a law degree and joined a prestigious firm, yet embarrassment followed him into every polished conference room. When colleagues asked about Big Mike, he called him a family friend because admitting he had once slept behind a repair shop felt dangerous in a profession obsessed with appearances.
Years later, the city filed a condemnation action against Mike’s property, claiming the shop reduced surrounding values and violated redevelopment plans. David discovered the notice after Mike casually mentioned that an inspector had photographed the building and asked questions about the teenagers who sometimes stayed there. The city’s offer barely covered the mortgage, relocation expenses, or the investment Mike had made in tools and equipment over three decades. Worse,
