so much attention to him.
"What do you see, boys?" Mrs. Del Rio called out from the top of the stairs.
"What's down there, Daddy," Sammy also wanted to know.
"Junk," Enrico told them as they came out of the room. "More junk, and lots of old junk."
Mitch gave his own answer. "The basement is dry. The supports look solid. It seems to be in good shape. It could use some more light down here," Mitch said as he made notes under the one bare light bulb that hung from the ceiling.
Sidling up next to him, Enrico whispered, "But that will ruin the lair of a serial killer vibe."
Despite his talk of serial killers, Enrico came up the stairs with something nice for Sammy. He had found a flower made of blue sea glass. "Look what I found," he said as he showed it to her.
Sammy was delighted. "It's a blue flower. It's pretty."
"It's pretty junk, and you can keep it. Right, Grandma?" Enrico said.
"Of course she can," Mrs. Del Rio said. Mitch didn't object, though neither one of them seemed to know that they should have asked him first.
"And after your dad puts in more lights, you can come down here and explore," Enrico told her.
"Maybe," Sammy said while peering down into the gloomy basement uncertainly.
"If her dad says it's OK," Mitch said to remind them that he had the final word on what his kid was allowed to do.
At that, Mrs. Del Rio gave him an indulgent smile while Enrico had on an expression of someone who wasn't used to listening or obeying. Mitch already had the strong impression that those two were a handful.
Chapter 3
Once Mitch had looked over the whole house, he added up all the work that needed to be done. It wasn't as much of a fixer upper as he feared, but he was still worried that the price tag for the work would lose him this job.
Sammy and Enrico were exploring the closet under the stairs where they found Christmas decorations. Sammy squealed with delight. It would be really nice if she could get to stay here.
Waiting in the foyer, Mrs. Del Rio was ready to make a deal. She rubbed her hands together then eagerly took the paper from Mitch. With one quick perusal of his estimate, she accepted his prices. They exchanged some information and she told him, "If you like the look of the place, you can move right in. Shift around what you need, where you need it. I'll leave Enrico here to lend you a hand with making it livable."
"I think I can manage on my own," Mitch said, but she was already waving to them, heading to her car and leaving her grandson behind.
Enrico shrugged at Mitch then turned to Sammy with a pout. "Did you see how she ditched me?"
Sammy giggled and said, "No."
