When Vernon proposed to Dolores, he vowed they would remain together for the rest of their lives—even promising that they’d leave this world hand in hand, bound for their eternal home.
But life had other plans. One day, out of the blue, Vernon suffered a fatal heart attack, leaving Dolores behind to navigate the world alone.
Vernon had been a respected antiquarian in their town, running a small but successful antique shop. Some of his most prized pieces were stored at home, something the neighbors were well aware of. Their curiosity and gossip soon invited trouble, leading to a string of attempted break-ins at both the shop and their house.
One evening, as Dolores returned home from the store, she spotted her 31-year-old neighbor, Bob, lurking by her front gate and peering into her home. The moment he noticed her approaching, he abruptly turned and walked away, pretending not to see her.
Whispers in the neighborhood said Bob was unemployed, heavily into drinking, and had recently been abandoned by his wife, who’d gone to live with her parents.
Dolores felt uneasy. His unsettling stare lingered in her thoughts, so she locked up tightly and shut her balcony door. Later that night, she glanced out the window to see if he was still there, but Bob had vanished.
Then, one evening as she was in the kitchen preparing tea, a strange noise from the backyard caught her attention.
Although fear crept in, she steadied herself, picked up a pan, and cautiously opened the back door. The creaky hinges gave her away, and just as she stepped outside, she saw Bob and another man leaping over the backyard fence.
That night, sleep escaped her. Her thoughts spiraled with what-ifs—what if they’d tried to hurt her?
The very next morning, she hired a handyman to install new locks and security cameras throughout the house and in the backyard.
She spent the day closely monitoring the camera feeds but saw nothing suspicious—until midnight. A loud thud jolted her awake. Her instincts immediately screamed Bob.
She rushed to the monitor in the living room, only to discover that the backyard cameras had been tampered with. Someone had broken in again.
Staying calm, she tiptoed to the kitchen window and gently lifted the shade. Outside, two masked figures, dressed in black, crept around the property. She couldn’t recognize them, but their conversation confirmed her worst fears—they were planning a robbery.
Thinking quickly, Dolores called 911 and then, loud enough for the intruders to hear, began speaking as if Vernon were still with her.
“Oh, Vernon! I miss you so much! Why did you have to leave me like this?” she cried. “I haven’t even touched the antiques you kept in the garage. Your grandfather’s gold watch and that silver flute your great-grandfather gifted us are still safe there!”
She noticed the figures outside react to her words, their shadows moving toward the garage—exactly what she hoped for. Moments later, the garage camera feed cut out. Dolores knew then she had baited them perfectly.
Just in time, the police arrived. Seeing the frightened elderly woman and the ongoing crime, they moved quickly and arrested the intruders.
Following Officer Robinson’s advice, Dolores called her son Todd and told him everything. Deeply concerned, Todd urged her to move in with him.
But Dolores couldn’t bear to leave the house she had shared with Vernon and all their memories. Instead, Todd requested a job transfer and moved his family to her town.
Now, Dolores and her daughter-in-law, Claire, manage Vernon’s antique shop together. They gave it a fresh start with a new name: Dolores and Vernon’s Treasure House.
