Em and Tod were in heavy discussion on the way home that morning. They felt bad leaving their parents to deal with the insurance people and they knew that Greg and Ethel would be working their fingers to the bone with cleanup and anything else that they thought would help. As they discovered in the next few days, Greg and Ethel were not doing well at all. Em's dad was distraught and could not handle the decisions and negotiations that were required when dealing with an insurance claim. He was an aging man dealing with cancer and its treatment, and it was all overwhelming.
Tod and Kris discussed it and decided that they would take over as much of the business end of things as they could. A week later, they arranged to meet with the project supervisor and make some decisions. It was a most interesting meeting. The insurance representative in charge of the Lake House project was very amiable and easy going. As it turned out, he was good to work with and his lack of morals really worked toward a better outcome than anyone expected.
It was a four hour drive from their home and when they arrived mid-day, John, the insurance rep and project supervisor, was pleased to show Tod and Kris the progress. Fans and heaters had been set up the day the crew arrived, and the inside of the house was hot and arid, a far cry from what it had been only days before. When asked why the heaters and fans were still running, his answer was that the moisture had penetrated deeply and it would take a few days of aggressive heat to drive it all out of the floor and walls. It made sense at the time.
But, the excessive heat was part of an agenda that they discovered later in the process. Tod and Kris checked in on Greg and Ethel, who were working in the garden, and then took the tour with John. He was very eager to show them what the Insurance Company was going to do for them, and assured them that their little Lake House was going to be better than new. It didn't take long for Tod and Kris to catch onto the "plan".
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