DECKER STARED AT the moonlit building.
Jamison stood next to him, watching her friend closely.
When Decker finally turned to her she looked away. “See, it’s everything I told you it would be,” she said, smiling at the asphalt.
“And then some,” replied Decker tersely.
The building had once been an old brick warehouse with huge windows; Jamison had informed him that it had been divided up into apartments. Decker took a deep breath and the smells from the nearby Anacostia River filled his lungs. On one side of the warehouse was an abandoned building. On the other side was a demolished structure. Across the street was a string of homes that looked to be about a hundred years old. They were actually leaning into one another and looked uninhabited.
The parking lot of the former warehouse had seemingly more cracks than asphalt, and weeds were growing up through them. An old chain-link fence that surrounded the building was torn down in places and the gate was gone, leaving rusted hinges behind. A few cars were parked in the lot. The newest of them was about twenty years old. Two had plastic trash bags duct-taped over broken-out windows.
“Has Melvin seen the place?” he asked.
“He’s seen pictures. He asked me to look around and I did. And I found this.”
He glanced at her. “So how much ‘looking around’ did you do?”
“Melvin didn’t want to buy a place in a ritzy area, Decker, even though he could afford it. He wanted a place where he could make a difference. The rent on these places is well under the going rate. Everyone living here has a job. Most have multiple jobs. They work hard and they’re trying to better their lives and the lives of their families. It’s really a neat place. And within walking distance are a bunch of restaurants that just started up, all mom-and-pop shops. And there are churches and a park and…” Her voice trailed off as Decker gave no reaction to any of this.
Jamison added, “So, you don’t like it? I know it’s not the Taj Mahal.”
“I used to live in a cardboard box in a Walmart parking lot, and after that in one room at a Residence Inn. So if it has its own toilet this is actually a move up for me.”
“Okay?” she said tentatively. “So you’re good with it?”
“How many tenants?”
“Fifteen units are rented. Two residents are single. The rest have families.”
“So you’ve met them?”
“Yes. I wasn’t going to give Melvin a recommendation without doing proper due diligence. He wants to do good things with his money, but I would never put him in a situation where he would lose his investment. And it’s got good bones. Once the rest of the improvements are done, it’ll be great. And the area around here, while I know it doesn’t look like much, is really starting to come around. Like I said, the restaurants are coming in, and buildings like this one are being renovated. All good stuff.”
“And then the rents rise and the taxes go up and the people you’re trying to help can’t afford it anymore.”
“Well, our rents aren’t going up. And we did a deal with the local government. They’ve given Melvin some tax abatements and other incentives so he can afford to keep helping those who need it.”
“Abatements and incentives? When exactly did you do all this?”
“In my spare time. I know I was a journalist when we first met, Decker. But my heart has always been about doing stuff like this.”
Decker nodded and looked back at the building. “And where will we be living?”
“Like I said, on the top floor. It’s got great views. And it’s all built out.”
“Is it furnished, or do we have to go shopping?”
“I took the liberty of getting some things. If you don’t like it we can always do a redo.”
“Does it have a place to sit and a place to sleep?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Do you want to go inside?”
He motioned for her to lead the way.
Jamison punched in a code on a box next to the entry door and pushed it open. Decker followed her in to where they were confronted by a set of stairs.
“It’s a true walk-up,” she explained. “No elevator.”
Six flights up they reached a door that Jamison unlocked while Decker leaned against the wall and caught his breath. She looked back at him.
“I thought you’d been working out,” she said.
“I just did.”
He followed her in and stopped. The ceilings were twenty feet high with exposed metal beams and concrete columns constituting the support structure of the building. They all had been painted black. The space was wide open, with a large seating area near the twelve-foot-tall windows, and a modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite counters. There were two large bedrooms with en suite baths. Down another hall was a large office with a desk and shelves and a window with wooden shutters. A laptop sat on top of the desk.
“That’s your office. I have a space next door. There’s also a Jacuzzi in there,” she added, pointing to a door on the left. “And a sauna. But I haven’t used either one. I’m not even sure if they work.”
“Holy shit, Jamison,” said Decker. “When you were describing the place as needing TLC, I sure wasn’t expecting this!”
She looked at him a bit guiltily. “This was the former building owner’s apartment. He put all the money into this space and went cheap everywhere else. The other apartments do not look like this.”
“What happened to him?”
She looked nervous. “I’d rather not say.”
“And why would that be?”
“I just wouldn’t.”
“Alex!”
“Okay, he got shot in the parking lot by some drug dealer he stiffed.”
“Shot as in dead?”
“Well, yeah. I thought that was sort of implied.”
Decker looked around. “And did he use the money he was supposed to pay to the dealer to build this out?”
“It’s not clear. But I wouldn’t worry about it. I mean, it’s not like we owe the drug dealer anything.”
“So he was never caught?”
“Well, the police had a suspect, but since there were no witnesses willing to come forward they had to let him go. The building went into bankruptcy and Melvin bought it. He got a really good deal, actually. Apparently there were no other bidders.”
“Shocking,” said Decker.
“But you like it, right?”
“Yeah, I like it. It’s a palace compared to what I’m used to.”
“I already brought my stuff up. You can move in anytime.”
“All my possessions fit inside one bag, so it won’t be a huge undertaking.”
She held out her hand. “Welcome to our new home, roomie.”
Before shaking her hand Decker said, “Let’s get a few more locks on the door.”