Viti

Chapter six

It wasn't often Grace wanted to use violence against another person, but all bets were off when Howlett was involved. Grace could only entertain him for so long, watching his pudgy form stroll around her apartment, until she felt her patience start to crumble.

"And that?" Howlett turned back to Grace, one long finger pushing his glasses up his narrow nose again, while his other hand pointed at an auburn stain beneath the coffee table.

Grace resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead leaned against the doorway that let to the hallway. "That was already there."

Howlett shook his head, his nasty comb-over refusing to stay in place, no matter how much hair gel he used. And considering the shine to his dark hair, he used quite a bit of gel. "I'm not so certain."

This time, Grace did roll her eyes. "You know Ange. She noted everything when we moved in. I'm sure I could find her records."

The dark glint in Howlett's eyes narrowed. Grace knew she had him beat. He just wanted a bunch of girls to pay to get his carpets cleaned, when the mess wasn't even their fault. He was that kind of landlord. The slimy, unreasonable type.

Grace sighed and moved away from the doorframe when Howlett turned his attention to the kitchen. It didn't look that bad, and she was rather proud at the end result of her endless cleaning yesterday.

Grace stretched her elbows atop the stainless countertops and watched as Howlett inspected the oven. Her eyes gleamed over to the clock fastened to the wall. How she wished he would hurry up with his inspection already. Her migraine was only getting worse and her bed was loudly calling her name.

"When was this last cleaned?"

Grace tore her eyes away from the clock. The oven door was open and Howlett was scratching at the screen door. "I dunno. Angela does the oven."

Howlett humped, clearly displeased. "It needs to be done again."

Grace gnawed on her lips to hold back a rude resort. Instead, she only said, "I'll pass the message on."

Howlett closed the oven and stood. "You do that. I don't want any problems with the oven because it's not being properly maintained."

"Yes, sir," Grace mattered sarcastically, glancing back at the clock again.

As Howlett moved onto the wonky pantry cupboard, Grace could only stare at the clock. Huh. Almost five thirty? That couldn't be right. A second ago, it was barely four o'clock. A glance at her watched confirmed the time.

Four oh seven.

Grace glanced back at the clock again.

Ten to six? Not likely.

The clock must be faulty or something. The hands moving too fast or something. Yeah, that must be it.

"What's this?"

Grace tore her eyes away from the broken clock. "Huh?"

Howlett's grumbled about her lack of attention. "This! What is this?" He scratched again at dark shapes and forms that were scattered across one side of the pantry.

Grace resisted the urge to swear at him. "Stickers," she said blankly. "They peel right off."

"Make sure they do," he resorted angrily. "I don't want a bunch of girls defacing my property."

Grace looked away from the half-torn off stickers he was in the middle of scratching off. Nina would be crushed. She won those stickers in school. Oh well. "They'll be removed," Grace finally said to appease him. It must have worked as he moved onto something else to obsess over. What a bitter man.