Chapter Three
That Tuesday after work when Elise pulled open the mailbox a stack of letters waited for her. She peered inside the dented yellow mailbox with a frown. She didn’t like seeing letters—at least the kind that came in long business envelopes with cellophane windows. Bills. She would much rather see a furniture ad or coupon flier. She couldn’t think of the last time she’d received an actual hand-written letter or card. Elise pursed her lips and flipped through the stack. They were mostly addressed to Suzette Gibson, otherwise known as her Grandma Suzy.
Elise’s stomach clenched when she saw the red “Past Due” notice stamped on the outside of the letter with the county assessor’s return address. Property taxes had been the source of many sleepless nights for Grandma Suzy and sever
