Chapter 9: The Inspection They Weren't Supposed to Have
At 8:42 the following morning, I was standing inside my condo when Melissa called.
"Barbara, they're here.""
I looked through the balcony doors.
"Who?""
"Richard Collins and another man. They are asking to inspect Unit 604.""
I glanced at Samuel, who was sitting at the dining table with a stack of documents.
"Tell them they're not authorized.""
"I already did. Richard says he has written permission from you.""
"Tell him to produce it.""
"He has a copy of the request.""
"Then send it to me.""
Melissa paused.
"Barbara, there's something else.""
"What?""
"He says the buyer is prepared to close quickly.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"Melissa, there is no sale. There is no authorized buyer. There is no inspection.""
"I understand.""
"Please don't let them enter.""
"I won't.""
I ended the call.
Samuel looked up.
"Did they arrive?""
"Yes.""
He gathered the documents.
"Good. Let's see what they have.""
At 8:57, someone knocked.
Not the polite knock of a visitor.
Three firm blows.
Daniel, who had arrived ten minutes earlier, stood up.
"I'll get it.""
Samuel raised his hand.
"Wait. Let Barbara answer.""
I walked to the door and opened it.
Richard Collins stood in the hallway wearing a navy blazer.
Beside him was a man in his early fifties carrying a leather portfolio.
Richard smiled.
"Barbara. Good morning.""
I didn't return the smile.
"What are you doing here?""
"We're here for the inspection.""
"There is no inspection.""
Richard sighed.
"Let's not make this difficult.""
I had heard that sentence before.
Apparently, it was a family tradition.
"Mr. Collins, you have no permission to enter this property.""
He held up a printed document.
"Your representative authorized it.""
"I have no representative.""
He looked past me.
"Harper told us you understood the arrangement.""
I stared at him.
"Harper doesn't speak for me.""
The man beside him cleared his throat.
"Mrs. Mitchell, I'm Peter Lawson. I'm representing the interested purchaser. I was told you had approved a preliminary inspection.""
I shook my head.
"I did not.""
Richard stepped forward.
"Barbara, this is a business opportunity. You don't need to turn it into a personal conflict.""
I looked directly at him.
"You've been using my condo without permission, collecting money from strangers, and presenting documents that claim to represent me. What part of that is not personal?""
His smile disappeared.
Daniel appeared behind me.
"Mr. Collins.""
Richard looked at him.
"Daniel. Good to see you.""
"No, it isn't.""
Richard raised his eyebrows.
"What's that supposed to mean?""
"It means I want to know why you tried to sell my mother's property.""
Richard laughed.
"Nobody is selling anything without proper authorization.""
Samuel stepped into view.
"Then you won't object to explaining why your company submitted an inspection request claiming to have that authorization.""
Richard's expression changed.
"Who are you?""
"Samuel Reed. I'm Mrs. Mitchell's attorney.""
Richard glanced at the papers in Samuel's hand.
"Well, I don't think we need attorneys involved in a simple property discussion.""
Samuel smiled politely.
"Then you should have avoided submitting legal documents with someone else's signature.""
The man carrying the portfolio looked uncomfortable.
"Richard, perhaps we should clarify the situation before proceeding.""
Richard turned toward him.
"There's nothing to clarify.""
Samuel handed him a copy of the trust documentation.
"This property is held in a revocable trust. Barbara Mitchell is the trustee and sole beneficiary. No third party has authority to negotiate a sale, arrange an inspection, or collect rental income on her behalf.""
Richard barely glanced at the document.
"I've seen that.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"You've seen it?""
He looked at me.
"Yes.""
"How?""
"Harper provided the relevant information.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Harper wasn't authorized to provide anything.""
Richard ignored him.
"Look, Barbara, I understand you're upset. But this arrangement was designed to benefit everyone.""
"Everyone except me, apparently.""
He sighed.
"You're getting older. Maintaining a property like this is expensive. We thought we were helping.""
I looked around the hallway.
"Did you pay one association fee?""
He didn't answer.
"Did you pay the property taxes?""
Nothing.
"Did you replace the air conditioner when it failed last summer?""
Richard shifted his weight.
"That's not the point.""
"It is exactly the point. You have spent a year treating my home like a business you own.""
The prospective buyer stepped forward.
"Mr. Collins, I need to know whether this property is actually available.""
Richard turned sharply.
"Peter, give me a moment.""
Peter looked at Samuel.
"Is there any agreement with your client?""
"No.""
"Any signed listing?""
"No.""
"Any authority to negotiate?""
"Absolutely not.""
Peter closed his portfolio.
"Then I have no reason to be here.""
Richard grabbed his arm.
