Chapter 15Lee found the house without difficulty. It was a small, one-story structure, with white trim and blue shutters that were probably very attractive twenty-five or thirty years ago, but had long since fallen into a state of disrepair. Every part of the property appeared to be the subject of a little too much deferred maintenance. The exterior paint was faded and chipped. The underlying wood was splintering as it began to rot. The lot was entirely unfenced, and there were no lawns, just patches of dirt punctuated by weeds and wild growth; a patchwork that was left to its own determination without assistance from the resident. The good news was that the nearest neighbor was about a quarter mile away, and the house was shielded from view by trees and brush.
No cars were in the drivewa
