Chapter 3: Surveying the Field
Breckenridge was everything Dave had remembered it to be, and a lot of things he had not remembered. For example, the blue sky and cold air and the high altitude that his body was not yet re-acclimated to were things he remembered. But the way the town had exploded with tourists and the amount of construction going on to support new resorts and restaurants was something he didn’t expect. Breckenridge had been a sleepier little town the last time he visited to close the sale of his parents’ house. Now, it was busy, crowded, bustling, and glittering with the wealth of its well-to-do visitors. It was not uncommon for celebrities to visit, and many of them even owned homes in the area. Rumor had it that the first lady and her daughters even came to Breckenridge for ski weekend getaways.
Despite the outward appearance of his childhood home town, of wealth and opulence, Breckenridge felt right to Dave. There was something welcoming and warm that greeted him as soon as he drove into town. Having traveled and lived in many towns, he had grown into a mindset of expecting every town to pretty much feel the same. But as he pulled his car into the parking lot of the realty office after checking into his hotel, he could not deny that this town felt different to him. If felt like home. He felt intuitively that he had made the right decision to come back here, to come home. If only his parents were here to greet him, it would have been a perfect arrival.
He wasn’t sure what his next move should be. He knew he wanted to stay awhile, but the thought of settling into a hotel for an unknown period of time was not comforting. He thought he might as well rent a place, and if things went well perhaps he would buy some property and build a home. But all of that was beyond the scope of today. Today, he was going to talk to a realtor and just see what the Breckenridge of his youth had turned into, what was available, and what things were costing these days.
He stepped out of his rental car and winced as his knee clinched up. Too many hours in a plane and on the road had made his knee stiff and he desperately wanted to go for a run and stretch it out. But that would have to wait. A figure inside the reality office had caught sight of his car, and was even now moving towards the door to welcome him in from the cold. He hugged his jacket close around him, blew some hot air into his cold hands, rubbed them together briskly for warmth, and walked into the office.
“Hello! Welcome to Breckenridge!” A young man in corduroy slacks and a sweater extended his hand to Dave, welcoming him into the realty office.
“Thanks! It’s good to be here. Is there someone I can talk with about property in the area?” Dave asked the man.
“Well, sure! Come on in and let’s hear more about what you’re looking for, and we’ll get you set up with just the right person,” the man said. Dave was fairly certain he had just been sized up by the eager associate, including an up and down glance across his clothing and a quick appraisal of the value of his wristwatch and shoes, but he let it pass without comment and followed the young man towards a sitting area.
“Can I start with your name and what it is you are in the market for?”
“Of course. No problem. I’m Dave Kensington, and I am looking to see about possibly buying some property to build on, and in the short term I might like to rent a condo.” Satisfied that he had been thorough with his answer, Dave sat back and looked at the young man, who was taking notes on an application.
“Great. Perfect. I’ll just be a minute… wait a second. Did you say you are Dave Kensington?”
“Yes,” replied Dave, bracing himself for what he knew would be the next question.
“Of the Colorado Rockies and then of the Chicago White Sox?”
“Yep, that’s the one.”
“Oh, man! Wow! So great to meet you, Big Dave! I’m a huge fan. I was so sad when you got traded to the White Sox. Welcome back to Colorado!” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “I’ll just be a moment. Let me just tell Katrina that you are here!”
The young man scurried into a back office and Dave could hear excited whispers. Momentarily, a long, leggy blond in a navy blue pants suit walked out to the waiting area and extended her hand to Dave.
“Mr. Kensington, I’m Katrina Andress, senior partner here at von Stoup and Associates. Welcome to Breckenridge,” she said.
Katrina was middle aged and attractive, trim and put together, Dave noticed. Especially attractive was the fact that she didn’t let on that she knew he was a major league ball player. She treated him with respect, but with an air that said she knew exactly what was required of her in dealing with the rich and famous, and she was accustomed to it.
“It’s a pleasure, Ms. Andress.”
“Call me Kat,” she said, with a wink. Okay, so maybe she doesn’t know how to treat a professional athlete, or maybe she’s coming on to me? “If you’d like, step into my office and we can discuss your needs.” I hope it’s my realty needs she’s planning to discuss and nothing more, Dave thought as he followed her.
Kat’s office was plush and attractive and Dave settled into a comfortable chair across from Kat’s desk.
“I’m looking for some property, I think. I might to want build in a few months, if I end up staying in the area. Perhaps something out of town, with some acreage and a creek running through it…” Hearing himself describe the property he had in mind sounded an awful lot like describing the property he’d grown up on. Why not? Might as well ask, he thought. “It’s funny, I actually used to own the very thing I’m looking to buy now, but I sold it a few years ago. I don’t suppose 418 Aspen Grove is still around, maybe even purchasable?”
