He quirked an eyebrow up, wondering what kind of hornet crawled up [i]her[/i] ass. He was content to handle the situation as he'd been doing: in private. 

The next couple days were radio silence. It seemed Mr. Partway had no intention of continuing contact, and Lucas [i]certainly[/i] didn't. Should she decide to return to the house, she would find an envelope taped to the door with her name on it. The letter inside read: 

[i]"Evie,

My mother is sick. I've gone to Florida to visit and take care of her. The key is under the mat if you want to try again. Lucas doesn't respond well to being pushed, it just makes him push back harder. He's a sucker for an offering, though. I'd suggest a record; Louis Armstrong is his favorite. It may take a few tries, but he'll come around eventually.

-Isaac"[/i]