A man in a crisp linen suit checks out the property he’s just repossessed. He’s hard-faced, foul-mouthed, and sneers at the expense and inconvenience of cleaning up after the mortgage defaulter who has shot himself.

He’s Rick Carver, a thriving Florida real-estate shark. Next on his list is Dennis Nash, a building worker who lost his job, and his last month’s pay, when his employer went bankrupt. His mom runs a hairdressing business in their bungalow; his son goes to the local school.