It was late afternoon before Fred came to the hospital. The doctor was just leaving the room as he entered and pulled up a chair.  ”Well, what did he say?” he asked.

“Basically he said we wait and see,” sighed Amanda.  “So far everything looks fine, and he thinks I’m just too stressed.  So, I’m confined to bed and no excitement for a week at least.  That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Well, it might be a problem,” answered Fred.  “I spent the last night and much of today researching Moisey’s past.  And I found some pretty disturbing stuff.” Moisey grew up in the tiny house where he now lives. Until he was 25, his sister Katy also lived there.  She then married a handsome young man from the city, and they bought the pretty house now owned by Thomas and Amanda. Moisey visited often and did odd jobs, but refused to live with them.  Soon after the wedding, Katy discovered that her new husband was a drinker, and tended to become violent when drunk.  She hid the fact from Moisey, but eventually he knew it, too.  One night he beat Katy up pretty badly, and Moisey broke a window to climb in and stop him.  During the fight, Moisey hit him over the head with a brick so that the man died. 

Katy, utterly beside herself, called the constable and had him arrested for murder.  She later recanted, explaining the whole truth, and Moisey was cleared of the charges.  But the damage was done.  Katy couldn’t forgive him, and soon moved away.  Moisey, though cleared of wrongdoing, was labeled a dangerous man.  He retreated to his little house and stayed away from everyone.  Since Katy was the only one who knew sign language, all communication with the outside world ended for him when she left.  For 26 years he had lived alone, talking to no one and going to town only out of absolute necessity.  Since he kept a nanny goat, a few chickens, and produce from his garden, that was practically never.

“Poor Moisey,” breathed Amanda.  “No wonder he seemed so backward.  But that doesn’t explain why he would try to frighten us, does it?”

“Not unless he still thinks of your house as belonging to Katy,” answered Fred.  “It’s possible he was behind the problems there for the last owner, and we were never called.”