Unsolved Mystery

The house across the road stands empty. I am not sure what to think.

I didn’t know the couple well. I seldom saw Allie. Her husband Jon* made me feel uncomfortable. Still, I wanted to be a good neighbor. We exchanged phone numbers. I said hello if I saw them driving by or in their yard. I shared vegetables from my garden. I otherwise avoided them.

Before Jon stopped drinking, he was sometimes bearable but after, he turned pushy and unpleasant. He apparently considered himself an expert on nearly everything, especially health and the human body. He tried to convince my husband and me that green peppers and tomatoes are poisonous, regular enemas are imperative, and that we should be taking large quantities of magnesium and other supplements. He told us to steer clear of 5G internet (“It can kill you”) and it seemed like he believed every conspiracy theory that came along.

A few years back, each Sunday for over a month I observed hand-scribbled notices plastered on neighborhood utility poles, asking people to tune into a certain radio frequency at ten a.m. Once when I saw Jon posting one of those flyers, I asked him about it. He told me he had started a new religion. When I saw him again a few weeks later, he expressed frustration, saying he felt that nobody paid any attention to his message.

During the runup to the 2024 election, Jon wore a red MAGA hat and displayed a large sign in his yard supporting the Republican candidate for president. I avoided my neighbor more vigorously once he started talking politics to anyone within earshot.

Many nights my husband and I overheard Jon and Allie screaming at each other, to the point we had to close our windows. Sometimes during an argument, Allie drove away, only returning much, much later.

I walk for exercise almost every morning. Last fall, Allie joined me on Mondays. She talked, and I listened for any hints that she felt unhappy or abused. I heard none. She stopped walking with me in January, providing no reason.

In February, the couple disappeared. At first, my husband and I thought they might be on vacation, but after a month, they had not returned.

In late March, we noticed a strange pickup truck, driven by someone we did not recognize, parked in our neighbors’ driveway. The man returned periodically, apparently checking doors and windows. I called Allie, who answered and then gave her phone to Jon, who said, “We’re in Florida, getting treatment for a tumor Allie developed. We’ve hired someone to keep an eye on the house.”

In early July, I noticed their mailbox standing open, with letters inside, damp from rain. I phoned Allie. Again, she answered and turned the call over to Jon. He said, “Someone is picking up our mail; just close the box. I am having health problems, too, but I plan to visit the house soon.”

Jon showed up alone in mid-August. We saw him apparently cleaning out his garage, but he did not acknowledge us when greeted him. I said to my husband, “I wonder if they are getting ready to sell their house?”

In mid-September, Jon finally spoke to me. “Allie passed away, and I had a kidney removed. I’m still not feeling well. I’m going to see my nephew. Will you pick up my mail while I’m gone?”

“Of course,” I said, wondering what in the world had happened.

Two weeks later, Jon came for his mail. “I’m having surgery. I’ll be in the hospital for about a week, but I am very ill and may not see you again.” He gave me his nephew’s number.

The local sheriff’s deputy knocked on our door the following Saturday, looking for Allie. I told them Jon said she was dead. The deputy explained that Jon had shot himself and the authorities needed to notify the next of kin. I provided the phone number for Jon’s nephew.

As I look at that empty house, I remain puzzled. Was death Allie’s escape from an abusive relationship? I could not find an obituary anywhere online. Did she really die, or is she just in hiding? Could Jon have murdered her? I may never know.

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