Logan nodded. “I’ve seen that place—it’s cut right into the side of the hill. Are they survivalists or something?”

“Believe it or not, Ed’s an architect and author,” Mark answered. “I’ve met him a few times at the college—he teaches some classes there.” Mark taught classes at Brady College as well, being a well-known mural artist. “He’s writing a book about the guy who designed all the Victorian houses in town He’s quiet, but seems okay. Why?”

“His wife is hassling Zoey about her dad’s place...well, it’s her place now.” Mike frowned into his coffee mug. “She hasn’t had a chance to move those so-called sculptures of Rob’s from the lawn, and Mrs. Schiff threatened her about having a business in a residentially zoned area.”

Evie Hudson walked up to the table with a fresh pot of coffee and rested her hand on her husband Mark’s shoulder. “Are you talking about Karen Schiff? Ugh. She’s a stuck-up bee-yotcha. Nothing’s ever good enough for her. The few times she shows up here, she spends the whole time loudly whining about Rendezvous Falls being so ‘backward’ and ‘provincial.’ They moved here from Long Island, and we’re clearly not up to her exquisite standards.”

She refilled their coffees and left the pot as she cleared the table. Mark smiled as she walked away with an armful of dishes. “Motherhood has not softened my wife’s opinions in the least.”

“Zoey has the same basic opinion of the woman,” Mike answered. He didn’t like the idea of anyone causing Zoey any more stress than she already had in her life right now.

“She can’t really cause trouble for Zoey, can she?” Luke asked.

“I don’t think so. I’m working on it.” Mike wished he could be more sure, but there were some odd little glitches in the zoning rules and how properties could be considered grandfathered so that newer rules didn’t apply to them. He was still researching the history of Zoey’s house, which had been in her father’s family for multiple generations.

Logan frowned. “How can this guy be writing about Victorian houses when he built that eyesore?”

Mark sat back and spread his hands. “Art is subjective, guys. Ed told me once that his focus is on how every generation had a ‘cutting-edge style’ that was a modern sensation in its day. Like the over-the-top Victorian houses around here. In their time, they were the newest fad. They were considered contemporary then, just like his place is considered contemporary now.”

“I get what you’re saying about art,” Logan said, “but personally, I’m hoping cement bunkers don’t become a fad.”