Free tj jensen 01 - barkleys treasure by Kathi Daley

need a lot of work; maybe more than Garrett could afford. I hated to see him sell the land to some large corporation, but from a financial standpoint that was really the only thing that made sense.
    “What are you going to suggest to Garrett?”
    “I’m not sure. It almost makes the most sense to tear down the cabins in the worst state of repair and focus on the ones that require less work. Fewer cabins in good repair could actually prove to be more marketable than more cabins in a state of disrepair. The thing I’m uncertain about is how many cabins are necessary to make the cash flow work from a rental standpoint. Garrett might be better off subdividing the land and selling the cabins off individually rather than trying to sell the property as a resort. If he wants to protect the integrity of the land he’s going to have a hard time finding a buyer who’s willing to maintain the rustic feel of the place and yet can afford to purchase the whole enchilada.”
    Jack made a good point. Selling smaller parcels would prevent a megaresort from eventually taking over, and it would make the property a lot easier to market.
    “Of course, if you subdivided the land into twenty parcels they’d be pretty small.”
    “Which is why I would tear down some of the cabins to create larger parcels. If it’s okay with you and Garrett, I’d like to take a few days to draw up a plan for him to consider before we begin work. The more I think about it, the more certain I am that selling smaller units of land may be the way to go.”
    I shrugged. “It’s okay with me if it’s okay with Garrett. I have another project I’m working on anyway.”
    “Great. I’m going to take some measurements and make some notes, then I’ll call Garrett this afternoon. I should be able to have something to Garrett by Friday, although I have a softball tournament this weekend, so I probably won’t have a chance to stop by again until Monday.”
    “They have an adult league on the island?”
    “We have an adult team on the island. We play teams from other islands. You don’t play, do you?”
    “I have. In fact, I coach the girls’ softball team at the high school where I work.”
    “Really? I don’t suppose you’d be interested in filling in this weekend? One of our regulars is about to have a baby, so we’re short a player.”
    “The tournament is on Gull Island?”
    “At the recreation center on Shell Beach,” Jack confirmed.
    “Okay, I’m in. It sounds like fun. What time do you need me to be there?”
    “Nine a.m. on Saturday. We’re having a practice at six on Thursday night, if you can make it. It’ll give you a chance to meet everyone before the tournament.”
    “Great; I’ll see you then.”
    “You’ll need a team hat and shirt. I’ll let Rick Savage know. He’s the team manager. You can just pick them up at practice.”
    I felt a little odd about playing softball with the man I was secretly investigating, but I’d already told Jack I’d do it and I didn’t want to back out now. I wondered how Deputy Savage was going to take the news that I was his new teammate. If he was lying—and my sense was that he was—he had to realize I wasn’t buying everything he was telling me.
     
    Jack had left by the time Doc and Kyle returned from Savannah and Meg had brought Grandpa home from the museum. I prepared a light lunch over which we could plan our next move in what I was beginning to refer to as our murder case. Ben had broached the subject of Deputy Savage’s reputation in the community with Meg while he was at the museum, and she had assured him the man was not only well liked but he was a respected law enforcement officer who spent a good deal of his spare time volunteering for various organizations on the island.
    “The contractor said much the same thing,” I commented. “As it happens, I’m filling in this weekend on the adult softball team he manages. The question is, why would a nice guy who appears to care