Apartment Complex Introduction
The phone woke me up, ringing with relentless intensity. My head felt like it was about to explode, and the heat in my trailer was unbearable. I fumbled to answer, partially closing my eyes to shield them from the daylight seeping in through the cracks of the drawn curtains.
The shouting and barking from the trailer next door added to the cacophony of noises that normally plagued my mornings. It was almost Labour Day, and the chaos outside reached a peak. I sighed, anticipating another day of misery.
I stopped myself from swiping left immediately, but after a moment, I realized the unknown caller was probably someone I didn't want to deal with.
Ring ring ring ring ring!
I cast a glare at the phone before picking it up. "Hello?"
There was a pause, then, "Mr. Anderson?"
"I'm sleeping!" I exclaimed, but the answer must have told what I prepared to say.
"My apologies," replied the voice from the other end, "I wasn't sure if I had the right number. I need to speak with you. There's something important that needs your attention."
I paused for a moment, my curiosity piqued. The edges of sleep started to lift from my mind, a sense of dread trailing behind them. I knew way too many people in my life who owed me money, favors, or time. This was going to be unpleasant.
A knock at my door jarred me out of my thoughts. The voices had stopped outside, presumably waiting for me to answer. This wasn't a surprise but still hadn't prepared me for it. I guessed they didn't have a key.
With a groan, I got out of bed and grabbed a baseball bat leaning against the wall. I might not be able to hold off a bat, but I thought it'd be enough to force them into silence. The six-inch serpentine belt I wore around my neck served as a good quick draw. I tried to calm myself down. The dangerous guys didn't come knocking.
The door opened to reveal a man in a suit. Braless and bare-chested, that's how I equipped myself for any(external) unannounced guests.
My surprise made me slow down. He held a piece of paper and spoke into his phone, "We have him. We're at his location. The coffee shop is -" He scanned the papers in front of him before he continued, "The coffee shop down the road."
I stared at the man, wiping sleep from my eyes. "Who are you?"
The man in the suit blinked at me. "My apologies, Ricky Anderson."
"What the hell do you want?" Still tired and annoyed, my swinging rooster took control as I leaped out of bed, swinging without looking at who I was hitting.
I heard the man scramble back, yelling, "Ouch!"
"What?" I stopped my instincts as I recognized the collar on his shirt read SECURITY. "They sent you?"
The man nodded, then said, more safely, "Maybe we could talk somewhere peaceful, Mr. Anderson? You might want to get dressed first."
I heaved a sigh of relief, swallowing regret for my swift attack. Coffee sounded good, so I agreed to go along. Feeling the coffee shop could be a neutral ground, I let the suit lead the way.
An hour later, I sat facing the man who'd rudely interrupted my sleep, facing a sea of paperwork on the table between us. He sipped his coffee and asked, "Are you the last relative of George Anderson?"
"Um, well, yeah," I muttered. "He left us ten years ago when we needed him the most. He had debts and was hunted by the people he left them with. It's hard to say if I'll really miss him, but you'd think they'd have left us alone after killing a father and destroying a family. No joy in his passing until now."
"I'm sorry. And, yes, George Anderson died in March this year. He had led quite the colorful life, evading the law and leaving a sizable debt behind."
My eyes widened. "He was alive until then? What was he doing all this time?"
The man frowned as he sifted through the documents in front of him. "He engaged in several legal businesses, some criminal, and got many enemies. His death was not natural. More precisely, he was brutally murdered."
My surprise dropped the words before they could form in my ragged voice, "He's dangerous?"
"Yeah," the man nodded, "It's being investigated at the moment, so I can't give you any more details. However, most of his estate and assets are frozen until the end of the procedure. Brace yourself: he didn't make a will. I'm here to offer you an inheritance of some sort. Money and something else. We've come to a conclusion that you're his final kin based on his records."
I grinned, feeling hungry for the first time in a while, and devoured the rest of the pancake. "'Ow much dough?"
"Not much in liquid form, around five grand, I reckon," Grey Suit replied. "But the other thing might prove to be a valuable and steady source of passive income."
Five thousand dollars? Darn, I'd hoped for a million-dollar windfall, but whatever. "What's this other thing you're constantly referring to?"
Grey Suit took out a second file and opened it, pushing it towards me. "This. It's a twenty-story apartment complex in Phuket, Thailand, right on the beach, tucked away in an affluent neighborhood, and filled with expats. Five years old, and in great shape."
