Chapter 4 — The Installer Returns
Evan Brooks arrived less than an hour later.
Michael had removed every heavy object from the shelves before he came.
Evan examined the left bracket.
His expression became serious immediately.
“Don’t use these.”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“We weren’t planning to.”
He removed the decorative cover.
The mounting anchor behind it was barely holding.
One screw had pulled almost completely out of the wall.
“How did this happen?” Michael asked.
Evan looked embarrassed.
“Wrong anchors.”
He had not personally installed all three shelves.
A new assistant named Trevor had completed the final mounting while Evan was outside cutting trim.
Trevor had apparently used standard drywall anchors.
The shelves required heavier toggle anchors or direct attachment to wall studs.
“Didn’t you inspect his work?” Vanessa asked.
Evan shook his head.
“Not closely enough.”
He did not blame Trevor entirely.
“My name is on the job.”
Then:
“I should have checked before we left.”
Michael appreciated that answer.
No excuses.
No:
He usually knows what he’s doing.
No:
You must have overloaded the shelves.
Evan checked the weight of the objects Vanessa had placed there.
Well within the promised limit.
The installation was wrong.
“Could the whole shelf have fallen?” Vanessa asked.
Evan hesitated.
“Eventually, yes.”
Vanessa looked toward Noah.
The shelves were above a counter where he sometimes stood beside her while she cooked.
Her phone screen suddenly seemed unimportant.
Noah had noticed movement before any adult did.
He had warned her.
Twice.
She had dismissed him both times.
Then when something finally broke…
she blamed him.