Inspector photographs footprints that don't exist on the basement floor
A home inspector found two sets of footprints in his photo of a vacant basement, but only one set appeared on the actual floor.
Wren found 23 damp footprints in a photo of a vacant house basement. At 6:12 PM, he typed the last line of his report beside the utility sink.
The water was shut off, and his boots were dry. One set ran from the back door to the sink. The deadbolt was locked, with dust across the inside latch.
A second set of prints appears
Then Wren noticed a smaller, bare set beginning on the bottom stair. It crossed toward the furnace and stopped mid-step. One toe pressed into dust, with no heel behind it.
He checked the windows and crawlspace. Nothing had moved. He called Ruthie, the agent.
Explaining the first set
She said she'd entered earlier in wet boots, which explained the first set. Behind the sink, Wren found a split drain line. Rainwater had soaked the floor and dried around the prints.
He photographed the repair and finished his report. Then he opened the basement photo again. The first set matched Ruthie's boots.
The prints that weren't there
The second set existed only in the picture. When Wren enlarged it, the last print showed a toe pressing into dust that was still clean on the floor.
