Sycamore Row - John Grisham

turret that ran up four levels, and wide covered porches that swept around the house on
both sides.
The price was not outrageous, Jake had to admit. It was certainly out of his range, but
it could have been much worse. Jake suspected Harry Rex had advised Willie to be
reasonable, especially if he wanted the Brigances to own it. According to Harry Rex, one
rumor had Willie making another bundle in the stock market, another had him losing
badly in Memphis real estate, and yet another had him inheriting a fortune from his
grandmother, BeBe. Who knew? The price, though, seemed to indicate a need for quick
cash. Willie knew Jake and Carla needed a house. He knew they were bogged down in
insurance litigation. He knew (probably through Harry Rex) that Jake was in line to
collect a generous fee in the Hubbard matter. As Willie chatted nonstop and guided
Carla across the beautifully stained heart-pine floors, through the modern kitchen, up
the winding staircase, and all the way into the circular reading room on the fourth level
of the turret, with a view of the church steeples just blocks away, Jake dutifully followed
along, wondering how in the world they could possibly afford it, let alone furnish it.