38 Weeks: The Thirty-Sixth Week

Week Thirty-Six

                      

"Mike, I've got some bad news for ya, buddy."

Michael eyes Sam apprehensively. Sam had called an hour earlier, and asked to meet him, alone. "What, Sam?"

"Elsa noticed this in the paper yesterday." Sam hands Mike a piece of the newspaper.

Michael looks down and sees that there is indeed a problem, and understands why he didn't want to do this with Fi around. Sure, she hasn't been doing the traditional pregnant woman mood swing from hell routine, but she has been a bit easier to upset than normal.

"That's my house."

"Yeah, brother."

It's a notice in the paper for an auction. A foreclosed upon property is being sold tomorrow, and the house in question is the one Mike and Fi are currently living in.

"Your landlord doesn't really own that house. I had Barry do some digging for you, and well, no one's owned that house in three years. It's up for auction because the bank wants to get rid of it on the cheap."

"Great." No one in his right mind would call Michael Westen a coward, but that does not mean that he's got any desire to tell his extremely pregnant, likely to go into labor any minute now wife about how the house they live in is about to be sold out from under them, and how the bank that owns said house is likely to be extremely displeased about some of the modifications he's made to the place over the last five months.

Sam smiles at him. "Here's the good news. Barry got you a seat at the auction."

"Sam?"

"If you want to, you can buy it. You've got the funds, and Barry's got the corporation set up."

Which is how Westanne Holdings LLC., a subsidiary of RobinHobb Limited, which was part of the Finley Group, gained its first asset: a single family home just outside of Little Havana.