Chapter 5 - MEGAN TOLD US WHAT THE RESTAURANT STORY WAS HIDING
Megan asked to meet Jane alone.
My wife refused to be alone with anyone connected to that afternoon, so we met her at a Panera near the interstate where there were enough strangers around to keep everybody civilized.
Megan looked exhausted. No makeup. Hair pulled back. Hands wrapped around a coffee she barely touched.
“I didn’t know he was going to block her,” she said immediately.
“That’s your starting point?” I asked.
She didn’t flinch.
“No. My starting point is that I should have left with my parents the minute I realized Dylan had lied.”
Jane said nothing.
Megan looked at her and swallowed.
“The restaurant loan story was only part of it. Kyle and my mom were behind on the business. That’s true. But Dylan got involved because he thought he could turn your beach house into the key asset in a larger deal.”
Marcy had already warned us there would be a larger layer somewhere. There always is when people bring LLC papers instead of simple loan requests.
“What larger deal?” I asked.
Megan opened her tote and slid over a printout of an email.
It was a message from Dylan to Kyle and Jessica.
If we get title moved into Harbor Point before zoning is public, we can control the entire block negotiation.
Jane read it twice.
“What zoning?”
Megan looked miserable.
“There’s a redevelopment proposal in Nags Head. Boutique hotel, retail, boardwalk improvements. The parcel next to your beach house and the motel lot behind it are already under option. Dylan found out your property becomes the missing piece for access and frontage.”
The room seemed to tilt.
For weeks, Dylan had been talking about helping Kyle’s restaurant survive.
In reality, he had been trying to get Jane’s house transferred before its strategic value became obvious.
Jane set the paper down very carefully.
“How much?”
Megan shook her head.
“I don’t know the final number. But more than enough to save the restaurant.”
That was the hidden truth.
The beach house was not family collateral.
May you like
It was a piece of a redevelopment scheme.
And our son had spent weeks dressing greed up as urgency.
