Page 99 of Edge

“My apologies. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

Irene waved her good arm dismissively. “Not at all. It’s good to be cautious and aware of your surroundings. I just wanted to put your mind at ease.”

“Thank you for that,” Daphne said sincerely. “Would you like to go inside?”

“Yes, please.”

We followed Daphne inside and trailed along behind her while she gave us a tour of the restaurant. She did a good job of moving slowly through the building so we weren’t struggling to keep up with her. When she was finished, Irene gestured to one of the tables. “Can we sit for a few minutes?”

“Of course. Make yourselves comfortable.”

Irene pulled out a notepad and pen and started making notes. After a few minutes, she asked the question I’d been curious about since she first brought it up. “Why has this place been on the market for so long?”

Daphne cleared her throat. “From what I’ve been told, the seller is picky.”

“What?” Irene and I asked at the same time.

“The previous agent told me the last three offers weren’t accepted because the seller didn’t like the buyer. He said the seller was in no hurry and wanted to wait for the right buyer to come along.”

“Well, I doubt they’d consider an old lady wanting to open a basic diner to be the right buyer,” Irene said.

“Can you tell us who the seller is?” Byte asked.

I almost laughed. He’d be able to find out if Daphne couldn’t or wouldn’t tell us.

She nodded and tapped the screen on her phone. “Yes, the seller is Luca Peccati.”

Byte chuckled. “Well, I don’t think buyer approval will be a problem.”

“Oh, do you know Mr. Peccati?” Daphne asked.

“Yes, we do,” Edge said. “He’s a family friend.”

Irene made some more notes and walked around the building one more time before she was ready to go.

“Are there any other properties you’re interested in seeing?” Daphne asked.

“Not at this time, but if this works out, I will need help finding a place to live. Do you show residential properties as well?”

“Yes, I do, and I’d be happy to assist you,” Daphne said and handed Irene her business card.

“Great. I’ll be in touch.”

They shook hands, and we got back in the SUV to go home.

“Are you okay?” Edge asked.

“Yes, but I think I’ve reached my limit of physical activity for the day.” It was a little depressing. Everyone else was getting better and moving around while the slightest bit of activity exhausted me.

“It’ll get better.”

“I hope so.”

“It will,” he insisted. “Your injuries were much more substantial than everyone else’s, so it’s going to take you a little longer to bounce back.”

“I know. It’s just frustrating. I probably shouldn’t have gone to tour the restaurant, but I really wanted to get out of the house.” Since being released from the hospital, I’d been to the bunker, Patch’s office for an appointment, and the restaurant.

“Did Patch give you a timeline of what to expect?” Irene asked.