Sarah stepped back onto the porch, her mind racing. A casual burglar wouldn’t have the tools or the time to professionally swap out a heavy-duty deadbolt. Who could have changed the lock? Anxious for answers, she stepped off the porch and crept around the side of the house, pressing her face against the cool glass of the living room window. As her eyes adjusted to the dim interior, she gasped.
The cozy, mismatched furniture she had lovingly arranged over the years was gone. In its place stood sleek, modern sofas and a freshly painted accent wall. Suddenly, a memory sparked. Before her uncle had passed, he had mentioned scheduling major structural renovations for the beach property. Sarah had been so completely overwhelmed with her corporate work that she had forgotten all about it.
Realizing this interior transformation must be the result of those long-delayed updates, a massive wave of relief washed over her. She pulled out her phone and immediately called Martha, the longtime local housekeeper who managed the property’s maintenance.