The only downside to the expensive soundproofing was that it didn't hide the knocking of metal against a cast-iron pipe at all.
He calmly took a sip of his coffee. The gas inspector froze, listening to the strange, nervous rhythm coming from under the wooden floor."Is everything... okay down there?" the inspector frowned, looking at the closed basement hatch.
The sound stopped for a second, then started again, even faster. Thomas sighed heavily, looking like a man completely exhausted by household chores.
"I'm sorry, it's just unbearable, isn't it?" he said in an even voice. "Air in the heating pipes. The pump is running, the pressure jumps, and the valve hits the pipes like someone is tapping out Morse code. The repairmen have been promising to come for a week."
The inspector nodded in understanding.
"Oh, that’s a classic," he chuckled, signing the paperwork. "You need to let the air out, or the pipes might burst."
"Thank you, I will definitely look into it," Thomas smiled politely, taking the documents and walking the guest to the door.
When the lock clicked behind the engineer, Thomas remained the same calm, neat host. He walked slowly to the floor vent and gently crouched down.
"A hydraulic shock, Chloe," he said softly into the dusty darkness, his tone that of a strict examiner, "occurs when there is a sudden change in fluid velocity. What you are doing, however, is pure panic and a violation of the silence. I did warn you: one more knock, and we will move from theory to a very painful practice."
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