1.1. Settling In

Recap

Phineas Sinclair had barely arrived in Sunset Valley when two men approached him at the local bar. They were simply associates of some Evelyn McKinley who had recently passed. Cause of death and identity unknown. The two men had shown up to hand over her will and to inform Phin that he was now a proud owner of an estate. Excitement welling up inside him, Phin hopped into a taxi and headed over to his new home of 15 Summer Hill Court.

Phin found himself in what looked like a swanky neighbourhood on the outskirts of Sunset Valley.

Great. I’m even more of an outcast than I’ve ever been!

He could already feel the eyes sussing him out, suspiciously, from behind curtains. Phin surveyed the large plot before him.

So much for an estate!

Phin’s wild dreams of suddenly being thrust into the lap of luxury had dissipated faster than steam from a boiling kettle. (Lame metaphor I know!) What stood before him was anything but a sprawling estate with manicured lawns and corridors that could stretch on for days. What stood before him was a shack. It was a little run down and definitely a stranger to fresh coats of paint.

He decided to take a look inside. There wasn’t much to see. The tiny room had the essentials: plumbing, bed, fridge and some light. The couch was probably thrown in for good measure. Anyway, being a pauper himself Phin wasn’t in a position to protest. There was no one to protest to either. He’d been exposed to worse off conditions, sometimes living in gutters with only a cardboard box to shelter him from the cold and rain. Seeing as he wasn’t about to hop on board another train or ship any time soon Phin considered this a little DIY project. He could build it up in time. But first he needed money.

He woke the next morning, just in time to catch the paper girl. She seemed highly startled and wary when Phin approached her.  He quickly explained his recent inheritance to her, which he was sure she didn’t believe entirely. But she caved in and left him an extra copy of the morning newspaper.

“You’re going to have to call and subscribe if you want a daily paper, mister. I can’t keep slipping you extras.”

“I know.” Did she think he didn’t know how it worked? Maybe it was his worn out shoes which had a few potato holes in them.

“Ok...”

She hurried off, taking the awkward silence as a hint.

Phin settled into the beat up sofa. He hadn’t noticed last night – he was overcome with exhaustion – but there was a strong musty smell emanating out of the thing. He opened the paper to the classifieds. He’d never formally applied for a job before and right now he’d take whatever he could get. The first job that popped out at him was a career in law enforcement. Ironic that he’d be joining the ranks of the police. He spent his adolescence avoiding them with all that he could. And now he’d be one of them. But it was a temporary commitment until something better came along. No one would want to be digging up dirt on him, surely? No, local and celebrity gossip was the only thing hot on the tongues of the townsfolk.

The days slowly progressed and Phin was moving up the ranks quite quickly. He’d earned enough to buy a few luxuries such as a television and a stove. Building plans still seemed far into his future though. His free time was spent exploring the town and Old Pier beach soon became his favourite hangout. The splashing waves and familiar tang of the salty air were calming and made him feel at ease with being the new guy around town. So far the only friendship he’d struck up was with Hank Goddard – his partner in the force. He was a strange fellow but knowing one person was better than knowing no person. Phin contemplated keeping him as his only friend. The fewer people he knew, the less he’d have to share his history.

Phin settled down for a quick practice round of chess when she approached.

“Do you mind if I join?” Her voice was sweeter than honey. She introduced herself as Lucinda St. James, also a new resident to Sunset Valley but longer standing than Phin.

“I can tell that you’re not from around here. Where are you from?”

“Suffolk, England.” Liar! Well it was half a lie. He was from Surrey actually but who knew how far stories travelled. Yes, Phin had something to hide; something he wasn’t ready to share with anyone just yet.

“I’ve always wanted to travel overseas... Welcome to Sunset Valley” She smiled warmly. Phin could tell that it was genuine and not in the least bit judgemental.

 “I’m so glad to have met someone. It’s rather difficult to make new friends in a town where people keep to their own cliques.”

“Yes but sometimes that’s a good thing, right?”

“I suppose... Oh! This place is so beautiful in the evening. I would live on the beach if I could” Lucinda chuckled nervously at her childish notion.

They had altogether abandoned the chess game, opting for a rather animated conversation instead.

She seemed to be doing most of the talking, which suited Phin just fine.  She seemed...nice. It wasn’t love at first sight, that’s for sure. Those things only existed in stories. But there was a faint attraction, a pull toward her. Maybe it was those big brown chocolate eyes that seemed as if one could just melt into them. Whatever it was, Phin wanted to get to know her.