Building Blocks of Murder Read Online Free PDF Page B

as she imagined a ballroom with happy dancing couples floating by.
    The inspection took almost three hours. By the time it was finished, Lacy and Mr. Middleton were flagging. They cleared a space in the middle of the first floor by overturning some empty crates, and then they sat down to wait for the final results.
    Lacy nervously nibbled her thumb before remembering she had touched all manner of germs in this mausoleum. If the scrabbling of tiny rodent paws was any indication, she could probably give herself the hanta virus by putting her hands in her mouth.
    Mr. March came into view and Lacy jumped to her feet. “How bad is it? Is it going to fall down? I saw some rotting boards…” She trailed off and waited for his professional assessment.
    “Not bad,” he said, surprising her. “This is a grand old place. The exterior needs some brick work, but the frame is solid steel; it’s not going anywhere. I doubt a twister could take this place down. There is some dry rot and termite damage, so a lot of the floors will need to be replaced. The plumbing is a mess and needs a complete overhaul. The heating systems are also antiquated and should be replaced. You’ll need a new roof—it’s about to collapse--not to mention the wiring. Between the circuit overload and the dry wood, this place is a tinderbox.”
    “But you said it wasn’t bad,” she reminded him, overwhelmed by his list.
    He shrugged. “I’ve seen worse. It needs work, but the foundation is in great shape. That means a lot in a building this old. Basically all it needs is some TLC, and it’s good to go.”
    “How much do you think it would cost to make the renovations?”
    “I’m not a contractor, and I don’t give estimates,” he said. By his careful tone, she wondered if she had stepped on some professional ethics.
    “Off the record,” she prodded. “I won’t hold you to your quote. I’m just looking for a ballpark figure here.”
    He chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought. “I’d say a million, give or take a few hundred thousand.”
    Lacy stared at him, speechless. A million dollars? Granted, she had a million dollars, but she hadn’t planned to spend every penny on an old building she didn’t even want. Fortunately, her grandfather took over the pleasantries with Mr. March. The two men exchanged small talk about what needed to be done to the building, and then Mr. March took his leave.
    “What have I gotten myself into?” Lacy muttered when she and Mr. Middleton were alone.
    He smiled at her, placing his arm companionably around her shoulders. “C’mon, kiddo. I’ll buy you a coffee and we’ll talk it over.”
    They went to the coffee shop where they had first connected. Lacy hadn’t been there since she found out the former cashier had murdered her biological grandmother. Now there was a new cashier, one who looked oddly like Peggy, and Lacy tried to shrug off her uncomfortable feeling. Life went on. The clientele probably appreciated the continuity, even if Lacy found it creepy that nothing significant had changed. They ordered two coffees and sat across from each other at the table where, a few weeks ago, she had first blurted to him the fact that she knew he was her grandfather.
    “Now tell me what you want to do with the Stakely building,” her grandfather commanded.
    “I guess I want to restore it to its former glory,” Lacy said tentatively. When he didn’t laugh, she continued. “You know, make it a marketplace and center of downtown, like you and Grandma were telling me about.”
    He nodded. “Sounds like a good plan.”
    She smiled, enjoying the fact that he didn’t point out that she was a stupid kid who had no idea what she was doing. Maybe if he believed she could do something with the old place, then that meant she actually could. Now it was her turn to point out the obvious.
    “I have no idea what to do,” she said.
    He nodded once, blowing on his coffee. Since he drank his coffee at the boiling