A man stood outside, mid-forties, clean-shaven, wearing gray slacks and a rolled-up dress shirt. His car was parked at the edge of the drive. He smiled easily, like someone who’d practiced the expression in a mirror. “Mr. Briggs?” he asked. “Name’s Howard. I’m with Redline Development.” Walter held the screen door half-open. “What do you want?”
“Just a few minutes of your time. We’re developing the valley. Going to bring in some commercial spaces, retail, that sort of thing. We’re reaching out to property owners in the area. You’re on our list,” he said, smiling. “I’m not selling.” Howard nodded as if he expected the answer.