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Wait. Walter took out loans on both properties? He’d been dead for ten years. He’d supposedly left Carla the two homes, plus more money than she could spend in a lifetime. If that was the case, and he’d, for some reason, taken out loans on both of the properties, why hadn’t she used the money she inherited to pay them off years ago?
“I’m truly sorry,” he said. “As for your home here, we’re seeing a lot more interest. I think we’ll have a solid offer soon.”
She was selling the house on the water as well?
“I have three groups coming later this week to take a look, and one of them is particularly eager,” Estadore added. “Your home here on the Cape is exactly what they’ve been looking for.”
“And the auction for the furnishings?”
“All arranged.”
“You said you’d be discreet. I don’t want anyone learning about my . . . difficulties.”
“This company is impeccable. No one in this community will know a thing.”
Except me. She was hawking all her belongings, selling the properties Walter had left her. What would she offer for sale next—the very large diamond engagement ring Walter had given her?
I felt bad for her. Despite looking like she was a gold digger to almost everyone in town, I knew she wasn’t. She’d loved Walter. I’d seen that in their every interaction. Now it appeared he’d left her a bunch of debt.
She’d had ten years to figure this out. Why wait until now to sell?
Perhaps she’d used what little money he left her tocover the payments on both loans. But she’d known that would run out. How did she expect to make payments on the debt after that? She worked part time for me, and while I paid above minimum wage, she wasn’t making enough to cover the rent on an apartment in town, let alone interest payments on two mortgaged waterfront properties.
“I’ll reach out once the three have looked at your property here in town,” he said.
“Thanks.”
As Estadore left, I walked over to the counter and casually leaned against it.
Carla crossed the street and hurried down the sidewalk, taking her walk.
With no customers and them gone, I went back outside and sat on one of the pretty iron chairs, giving Elrik a call. I filled him in on what I’d overheard, though I wasn’t sure any of the information played a role in what happened at the church social.
“It’s interesting that you overheard all this,” Elrik said. “I was just doing a deep dive into Carla and Walter online. Walterwaswealthy at one time, but a divorce with a different, though also very young woman left him short on cash. He was able to hold onto the properties in Florida and here in town, but to do so, he had to sell most of his shares in his business. When he married Carla, there wasn’t much left but the properties. He mortgaged both homes not only to buy her the huge ring she’s wearing, but to give her the impression he had endless wealth.”
“Wow,” I said. “You found all that online?”
“With some snooping.”
“When I look online, all that comes up is porn.”
His low laugh rang out. “Do you click on it?”
“And risk picking up a computer virus? Never.”
“Wise.”
I scrunched my face. “That’s me. Hopefully, I’m wise enough to discover who wants to put my grandmother in jail. Carla hasn’t shared any of this with me, not that she’d have to, though she must know I’d understand.”
“If she can’t find buyers fast, she’ll lose both places to the bank. Over the past ten years since Walter’s death, she’s continued to live the lifestyle he promised her. She’s attended Broadway shows. I saw pictures of that online. Other images showed her coming out of highly exclusive restaurants and making purchases at Tiffany’s.”
“You’d think she’d remember how to be frugal.”
He grunted in agreement. “Without money coming in, my assumption is she’s had to dip into what Walter had left in investments. She’s no longer even a minor shareholder in his business, so she must’ve sold those shares years ago. She’s a month late on the second mortgage he took out on the Florida place, so I can see why she’s eager to sell.”
“For the right price. I doubt she wants to lose money on the sale.” Poor Carla. She must be eager to get rid of all that debt. Yet why continue living a lifestyle she couldn’t afford?
“She’s not making much at Creature Cones,” I said. “She implied to me this job was something fun to do to get out of the house, that she was tired of sitting on the deckoverlooking the water and reading books. I could give her a raise and offer her more hours, but I doubt that’ll make much difference. I wonder if she has other assets she can sell.”
