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“Uh…” Harold’s eyes flit around nervously.
“You can tell me, Harold. It’s important I understand the general mood of the residents.”
He nods, clearing his throat. “Most blame him. A lot of people hate him, but…” He wrings his hands together, clamping his mouth shut.
Seeing the man so uncomfortable bothers me, so I send a wave of compulsion at him to ease his nerves. He looks up, his shoulders dropping and his hands relaxing.
“Most of us are afraid of him,” he answers easily. “He’s been known to bully people to get what he wants.”
Some things never change.
“Nial Cook and Ben Russell. Are they still residents?”
“Yes.”
“I see. How would you describe the town to your closest friend? Don’t give me the official description. Tell it like it is.”
Harold nods, obviously still feeling the effect of my compulsion. “It’s awful. If it wasn’t for my wife’s family and a few other nice folks around town, it would be hell. Garrett and his friends are terrible people, and even though no one likes them, they still seem to have a lot of influence.”
He takes the packet of papers from my hand, flipping over several.
“He owns two stores on Main Street, the factory, and his home. All four of them are close to foreclosure. He hasn’t been able to pay for five months, but we’ve been lenient, giving him extensions to pay.” Harold hands the papers back to me. “Honestly, I don’t want to give him another extension, but he’s pretty intimidating.”
“Hmm.” I flip through the pages with Garrett’s name on them. Guess I’ll be starting with him.
“How much does he owe?”
“Close to a million by now. His payments are twenty grand in the hole since he over mortgaged his properties trying to make up for what the developers left behind.” Harold grabs a tissue and wipes his brow. “My job is on the line. If he defaults on those loans, I’ll have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Anyone else cause trouble around here?”
Harold nods. “Honestly, a lot of people left Neubrook because of the residents. I’d say at least eighty percent of them are just awful to deal with. There’s so much tension in the air, you can feel it. Everywhere you go, someone is complaining or giving workers a hard time, and Garrett seems to stoke the flames by example. It’s a town of bullies.”
Unfortunately, it always has been, but it sounds even worse now that the teen bullies are adults.
“Well don’t worry about Garrett or anyone else anymore, Harold. I’m here now. You see, I have a vested interest in the wellbeing of Neubrook. My parents live here. Besides, I’ve grown tired of big city life. Neubrook is due for a renaissance, and I’m the man to bring it.”
“You’re a developer?”
“Something like that. You accept wires, yes?”
“Of course.”
“Good. I’ll look over the papers tonight and be back tomorrow with an offer on all of them. Does that work for you?”
He smiles. “Yes, sir.”
“In the meantime, I ask that you keep the specifics of our meeting confidential. No reason to alarm people unnecessarily. Eventually, there will be an announcement.”
“Sounds very exciting, and of course everything is private.”
I stand, offering my hand for Harold to shake. “Good doing business with you, Mr. Turner. Hopefully ours can be a mutually beneficial partnership.”
“I hope so.”
I wave away my compulsion, smiling as Harold blinks rapidly, appearing slightly dazed.
As I step away, I pause in the doorway. “Oh, and Harold?”
