The first chill, such as it was, came to Wilmington NC. a few months after I settled in. It didn't take long for me to realize that I needed a better place to live than the camper. It wasn't the space, even though I did need more of that as well, it was the air leaks that got to me. A drafty trailer in the summer was nice enough, but a drafty trailer in the winter was going to be a real SOB.

With that in mind, I began thinking about a place to settle. Even though the e-bike and moped trailer sales surprised me, I hadn't been able to laundry enough money to justify a house on the ocean. At least not one which would comfortably handle the winter weather.

My plan was to find something to buy far enough from the ocean so that it would appear that I could afford it. I also wanted something I could turn over, when I had enough cash flow, legal and ill gotten gains, to justify a ocean front place. The Marshall's witness protection detail was still watching me, so I dared not dip too deeply into my off shore cash.

"Cindy, how's my guardian angel doing?" I asked it with what I hoped was a smile in my voice.

"I have no idea, but I'm just fine. What's your problem today?" she asked.

"The weather down here is about to change hon. I need to start looking for a winter home."

"What, you want to leave where you are?"

"Not the town or the business, but it's time to get out of the trailer. I need to get into something a little more permanent."

"Why hurricane season is over and you are still there?" she had that twinkle in her voice so that I knew she was smiling. "You should be good till next summer."

"It has to do with comfort. After all I'm not getting any younger."

"Thirty-five is not old."

"Thirty-three," I said to correct her.

"So what do you need from me."

"I need you to arrange the financing on something that I can afford."

"Eddie, you have been in business three months, there is nothing you can afford without our stipend."

"Yes but I can't explain that income to a bank, but you can."

"Find something and send me the numbers. I will see what I can do to get you a loan with a low or no down payment."

"I might have to arrange some kind of deal with you for the down payment as well." I didn't have to at all, but I really did want it to look legitimate. I didn't want Cindy asking questions either.

I figured the thing to do was to buy a house through the Marshall service, then have my own little company buy up the mortgage and just pretend to pay it. I could buy something inexpensive and then have it renovated for cash, I could get a nice house with a mortgage that looked affordable on paper. Yes it was a shell game but I didn't mind a little misdirection I had made a living doing that. I new how to manipulate the shells, but II had learned how to make the shells in the Federal Prison Camp.