I squinted at the image of a stunning building under a blue sky, surrounded by palms and other tropical plants - typical scenery from a vacation abroad. "I'm confused. Didn't he own a place there?"
Grey Suit rolled his eyes. "No, Mr. Anderson."
"Oh, of course. Probably a timeshare. If I had that money left over, I might've went to check it out myself."
"Mr. Anderson, I apologize for being so direct, but the cases have been wrapped up and made public, which you would've discovered eventually. Your father was involved in criminal activities like drug trafficking, immigration fraud, smuggling, and money laundering. There was a web of shell companies and front businesses, but the total value is something I cannot disclose due to its size."
I gasped. Grey Suit then flipped the photo to show me a document behind it, protected by plastic.
"And now, it's yours."
A month later, the cold rain outside my window collided with the puddles on the ground. I had used the five grand Grey Suit had given me to cover my visa, purchase plane tickets, legal fees and other assorted costs. I had a file folder full of documents, as well as information on my new property and a bill from Grey Suit for his "services," which left me in awe at the amount.
"My services may not be cheap, Mr. Anderson. However, rest assured you'll have no trouble making sure I'm compensated over the course of the next year once you've taken control of the property and its income."
He had his way of saying goodbye, and I couldn't tell if his words were meant to be sincere or sarcastic.
As the plane flies across the dark Pacific, I curl up in my seat to read through the folder again.
- Top floor penthouse: owner's private residence
- Unit 13A: Archana D, 50, Indian, self-employed, political and social connections. Payment status: regular
- Unit 13B: Remains empty, most residents leave abruptly. Complaints about noise and damage.
- Unit 12A: Corporate rental. Payment status: regular
- Unit 12B: Corporate rental. Payment status: regular
- Unit 11A: Group rental. Payment status: irregular, six months unpaid
- Unit 11B: Sayli H, Pakistani, 36, working. Issues with neighbors. Payment status: unpaid for six months
- Unit 10A: Asha E, Indian, 30, teacher. Payment status: regular
- Unit 10B: Vacant
- Unit 9A&B: Aditi and Anushi B, 29, Indian, self-employed. Irregular payment, six months unpaid
- Unit 9B: Alina D, 23, Iraqi, unknown occupation. Irregular payment, three months late
- Unit 8A: Julia J, Spanish, 40, retired. Lives with daughter, Tanya J. Payment status: regular
- Unit 8B: Nusreen S, 85, retired. Lives with full-time nurse, Zainab. Payment status: regular
- Units 7A&B: Quentin R, 40, businessman. Owns both flats. Noise complaints. Payment status: regular
- Unit 6A: Liz V, 27, makeup artist and dancer. Receives complaints from other residents. Payment status: unpaid for six months
- Unit 6B: Millie V, 45, business owner (salon). Irregular payment, three months overdue. Occasional complaints from neighbors
Here's a paraphrased version of the given story:
A list of residents at this property includes Sonali M, a 23-year-old employee at a media firm, who occasionally receives complaints from locals due to irregular payments and not paying rent for three months. There's also Suzy L, a 24-year-old self-employed person, and Amit M, a 30-year-old businessman, who both make regular rent payments. A corporate rental is also present, along with Amber B, a 28-year-old self-employed fitness trainer, who has received occasional complaints about using the gym. Gazhaar S, a 55-year-old businessman, is a non-resident who uses the apartment as a vacation home and has had some complaints from neighbors. Elise C, a 20-year-old student, lives with a live-in maid, and rent is paid by her parents. Jarinee B, a 40-year-old woman, lets her two nephews reside here, resulting in some minor issues like smoke from cigarettes. The two-bedroom group rental for four to six males often creates trouble due to frequent complaints, damage to amenities, and rule violations; they haven't paid rent for six months.
The property offers facilities like an outdoor pool, 3 acres of landscape, kids play area, dog park, vegetable garden, orchard, jogging track, and visitor parking on the premises. It has two entrances, one manned and one automatic, security cameras that operate 24/7, and five security guards who manage the lobby, gate, and ground patrol. Recently, there have been concerns about break-ins and car damage. Additionally, the building is situated in a remote area while still being connected to the city through a 5-km paved road. Its maintenance and staff salaries are outsourced to a firm in the main city through automated payments.
Upon reviewing these details, everything seemed to be in order at first glance, but there were obvious issues related to cash flow and community harmony. Another problem was the seemingly minimal security, with just five guards plus no supervision leading to increased chances of break-ins and potential dangerous incidents. In near future, there will be a need to address these issues.
