my water heater went out, and then the sheriff stopped by-“
“Wait, why did the sheriff stop by?”
I tossed my purse on the desk, ignoring how all the contents went flying across the desk. I needed coffee. I walked over and poured myself a cup and gratefully took a drink. Only ten more swallows and I would feel like a normal person. When I turned around, Eric was looking at the paper on my desk. I snatched it away from him and shoved it back in my purse.
“So, you were saying about the sheriff?” he asked.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Are you sure? Jack’s a good friend. I’m sure he would help.”
“I’m sure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to work.”
“Right, well, I’m heading out on the Destin job. Hey, did you get any weird vibes when you talked to his secretary the other day?”
I thought back to Friday and my phone conversation with her. “Um…Maybe a little. Like maybe she was hiding something?”
“That’s what I thought. I went through all the details over the weekend, but I didn’t see anything that seemed off. Do me a favor and go over all the account information this morning. Let me know if you find anything.”
“Sure. I’ll do that right after I go through the emails.”
He nodded and walked out while I got to work.
I hurried up and shut down my computer. If I was fast, I could get to the bank and speak with the loan manager before they closed. It was cutting it close, but I might be able to convince him to stay a little longer to speak with me. I closed up the office and drove over to the bank, jumping out of my car just as the loan manager was walking out.
“Mr. Groverton!” I shouted, waving my arms in the air like a lunatic. He smiled kindly at me and waited for me to rush over. “I’m so glad I caught you.”
“I was just on my way home.”
“I was hoping you might have a few minutes to discuss something with me.”
He checked his watch and nodded. “Sure,” he smiled. “I’ve got a few minutes.”
He walked back into the bank and I followed him back to his office.
“So, what can I help you with, Anna?”
I pulled out the piece of paper from my bag and handed it over. “The sheriff brought this by today.”
He read through it and sighed. “I’m sorry, Anna. That’s terrible.”
“Mr. Groverton, I know we talked about what I needed to acquire a home owner’s loan, but I may not have the time I need. I’ve been saving everything I can, but this is speeding up that timeline.”
“Anna, everything depends on when the government decides to seize your property. Now, if you were to take them to court, that could take twelve to eighteen months for this to go through. That would buy you some time.”
“I don’t have the money for a lawyer though.”
He nodded. “Well, you can always negotiate, but honestly, your land isn’t going to be valued the same as some of the other property around you. The land is considered poor-quality, so you’re going to get a worse offer from them. I doubt you’ll be able to negotiate for more.”
“That’s why I’m here. I need to find a way to get that home owner’s loan. If I rent, it’s going to eat up my savings.”
“Well, let me look into this and I’ll let you know if I can find a way to get you a loan faster. But, Anna, I have to be honest with you, I don’t think I’m going to find anything.”
I smiled tightly, feeling completely dejected. “Thank you for trying.”
He smiled and I walked out of his office and back to my car. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I still had some time, but even with another six months to a year, I might not have enough saved and also meet all the qualifications needed for the loan. Everything I had worked so hard for would be washed down the drain.
Robert
My phone rang just as I was about to go into a meeting with Rebecca Morrison. It was Eric, and unless it was important, I didn’t have the time to talk right now.
“Now’s not a good time.”
“I have information for you. Very useful information.”
“That’s great. Can you tell me later?”
“Anna received a letter this morning that the government is exercising eminent domain to take her property.”