Read Elaine Orr - Jolie Gentil 05 - Trouble on the Doorstep for Free Online Page B

occurred just outside the complex.”
    I nodded. “Actually, I know some of the family, but that’s not why I’m here.” I gave my usual spiel about a real estate agent writing a sales contract, and that Harry and I could do an appraisal expeditiously, so a sale could go through quickly. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep us in mind when you hear that there are residents who want to sell.”
    As I handed him a couple of cards he nodded slowly. “I remember now, Rotary.” He shook my hand. “People don’t really need an appraiser,” he said. “They sell the property back to us and we resell it. It’s one of the many ways we maintain quality.”
    I figured that was a euphemism for keeping out people they thought would not keep up their property. “I know how it works. Sometimes people just like to know what it’s worth before they sell it back.”
    Brennan looked at me more closely. “Do I know you from somewhere else?”
    “Maybe you know my aunt, Madge Richards.”
    I saw his memory click in and gave an internal groan. He was remembering that I chaired the Harvest for All food pantry committee and had found a body not long after our Talk-Like-a-Pirate-Day fundraiser.
    “I do know Madge,” he said, letting go of my hand. “Saw your name in the paper a couple of times? Food pantry, right?”
    “Yes, but I’m not here to ask for a donation. One of your residents asked me to stop by for something else. And I’m generally interested in what you do here. I hope it’s a long way away, but eventually Aunt Madge might want an assisted living apartment.”
    “Ah, well. We would be delighted to have her. And Harry, too, of course.” He gave the kind of broad smile that almost everyone in town gives when they say they know Aunt Madge.
    Of course . How can I ask who did the inflated estimates? “Looks as if you weathered the hurricane pretty well.”
    Brennan did half a shrug. “Most of our damage was from rain as much as wind. We’ve already done a lot of cleaning in some units and hauled away a lot of debris from the lawns. I’ve worked for two weeks to line up all the paperwork so contractors can start soon to get things as good as new.”
    I nodded, trying to look sympathetic. “I bet a lot of other senior citizen residences wish they had management that handled everything.”
    “We basically self-insure, so we don’t have a lot of red tape to go through with an insurance company or a bunch of individual policies if residents had their own insurance.”
    “Isn’t that a bit risky?” I asked.
    He smiled, but I could tell he was getting tired of my questions. “Some people would say so, but risk is part of any business, isn’t it? You’re a business woman.” He smiled again, almost perfunctorily. “We have steadily amassed a large escrow account just for major repairs. We more or less build what someone would pay for a homeowner’s policy into the rent or the monthly fee for the duplexes. It would only be an issue if we didn’t save a good amount monthly.”
    I wanted to ask him if he was nuts, or what they would do if there was the equivalent of a Hurricane Sandy next year. They couldn’t have that much socked away and easily replenished. Instead, I asked, “What about the contents of a home? Do residents still buy insurance for that?”
    “Since our residents essentially buy long-term leases for the duplexes, they only need insurance for property loss or, if they choose, liability. We handle all maintenance and repairs.” He said this last sentence quickly and looked toward a clock on the wall.
    “Ah. So someone here gave Elmira Washington her estimate? She knows that I know just a bit about home repairs and such, and she wanted me to look at the water damage from the storm “
    His friendliness vanished. “Mrs. Washington tends to have a direct point of view.”
    I nodded. “I’ve run into it before.” When he said nothing I made to go. “I appreciate you talking to me.”
    He