Four days a week, Casey knows, Rowan leaves school not long after the bell, just after three--thirty. But she always stays at least an hour later on Mondays. That’s when she supervises the tutoring organization that matches volunteers from nearby Hadley College with local elementary school students.
Perched with binoculars high in a tree across the road from the house—-a vantage that never failed to inspire a unique exhilaration in and of itself—-Casey loved to watch her pull up in front of the mailbox at the foot of the driveway. She’d usually rifle through the stack of letters and catalogs quickly, toss them onto the seat, and drive on up to the house. But once in a while, something seemed to catch her eye and she’d open an envelope or package right there at the curb.
Sometimes, Casey seized the opportunity to stick around watching the house long after she’d disappeared inside, occasionally daring to scale a tree right on the property. Daring not because of the height—-Casey has always been exhilarated by great heights—-but because of the proximity to the house.
All any of them ever had to do was take a good, hard look, and they’d have seen me. But they never did.
Casey would sometimes stay late into the night until the last light was extinguished. Oblivious to a voyeur in their midst, the Mundy family went about their lives behind the sturdy plaster walls of the home that had been built well over a century ago—-one hundred and twenty--seven years ago, to be exact.
Casey had left no stone unturned when it came to investigating Rowan’s charmed life. One never knows when a seemingly irrelevant detail might come in handy.
An entire year of preparation has finally paid off.
November thirtieth has finally arrived.
The endgame has begun.
From the Mundy’s Landing Tribune Archives
Real Estate
March 18, 2002
Just Reduced: Victorian Charmer
25 Riverview Road
Enjoy the ever--changing Hudson Valley landscape from the rocking chair wraparound porch of this lovely historic 3200--square--foot, 6--bedroom, 1.5--bath Queen Anne. Vintage features include elegant front entry, double parlors, formal dining room with built--in cabinetry, butler’s pantry, full attic and cellar. Loaded with period charm including four fireplaces, stained glass transoms, and gabled dormers. Original oak, maple, and cherry floors, moldings, wainscoting, and pocket doors. Located minutes from business district on private 2 acre lot with mature trees and partial seasonal river views. Move--in ready. Your TLC and decorating touches will restore this gem to its bygone splendor.
Chapter 2
Mick Mundy has been eating in the wood--paneled dining room at Marrana’s Trattoria since the place was known as Marrana’s Pizzeria. That was long before the owners replaced the red vinyl table coverings with white linen and started charging twenty bucks for a plate of pasta. Which is ridiculous, according to Mick’s father—-although Dad’s willing to pay even more than that for the Cavatelli a la Mama Marrana, the restaurant’s sausage--and--cheese--smothered signature dish.
In the three months since Mick started working here, he’s come to see the place in a new light. At first, it was a novelty to know what was happening behind the scenes—-for instance, that the “world--famous” gorgonzola salad dressing is just Italian dressing from a big plastic jug with a handful of cheese crumbles thrown in. At this point, though, that’s old news. Now that he’s the one who has to scrape the leftovers from diners’ plates into the garbage, he’s even lost his taste for Cavatelli a la Mama.
Still, for the most part, he likes his job. The place tends to get busier as the week goes on, and those lucky enough to pull weekend shifts make decent money. But Mick often has basketball games on those nights and is stuck with Monday through Wednesday, when his portion of the waitresses’ tips amounts to barely enough to put a few gallons of gas in the car.
When he actually has a car.
Which he never will if he winds up having to pay for it himself. Not with this job, anyway.