I folded the purchase contract back along its first creases and pushed it deep into the pocket of my flannel shirt.

The sun had hardly cleared the roof of Harry’s huge brick estate when I stepped down off my back porch and walked across the wet grass toward Nora’s yard.

Nora Hayes was already standing at her kitchen counter with two freshly printed pages laid out beside a cold ceramic mug.

She lifted the top page with both hands and turned to the screen door as I came inside.

“You need to look at this right now, David,” Nora said.