As the dog obeyed, Penny caught her first plain glimpse of the deformed man’s face. His skin was heavily lined and fell in deep folds at his stocky neck. But it was the dark, intent eyes which sent a shiver down her spine.
“Good evening,” she said uneasily.
The gateman did not respond to the greeting. Instead, he demanded gruffly:
“What you doin’ on this property?”
“Why, I was only investigating because the gate was unlocked,” replied Penny. “I didn’t know the house was occupied.”
“You know it now. See that sign!” The gateman turned on his flashlight, focusing it upon a freshly painted placard tacked to a nearby tree.
The sign read, “No Trespassing.”
“I’m sorry,” Penny apologized, but stood her ground. “Are you the new owner of this place?”
“No, I ain’t. I’m the gateman.”
“Then who has taken over the building?”