"Wait.""
Peter pulled away.
"You told me the owner had approved the transaction.""
Richard lowered his voice.
"She has. We're just working through some family complications.""
I looked at Peter.
"I have never approved a transaction.""
Peter stared at Richard.
"Is that true?""
Richard didn't answer.
Peter stepped away.
"I'm withdrawing from this inspection.""
He walked toward the elevator.
Richard watched him go.
Then he turned back to me.
"You have no idea what you've just done.""
I held his gaze.
"I think I do.""
He leaned closer.
"Harper and I have invested a great deal of time and money into this.""
"That was your decision.""
"People have paid deposits.""
"Then return their money.""
"That's not how business works.""
I looked at him.
"Then perhaps you shouldn't have started a business with something you didn't own.""
His face reddened.
Samuel stepped between us.
"Mr. Collins, this conversation is over. You are not authorized to enter the property.
Any further attempt to represent yourself as acting for Mrs. Mitchell will be documented.""
Richard looked at Daniel.
"Your wife is going to be very upset when she finds out what you've done.""
Daniel didn't move.
"She can call me.""
Richard walked toward the elevator.
Before the doors closed, he turned.
"Barbara, you should talk to Harper before you destroy your family.""
I watched the elevator doors shut.
Then I closed my own door.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Daniel finally exhaled.
"That was unbelievable.""
Samuel placed the documents on the table.
"Actually, it was useful.""
"How?""
"The prospective buyer has now confirmed that he was presented with the property as available for sale. Richard also acknowledged that Harper provided the information.""
I sat down.
"Can we stop them now?""
"We can take steps to protect the property and pursue the unauthorized activity. But we need to establish the complete financial picture.""
My phone vibrated.
A message from Melissa.
She had attached a photograph of the visitor log.
Richard had signed in.
But beneath his name was a handwritten note.
"Inspection approved by owner — H.C.""
I stared at the initials.
Harper Collins.
Then Melissa sent another message.
"Barbara, I checked the office records. Richard has visited the building four times in the last six months. Each time, he requested access to Unit 604.""
I looked at Samuel.
"Four times?""
He nodded.
"Let's obtain those records.""
At 11:20, Daniel left to speak with Harper.
I didn't ask him to stay.
He needed to decide what kind of husband he wanted to be.
And I needed to decide what kind of mother I could be without sacrificing myself.
At noon, Samuel received a call from his associate.
He listened for several minutes.
Then he turned toward me.
"Barbara, we've located something.""
"What?""
"The payment records for Coastal Comfort.""
"How much?""
He covered the phone and spoke quietly.
"The total appears to be substantially higher than the seventeen thousand dollars we identified yesterday.""
My stomach tightened.
"How much higher?""
He listened again.
Then he wrote a figure on a sheet of paper.
$83,400.
I stared at it.
"That's impossible.""
Samuel shook his head.
"That's the amount of deposits and rental payments currently traced to the company.""
I gripped the edge of the table.
"From my condo?""
"At least part of it. We're still separating the transactions.""
I looked at the number again.
Eighty-three thousand four hundred dollars.
It was more than I had spent renovating the entire property.
And I hadn't received a single dollar.
Then Samuel added something.
"There's also a payment dated six days ago.""
"From whom?""
"A company called Seaside Capital Partners.""
I remembered the name from the advertisement.
"How much?""
"Twenty thousand dollars.""
I stared at him.
"What was it for?""
"The payment description says property acquisition deposit.""
I felt the room tilt.
"They paid a deposit to buy my condo?""
"That's what the description suggests.""
"Who received it?""
"Coastal Comfort Property Management LLC.""
I looked toward Frank's photograph.
Someone had accepted twenty thousand dollars from a prospective buyer for a property they did not own.
And the payment had been made six days before Harper called me demanding that I leave.
Suddenly, that phone call seemed different.
It hadn't been a spontaneous request for her parents to enjoy a few days at the beach.
It had been an attempt to make the condo available.
An attempt to remove me from the property while people who believed they had a financial interest in it were being brought closer.
My phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered.
"Mom?""
"Yes?""
"I found something at home.""
His voice sounded strained.
"What?""
"A folder in Harper's desk.""
"What kind of folder?""
"Documents from Seaside Capital. There's a purchase agreement.""
I closed my eyes.
"Is my name on it?""
"Yes.""
"Did I sign it?""
There was a long pause.
"No, Mom.""
Then he said something that made my blood run cold.
"But there's another signature on the last page.""
"Whose?""
Daniel swallowed.
"Someone signed as your authorized representative.""
"Who?""
May you like
He lowered his voice.
"Me.""