“418 Aspen Grove. I know that property,” Kat said, pausing to think. “Oh! Yes! I know the one. It actually was slotted for some development, the von Stoups bought it years ago and tore down the structure on it…”
“You mean, my house… my old house…” Dave said, slowly.
“Yes, I believe it was a house. But then, some development plans changed and it moved out of the path of some plans they had for a new slope, and… you know what? Let me just check something here.”
“Sure, take your time.”
Kat clicked away at her keyboard and Dave could see listings of various properties scrolling across her screen. Finally she said, “It’s not currently for sale, but if you’re interested in it, I happen to know the owner and I could make an inquiry for you.”
“I’d like that. Just out of curiosity, you know. I may or may not be interested in buying it back, but it was my childhood home and I’d love to see if I could get it back again,” Dave said.
“Sure, not a problem. Why don’t you leave your number with me and I’ll get back to you soon on any properties I find that meet your criteria, and with any news on the Aspen Grove property, okay?” she said, smiling.
Dave agreed and left his mobile number with Kat. Thanking her for her time, he stood to leave.
“If you’re new in town and need someone to show you around, I could spare some time to…” Her offer, which Dave was not even sure he wanted to hear her finish stating, was interrupted by a phone call at her desk. Her attention was momentarily distracted from their conversation by her glance at the caller ID, and then fully distracted when she saw who was on the line. Flushed and suddenly nervous, she said to Dave, “Could you give me a moment? It’s the boss.”
“Sure,” Dave said. “I’ll just wait out in the lobby.”
“Hi, it’s Kat,” he heard her say as she picked up the phone. And then, to Dave, she called with urgency in her voice, “Mr. Kensington, one moment! My boss would like to speak to you. Could you take the call?”
Dave was confused. Who was her boss and why did he want to speak to him? And how did the boss even know Dave was in the office?
“Uh, sure, no problem,” Dave said, moving to take the receiver from Kat. “It’s Dave Kensington here,” he said.
“Mr. Kensington! Welcome to Breckenridge and more importantly, welcome to our little realty office!” said a bright, cheerful male voice. It commanded attention and rang with an undertone of confidence and certainty. The man’s voice reminded him of an umpire, with its “I’m the one calling this game!” sort of authority.
“Uh, thank you. And to whom am I speaking?”
“We’ve actually spoken before, though you might not remember. I’m Trevor von Stoup, and I actually bought your parents’ property from you a few years ago. Maybe you remember?”
“Oh! Yes, of course! I do remember! Good to talk to you again!”
“Likewise! We’ll have to get together for a drink soon,” Trevor said. “I always like to welcome the new high rollers to town personally!”
Dave wasn’t sure if he liked being referred to as a high roller, but he didn’t object to the man’s obvious intention to make him feel welcome. It actually was sort of flattering to be welcomed back to Breckenridge like a celebrity, even if no one yet knew that his baseball career was headed south.
“I’d like that, thanks. Say, about that property, you don’t still own it, do you?”
“I do! I’ll work up some numbers with Kat and see if we can’t get you an offer on the table for it, m’kay? Meet me at the country club later for a drink? We can discuss it then! Say, 7:30?”
“Uh, sure. Sounds great! See you then, Trevor,” Dave said, and handed the phone back to Kat.
“Oh, I do hope you boys can work something out,” Kat said, with a grin like a cat who has just spotted a mouse.
“We’ll see! Thanks for your help, I look forward to hearing what you come up with. Call me anytime,” said Dave. It was a standard ending to a business conversation that had gone well, but afterwards he wondered if it had made him seem forward. And honestly, he hoped she only took it as it was intended, as in invitation to talk about properties whenever it suited her.
There were several hours to kill before 7:30, so Dave took the opportunity to walk the streets of Breckenridge and re-orient himself to the town he had known as a boy. Trevor was a name he remembered, he realized. More than the name of the man he had worked with to unload his parents’ property, he knew the name von Stoup and remembered hearing it in school. Trevor was a few grades behind him, but as the heir to the von Stoup fortune, most people knew of him at least.
The day was cool, in the mid-40s, and Dave kept an eye out for any clothing shops in town. He knew he would need to buy some additional snow gear if he was going to stay awhile, and had no recollection of where the clothing stores were anymore. He took a left at a corner, thinking he saw a sign on a store down the next block that looked promising, like a clothing store perhaps, and wandered further away from the main street of town. It turned out to be a hardware store though, and he made a mental note of its location. If he was going to rebuild a house on his parents’ land, he might need to pop in and make some connections with the building community. Surely the hardware store could advise him on contractors in the area.
