Page 15 of A Light in the Dark
“The owners foreclosed, and they owe the bank fifty. The bank wants profit, but because it’s a public foreclosure, the mortgage amount is readily accessible. They’ll already be accused of gouging at a hundred thousand, especially thistime of year. There were at least fifty properties that washed out, so the market is about to get hot.”
I turned to my boss and said, “Pitch them one twenty with a cash close, and you’ll get far more than it’s worth. It doesn’t matter what the inside looks like. The foundation work is going to last, and in this city, foundations make or break houses. We can elbow grease everything inside that’s broken—and hiring a construction company would be cheaper than buying a ready home.”
Robbie raised a brow. “That tactic would work with the bank, no questions asked, and I could get a signed acceptance by the end of the day with that. But don’t you want to see the inside first?”
“Yes, but all I’d be doing is making a list of renovations needed before it’s habitable.” I eyed the entry, which still lacked stairs and had a rope ladder to gain access to the threshold. The entry platform hadn’t survived the flood, and it would take work—and money—to get a proper step installed and shored. As I’d come armed with a pad of paper and a pen, I jotted a note for the requirement for the step. Then, aware I wore kitten heels and was about to scare a few years of life from my boss, I scrambled up the rope ladder, perched on the threshold on my toes, and held out my hand. “Keys, please.”
Robbie chuckled and tossed up a key ring with a small animal key chain on it. “It’s the bronze key next to the tag labeled 1754.”
I found the silver tag with the number, located the key, and let myself in.
In good news for me, like my house, the door swung into the building rather than outwards. The listing photos hadshowed worn furniture, which had since been removed, making my job easier. The floors would need to be refinished, scuffed and worn down from heavy use. I tested the planks with my foot to determine looks deceived, solid under pressure without any sign of give or squeaking. The walls had been scuffed and bumped many a time as well, and here and there, a scuff had torn through the paint into the drywall beneath.
A few minutes per spot, some plaster, and some paint would solve that problem. I made a note, nodding my satisfaction. I poked my head out of the door and said, “It looks even better than in the photos, sir. This is all cosmetic in the entry.”
“I was unaware your assistant is a contractor,” Robbie said, raising a brow.
“Honestly, I wasn’t aware she’s handy until today, when I found out she did the steps at her place. How much of a bargain is one twenty, Valerie?”
“It’s easily worth at least three hundred thousand with that foundation,” I informed him, grabbing hold of the door’s frame to make certain I didn’t fall while pointing at the sigil. “Once we have Madeline set up with a basic flood kit, prepare her for the realities of flood season, and make sure she has a water barrel, she’ll be golden. You won’t have to worry about her except to make certain she’s nestled safely at home before the gates are opened.”
Or the levees broke, but the wise sheltered at the first sign of trouble and at the first drop of rain at the start of the wet season.
“Good. Robbie, I have no interest in wasting my timefinding a second agent, so cut me a deal on your commission since you’re working both sides of the fence.”
“I’ll cut a percent off the total,” the agent replied. “I’ll even make sure the bank goes to bat for you and mark the estimated value of the property lower since you’ll be purchasing in cash. Will you need an inspection?”
“Yes, but only to confirm what we have to do. If that foundation is half as good as Valerie thinks it is, then the renovation costs are minor comparatively.”
“Foundations make or break homes here,” the real estate agent conceded. “Are you going to go up for a look?”
While my boss heaved a sigh, he scrambled up the rope ladder to join me. “Every time I have to climb one of these ladders, I question why I stay in Stonecreek.”
I did, too—and the more I opened my eyes to the reality of life in the city itself, the less I liked what I saw. However, vocalizing my discomfort wouldn’t do me any good. If I wanted to do the most good, I would do as I always did, keep quiet, and feed the Hunters of Moonriver intel on what I noticed.
And, if the situation warranted it, leave before I became yet another lifeless body in the water.
That someone in my home city-state would eliminate people for the so-called sin of not having been born in the precise right location disgusted me.
I gave my boss a moment to compose himself before saying, “So far, so good. The floor is cosmetic damage.” To demonstrate my point, I gave the floor a good thumping with my foot. “Solidly built, no squeaking, and no sagging.”
“Coming, Robbie?”
With the sort of sigh that made it clear he suffered for thesale, the real estate agent joined us. “There’s a basement, and I haven’t seen it yet. I don’t know how to access it. It was just in the certificate that the basement was sealed and is habitable.”
I whistled, as I had such a space in my house and had paid a pretty penny for it. “I have that, and knowing what I paid for it, this could end up being a really nice home.”
“Well, the idea is to have a permanent hire with this,” my boss reminded me.
That would cause me problems if I left Stonecreek. My guilt would nag away at me for months or years if I left knowing how much work my boss put into giving me an assistant.
I’d assumed I would drown in paperwork forever.
Once I made it home, I would need to have a long think about my circumstances, how much I loved Stonecreek, and if I would stay or leave. If I did decide to leave, I could train Madeline to do my job and offer my property to the replacement for a pittance. That would, for the most part, leave me free and clear of guilt.
Aware my home had initially a trapdoor to access the basement rather than a conventional door, which I’d installed after moving in, I poked around, checking the floorboards for evidence of such a thing. Sure enough, in the living room not far from the hallway, I found a few mismatched boards with a groove large enough to fit two fingers in. I lifted it to discover a pull ring. It opened, revealing a staircase beneath. “And there’s the basement. Got a light?”
Robbie pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and handed itover. I tested the first steps, and once satisfied it was solid, I headed down.
