“I know.” They walked out to the sidewalk, scanning the street for any sign of Evangeline. “Speaking of banks, did you hear about all those people from B of A?”

“I know! I can’t believe it,” she said.

“John’s brother’s one of the deputies who found them. They were all laid out in the field Jim Jones style.”

Jen shivered. “Let’s not talk about it.” The sun was starting to go down, and the shadow of the house had almost taken over the lawn. The street was quiet, and while that had seemed like a selling point for the neighborhood up to now, at the moment she would have preferred to hear a car go by, kids playing, even a lawnmower or a teenager’s stereo.

Lane must have read her mood. “Should we check and see if it’s unlocked?” he asked.

“I don’t think it is, but sure.”

Together they walked up to the front door. There was a lockbox attached to the handle, but it was open, the key easily accessible to anyone who happened by. Lane took it out. “Shall we?” Without waiting for a response, he unlocked the door.

Jen stepped inside behind Lane, who had reached around the edge of the doorframe and flipped on the light. With no curtains on the windows, the dusk outside looked like night, and without furniture, the rooms stretching out before them looked bigger than the exterior of the building seemed able to hold.

She wandered into the remodeled kitchen, admiring the recently installed countertop grill and the greenhouse window over the sink that looked out at a surprisingly big back yard. Of course, the yard was in darkness right now, with only the faintest hint of orange sunset showing through the trees. It was odd being here as evening fell, and it gave the house a distinctly different vibe. She moved through the small dining room, and she and Lane both walked down the hallway, past the single bathroom and what she was already calling the guest room, to the master bedroom.

Since her first tour of the house, she had been certain that this was the place for them—they both had—but now something seemed off. The bedroom had only one window, and while that had never bothered her before, those three windowless walls made her think of a prison cell. Above the spot where, in her mind, she’d put their bed, she noticed a recessed square in the ceiling: the entrance to an attic. It had to be a small attic, she reasoned, probably little more than a crawlspace, but she still didn’t like the fact that its entrance would be right over their bed.

“Hello!”

The Realtor’s unexpected greeting made her jump, and Lane laughed as he took Jen’s hand and led her back out to the living room.

“Sorry I’m late,” Evangeline told them. “I was getting everything together for you.”

She was carrying an iPad, and she turned it on, swiping and tapping before showing them the screen. “So what’s happening is there’s a new bank opening a branch in Montgomery, and they’re reaching out to local business leaders like moi, who work with the banking community on a consistent basis. In an attempt to get a foothold in this town, they’re offering us what they’re calling introductory loans. Basically, to show their good faith, to let everyone know that they’re invested in Montgomery and here to stay, and not some fly-by-night operation, they’re providing a limited number of loans to families and couples who might have been turned down by traditional lenders, but who local movers and shakers, again like moi, believe deserve a second chance.” She smiled brightly. “And of course I immediately thought of you!”