Chapter 243: Later That Night

I explained all about the tourist cabins from the forties. Since I judged her reaction as no interest at all, I dropped it. "So what are you two going to do for dinner tonight?" I asked. I was silently praying that Jennifer had arranged something for them.

"Jennifer and Bob are taking us out. Jen said to tell you are invited," she said. "Please do come."

Ruth was really good at the 'be everybody's friend' thing social operatives specialize in. James hardly said a word. "I'm so sorry, but I already have plans." I didn't tell her that my plans were a dollar salad from the McDonald's at the mall, and a cardboard frozen pizza hot from the microwave. Washed down with a vintage Sam's cola. It was my tribute to the old days meal. I didn't mind the bad food and it reminded me who I was. Something I had needed for the last year or so. It's easy to get used to having money and forget that you didn't always have it.

Ruth and James did the required ten minute walking tour of the downtown, then headed off to Jen's office to get their offer for the farm ready. After they left I got to thinking about my own situation with capitol gains. I was about to be taxed on the profit from the sale of the apartments, if I didn't reinvest the portion I had not used for the Downtown House.

The downtown house was in the middle of the first block, north of the railroad tracks. Yes trains still rolled through the downtown of Aster. Of course the Downtown House faced onto Main street. But it was only a few doors away from Railroad St NW On the south side of the railroad there was another street. It was called South Railroad Street, which also had a east and west side.

I was in a remarkable position to do a downtown high end apartment renovation. I could do the renovations and then let the place just sit empty, if I didn't find just the right people. I could also do short term rentals for people like Ruth and James. People who for whatever reason, needed a place to rent for a month or a few months.

I loved the sound of the trains, but not everyone would, so the place was going to need heavy duty sound proofing. I didn't think that would be a big problem, but it might. First I needed to take a look around town with fresh eyes.

Even though spring was on the way, the temperatures were still pretty chilly in the evenings and mornings. It was into mid afternoon when the swamp couple left for their meeting with Jennifer. I considered the slip over parka, but I opted for something with easier access to my small revolver. The revolver was my only weapon. For real walking I preferred a lightweight PVC cane. It was one I had made it myself from some scrap 1/2"water pipe and a couple of fittings left over from the Downtown House project. There were no guns or knives inside, it was just a lightweight prop for me to use now and then. After a couple of blocks or a lap or two around the mall I got a little clumsy from the weak leg. Otherwise I could keep on pushing through the pain.

So it was almost 5PM when I started my tour. Most of the older buildings were clustered around the railroad tracks, so I began walking in that direction. If I were to walk two blocks in either direction the density and age of the buildings changed drastically. Three blocks south of the tracks and one block over was Ed's converted gas station. A couple of blocks east of main street four blocks down Jennifer's modern building sat among other one story modern shops and offices. I didn't plan to get as far as either of them.

The buildings north of mine in the same black were all filled with shops of one kind or another. Most were one story and were struggling for survival. My favorite was the ice cream and sandwich shop. I didn't care for their sandwiches, but the ice cream was delicious. The Dog House and Kaplan's Barbecue Shack were both several blocks from downtown.

The building which jumped out at me was the deserted railroad hotel of the forties. It was an old brick building three stories tall. Even in it's hay day, Aster had been an after thought rather than a destination. I had never been inside the building, I did know that while I was away the first floor had been used as a night club. That was back in the eighties and nineties. My guess was that there had been a ballroom of sorts even when it was a small hotel.

Fortunately I had my cell phone with me so I called Elaine Brewer the Realtor while I stood in front of the boarded up hotel. "El how you doing?" I asked.

"I'm fine, how are you Maxine?" the woman's voice from over the phone asked. My mind projected a picture of the thirty something woman who still dressed like a college girl.

"Just fine. I'm standing in front of the old railroad hotel. I was curious how much does the owner want for it."

"Old man Davis want's all he can get. I think he might be able to get 50k. I could probably talk him into taking that. These old guys forget that it isn't 1950 anymore. Buyers are almost non existent for that kind of place." she said honestly.

"For me to pay that there would have to be something special about it. Otherwise I would buy one of the tax repos." I said. The city and county had property on the books which had been foreclosed and which didn't even get bids at the courthouse steps auctions. They were willing to sell them for a few bucks with the understanding that they would be renovated within a year or so. Since that was my vague plan, I would have no problem with promising that. Those buildings would be just too small for the plan floating around in my mind.