At 7:25, showered and dressed in khakis and a button-down shirt, Dave walked into the country club and was immediately recognized by the hostess and escorted to the bar to meet Trevor.
“Dave! Thanks for coming,” said Trevor. Dave noticed Trevor was shorter than him, but his shoulders were just as broad. His blond hair was cut short and he had a healthy tan, a small miracle in the dead of the winter; his suit was clearly expensive, and his cufflinks were even more expensive. The man was wealthy and powerful, at least that’s the picture Dave got when he first met Trevor.
The two men settled at the bar and ordered drinks and Trevor asked baseball questions and worked hard to make Dave feel at home. Dave knew this was how these conversations worked, the ones that led up to a discussion of money and property and business. A little shooting the breeze, finding some commonality, and then it would be time to talk numbers. So he rolled with it, answering Trevor’s questions and getting a feel for the man who obviously was a prominent business figure in Breckenridge, despite his youth.
But no matter how he tried, he could not get a good read on Trevor. He was polite, professional, eager to please, and knowledgeable about Breckenridge business and baseball, but what was below the cool, calm exterior?
“I’ve been talking with Kat about your property, and I think I can part with it. Our expansion at the ski resort has shifted to a new location, so I, we, won’t be needing your parents’ property after all. You and I both know it’s a beautiful piece of land though, and I paid a chunk for it a few years back. You probably remember,” Trevor said, cautiously.
“I do remember. It was quite a bit more than I thought I’d get for it, and more than it was worth at the time. But now, I mean, I don’t know… I may not even be staying around town. I like Vail quite a bit, and Avon is nice. I’m not sure Breckenridge is where I belong anymore,” said Dave. If he could give the impression he didn’t need the property, perhaps Trevor would not expect him to so easily be taken advantage of.
“Well, let’s see if we can arrive at a good number for you then, one that I won’t lose my shirt on and one that will help you get back your childhood home.”
“Shoot. I’m game to consider whatever you’re pitching.” Dave was fairly certain Trevor would not lose his shirt, no matter the price; the man clearly looked like he had plenty of shirts to spare anyway.
Trevor took a long swig of his drink and set the tumbler down gently. He looked at Dave and said with a quiet confidence, “Two point five.”
Dave was mid-sip with his own drink in hand when he heard the number, but finished swallowing as if the number had not phased him at all. Trevor had bought the property from him for three million, and it was appraised at $750k at the time of the sale, so “two point five” was hardly a steal.
“Well, that is a bit more than I think I’m up for at the moment, especially since the house that came with the property has been demolished, as I understand it,” said Dave, casually.
“Oh! True! I had all but forgotten about that! Well, in that case, since you will have the costs of a rebuild, I’ll knock it down to one point five. Am I in the ball park now?” He jeered at his own baseball joke, which Dave did not really find all that funny. Did the guy really think he could waltz in here, through out a few baseball jokes like bad pitches and expect him to bite?
“I don’t know, Trevor. I’ll think on it, okay? Like I said, I’m not quite sure I’m ready to settle down in ol’ Breck at the moment, and I’m still considering my options.”
Trevor slapped his hand on Dave’s back fraternally, like they were bros, and stood to leave. “No worries, man. Give me a shout when you’ve made up your mind.”
“Sure thing. Nice to have met you,” said Dave, also standing to leave.
“Oh, and one more thing,” said Trevor. “You got a girl? I know you ball players like to make the rounds, so I doubt you’ve settled on just one yet.” He laughed at his own bawdiness.
Dave chuckled, more annoyed than he let on at Trevor insinuating all ballplayers were, well, players, and replied, “No, still lookin’ for the right one.”
“It’s hard, isn’t it?! There are so many to choose from! Well, hey, if you get lonely while you’re in town, call the number on this card and order anything you like,” Trevor said, handing Dave a business card with a phone number on it.
Dave looked at the card with a question in his eyes. “What’s this? Order anything? Like…what kind of anything? Order what, exactly?”
“Oh, anything, you know, anyone, any of the girls! It’s just a little side business I run. I employ all types, whatever you’re into. All shapes and sizes, all colors and creeds, all of them eager to please,” Trevor said, winking.
In that moment, Dave’s impression of Trevor was solidified. The man was a sleaze in a business suit and he wanted nothing to do with him. And, he also knew he would do what it took to get his family’s property away from such a prick. His mom and dad’s beloved stretch of acreage did not belong with the likes of Trevor von Stoup.
More Coming Tomorrow...