“Did you by any chance handle the sale of the property where Dr. Thornton’s clinic is located?”
“Why, yes, I did.” She smiled up at me. “Let me tell you, working with River Martin was an absolute joy. What a delightful young man he is.”
I didn’t bother commenting on River. There was no point. If I couldn’t say anything nice, it was best to keep my opinions to myself. “I seem to remember Ned Tinkerson wanted to buy that property a while back. The family wasn’t interested in selling then.”
“That’s right.” She wrinkled her brow. “Times change, I suppose.”
“Did the family list that lot for sale?”
“What do you mean?”
I gave an easygoing smile. “Well, I mean, did River approach the sellers on his own, or was the property already on the market and he just swooped it up?”
“Oh, I see. Well, River came to me and asked me if I’d reach out to the owners. They weren’t interested at first, even though he was offering way over market value.”
“Was he?”
“Yes.”
Why had he been so desperate to get his hands on that plot of land? “Is that typical? To offer more than a property is worth?”
She laughed. “It’s definitely a smart move when you really want a property.”
“I see.”
“But as I said, at first they weren’t interested.”
“But they changed their minds?”
She nodded. “They sure did. When I told River they’d declined his offer, he asked if he could speak with them personally.” She smiled. “That seemed to do the trick. I’m sure he charmed them like he does everyone else.”
My thoughts went to Maxwell.
Not. Quite. Everyone.
“Ahhh, so that’s how it all came about. I suppose I was surprised about the sale because of how reticent the owners had been originally.”
“I understand.” Her gaze flickered. “Is there any particular reason River buying that land would be a problem?”
“Nope.” I gave her a reassuring smile. “I was just curious.”
“Wonderful.” She took a step toward her car, which was parked near the sidewalk.
I said quickly, “Uh, before you go, Mrs. Numi, could you tell me when River made that offer on the property?”
“When?” She blinked at me.
“Not the exact date, but was it before Dr. Thornton’s building burned or after?”
She pursed her lips, a line between her brows. “Well, now, I believe it was right before the fire.”
“I see.”
“Dr. Thornton should have received a notice of the sale in the mail.” She sounded borderline defensive.
“I’m sure you did everything by the book. Dr. Thornton’s mail was disrupted when the fire occurred. He never got the notice.”
“Oh, dear.” She widened her eyes. “Well, I suppose in the long run it doesn’t matter. So long as he pays his rent, things will be the same as always. River, of course, agreed to honor the original terms of the lease.”
