Seeing the judge blink several times, Jarrett knew he was in big trouble.
“Your honor,” Matt tried again. “This is not a good situation, but there is an important business deal pending here. A factory is to be built on this site. A factory that will bring jobs into our community.”
The judge straightened. “From which your client will benefit nicely, I’m sure. While these people will lose their homes.” She glared daggers toward Jarrett. “Mr. McKane, you knew the conditions of the lease, and you also knew the deplorable condition of the building when you made the purchase.”
He didn’t agree or disagree. “What I had planned was to help the tenants relocate,” he replied.
The judge wasn’t buying it. “Seems to me if you’d been sincere you would have answered their letters three months ago,” she observed. “Now you’re throwing them out of their homes as though nothing matters as long as you make a profit. Well, it’s not always about profit, Mr. McKane. My ruling is that you make the necessary repairs to bring the building up to code. I’ll waive the fine as long as you begin immediately.”
Jarrett bit the inside of his mouth. “Yes, your honor.”
“Don’t think that’s all there is, Mr. McKane. You’re to make all repairs so the place is livable.” Judge Gillard paused and looked at Mia Saunders. “Is there a vacant apartment?”
Mia nodded. “Yes, your honor, but the apartment is unlivable.”
The judge nodded. “Good. What’s the number?”
“Two-oh-three-B.”
“Jarrett McKane, I order you to move into apartment 203B at Mountain View complex until all repairs are completed. No eviction until March first. Although, I do want to see you back here after the holidays to learn about your progress.” She hit the gavel on the block. The sound echoed around the courtroom. “Court adjourned.”
“Judge, this is highly irregular,” Matt called, but she had already exited the courtroom.
That left Jarrett thinking about everything he was about to lose. No, he couldn’t lose this. He’d fix this, like he’d fixed everything all his life. He’d figure out a way to get what he wanted. He always did.
The next day, Jarrett and Matt parked in front of the Mountain View Apartments. “You can’t bend any of the rules, Jarrett,” Matt told him. “You have to sleep here every night, eat here and even work here. You can only go to your home to get more clothes and food, that’s all, or the judge could toss you in jail. You know she means business when she instructed me to escort you here personally.”
“Dammit, Matt, you’d better get me out of this mess. If Fulton finds out, he’ll walk away from the deal.”
“Well, unless he’ll wait until April, you’re in big trouble. The only alternative you have is talking them into moving out.”
Jarrett was frustrated. Thanks to Mia Saunders, he had to figure out something. But honestly there weren’t many options since housing was limited in Winchester Ridge.
He looked toward the yellow-and-brown structure with the peeling paint and sagging rain gutters. It seemed even worse with winter-bare trees, but the grass was cut and the hedges trimmed.
“In its day, the place was probably a showcase,” Matt observed.
“Well, it’s not 1960,” he told his friend. “And I’m only going to do the minimum that needs to be done. It’s a waste of time and money.”
Jarrett looked out the Mercedes’ windshield to see someone coming toward them. It was the older woman, Mrs. Madison. He pressed the button so the window went down.
“Hello, Mr. McKane.” She slowly made her way to the car. “I’m not sure if you remember me, I’m Nola Madison.”
He got out of the car. “Were you checking up to see if I was coming?”
She smiled despite his rudeness. “As a matter of fact, we were watching for you, but only to warn you about what to expect in your apartment.” She shook her head. “It was once the manager’s, but he didn’t take very good care of it. We tried the best we could to clean it up.” She held out a key dangling from a heart keychain. “But I’m afraid it needs more work than any of our places.”
Feeling like a heel, Jarrett took the key from her, and pulled his jacket together against the cold. “You shouldn’t be out in this weather, Mrs. Madison.”
“Please, call me Nola. Let’s go inside, but it isn’t much warmer.”
Jarrett grabbed his duffel bag from the back of the car, asked Matt to have his car brought over from the office, and followed the woman up the walk. They went into a bare lobby. He’d seen this area before and knew how bad it looked, but it hadn’t mattered to him, since it was tagged for demolition. He headed for the elevators to find signs that read, Out of Order.
On the walk-through of the property he hadn’t noticed that. “There is no elevator?”
She shook her head. “Not in the last year.”
Jarrett recalled that day in the community room—two of the tenants were in wheelchairs. “How do the handicapped get upstairs?”
She led him to the wrought-iron staircase and they started the climb. “Oh, we found two tenants who were willing to move upstairs, and Joe and Sylvia’s son, Ryan, built ramps for both Margie and Harold. Now they can get in and out or their apartments. It’s important to be independent.”
“Who exchanged apartments?”
“Well, Mia was one who moved upstairs, and when her brother, Reverend Brad, was alive he used to help us with a lot of repairs. Many of his congregation did, too.”
“Where was the owner? Some of these repairs are required by law.”
She shook her head. “He threatened to double our rent if we kept complaining. So we started fixing things ourselves.” They made it to the second floor. “But some things we can’t fix. We need an expert.”
Once again he was confronted with dingy walls and worn carpet. They passed a few doors, then she stopped in front of his apartment. He paused. Hell, he was afraid to go inside.
Suddenly the door across the hall opened and Mia Saunders stepped out. She actually smiled at him and he felt a strange tightness in his chest. “Moving in, Mr. McKane?”
She was dressed in a long blue sweater that went to midthigh, with a pair of black leggings covering those long legs. He looked back at her face. “Seems I am. Looks like we’re going to be neighbors.”
“Isn’t that nice,” Nola said, then glanced at her watch. “Oh, my, I just remembered I have a doctor’s appointment. I don’t know where my head is today. Mia, could you show Mr. McKane around?”
Mia frowned. “Do you need a ride, Nola?”
“No, thank you, dear, my daughter is coming by.” With a wave, the older woman walked off.
Mia didn’t like Nola’s not-so-subtle disappearing act. Why did anyone need to show Jarrett McKane around?
She walked to the apartment entrance. “Brace yourself.” She swung open the door, reached in and flicked on the lights, then motioned for him to go inside first. He frowned and stepped into the main room. She heard his curse and couldn’t help but smile as she followed him in.
The apartment walls needed paint, but not before numerous holes in the plaster were patched. Under the slipcovers that Nola and her welcoming committee had recently put on, the furniture was thrift-store rejects.
“Joe cleaned the carpet, or what’s left of it. It’s probably the original. At least the place doesn’t smell as if someone died in here anymore.”