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“No, that’s the whole purpose. That and looking for for-sale signs.”
“Are you really going to buy a house based on one weekend visit?”
“I am. I love it here. I’m ready to put down roots.” She pulled out onto the street. “So where should I go?”
“Just drive,” Annie said. “Where does a guy go who might have a girlfriend? I have no idea.”
They drove for a quarter mile north, hitting the village limits.
“Look! That adorable house is for sale!”
Katrina pulled over to the curb and ducked down to see out the passenger window. “Is it vacant?”
“I can’t tell,” Annie said. “It’s going to be dark soon. Hurry up and call the number.”
“I can’t see it.”
Annie read the phone number off to Katrina, and she keyed it in her phone. With it on speaker, they listened to the ring and then voicemail picking up. When the recording was done, Katrina left a message that she’d like to see the house on Main Street.
“Can you see the house number?” she hissed.
“No. Just tell her right across from the middle school.”
So she did and then recited her phone number again.
“What a cute house,” Katrina said. “What is this style?”
“I’m not sure. It’s not a shotgun. I think it’s a Creole cottage. It looks like the house we’re living in now. Steve’s mom and dad own it. It’s four rooms, no hallway. It looks a little bit like this.”
“It’s so small, but I like that. It’s a little raggedy, too, which is even better. Alphé renovated his shotgun house. I’ll take you by it since we know where Lola is.”
“There’s a couple over in the playground, kissing,” Annie said, pointing. “They probably told their parents they were going to the library after school like we did all the time.”
“Ha! Yep. Got away with murder, the three of us. But we turned out okay.”
“Time will tell!” Annie said, laughing.
Katrina turned the car around in the driveway and made a left at the next street. “Alphé’s house is in this neighborhood.” She came to a stop sign and turned right. “That one up on the left. The porch light’s on, so you can see a little bit of it.”
“Wow, he did that?”
“That’s what he said. It was a wreck from hurricane Katrina. He bought it for property taxes.”
“That’s the way to do it, isn’t it?”
“I guess. I’m not quite that ambitious.”
She kept driving down the street and made a loop again to get onto Main Street.
“Oh, crap! That’s Steve’s truck,” Annie said, sliding down her seat.
“Where?”
“Parked on the street. The big one, the fancy one. Can you see if he’s in it?”
“I’ll pull around,” Katrina said, making a U-turn. “I don’t see anyone.”
“He must be around here somewhere,” Annie said, near tears. “You have to know Steve and that damn truck. He cares about the truck more than me. He’d never leave it on the street unless he could keep an eye on it.”
