Jake left Sally Ann and the children in the rather nice motel just outside downtown Latrobe, while he went to trade the wagon in for another car in the Webb alias. He signed and backdated the title to show a sale from Frank Kincaid to Jake Webb. He had to use his next to last social security number. He was saving the last one for the change to the name of his heritage, Peter Brandon.

At the motel he had studied the local paper and saw that there was a Cadillac dealership a mile down Route 30 from their motel. Jake drove into the lot and was met by a salesman before he got to the show room.

“I want to look at the models in the show room. I’m interested in trading my wagon in on a new or late model Cadillac.”

“Good, come with me. I’m sure we can find something you will want. My name is Bill Shipton.”

“Glad to meet you Bill. I’m Jake Webb.”

In less than an hour Jake drove off the lot behind the wheel of a Cadillac Eldorado hardtop with only 20 thousand miles.

It was a good buy and he felt he had been treated fairly. There was some surprise when he paid in cash. Bill told him that in his five years of selling Cadillacs only one other customer had bought one for cash.

Sally Ann loved the new car. “I never thought I would ride in a Cadillac. Now I own one.”

“I paid for it with your handful of diamonds,” Jake winked.

“That means I own it for real.”

“Yes, it is yours. I’ll buy a pickup truck in a few days.”

When the children woke up and Christina was fed, the Webbs went shopping at a nearby mall. Jake found a few off-the-rack suits that with minor alterations fit him. After three pairs of chinos, Levis, a leather jacket, some insulated leather boots, a watch hat, warm socks, and underwear, he was ready to go.

He also bought some new luggage. Sally Ann shopped for the children first and when Jake found her, she turned over the children to him and went shopping. The shops weren’t like Minneapolis or Chicago but she found three outfits she really liked, a stylish coat, a jacket, and other warm clothes, including Levis and boots. A few colorful scarves, sweaters, and pumps with four-inch heels, and she was ready for her new Sally-Ann-Webb-from-Philadelphia role.

It was growing late in the afternoon but Jake called and made an appointment to meet with a realtor in fifteen minutes. Sally told him she would rather go back to the motel. He could then take her car and go see the realtor.

The realtor, Nancy Elwood, turned out to be a woman in her mid-forties who was born and raised in the area. Jake introduced himself then said, “I might buy later but now I’m looking for a short-term furnished rental with some privacy. An old farm would suit us. If we liked the farm and the area, we could end up buying.”

Jake could see he had her attention.

“I have a place like that for sale,” she said. “An empty farm house, barn, fenced pasture, and 30 acres of wooded hills. They are asking $175,000 – could you go that high?”

“Yes, I can manage that much if I want the place after living in it.”

“The place has been on the market for months. Not much moves here in the winter.”

“For immediate occupancy I’ll offer $1,000 a month on a month-by-month lease or agreement. Cash up front and a reasonable security deposit.”

“The owner no longer lives there. The farm is empty now. I’d want to have our clean-up crew go over it before any one moves in. If your offer is accepted, you could move in day after tomorrow. The owner may want to know if you can afford the sale price. She will also want to keep the place on the market.”

“No problem. I’m an investor/builder and have just made a fair amount of money that is in cash.”

“I see your Cadillac is not just a front, then.”

Laughing, Jake said, “No, I can afford it. If you find something a good bit larger while we’re renting, please let me know. I’ll finance any place we buy myself.”

Ms. Elwood called Jake at the motel the next morning and said, “The owner approved. If you could stop by with the first month’s rent plus a $500 security deposit, you could move in tomorrow. There is some furniture in the house you may use.”

“I’ll be there in an hour,” Jake said.