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“The legal protection for the homes ends at midnight,” he explained. “For twelve hours the homes have no legal protection.”

An analysis of the homes with pending demolition permits showed that all of them were occupied except for one being renovated by Rich Beyer. Bullock felt confident that the occupied homes were not at risk. The empty house, however, presented the NLDC with a big, easy target for a knockdown.

“The NLDC is tyrannical enough to do something like that,” Bullock told his colleagues.

“The last thing we need right now is for any more of those homes to come down,” Berliner said.

“That’s right,” Bullock said. “If we lose even one home before we present the case that will be a huge psychological blow to them. We have to prevent this at all costs.”

The only way to guarantee against an early-morning demolition, it seemed, would be to put a body in the house.

“I’ll do it,” said Kramer.

Bullock pointed out the house had no heat or electricity, since it was under renovation. “It’s going to be pretty cold,” he said.

“I’ll bring a sleeping bag,” Kramer said.

Anticipating a possible standoff with an NLDC bulldozer, Kramer decided to call Stephen Humphries, a reporter at the Christian Science Monitor in Boston. Humphries had an interest in eminent domain. If there was going to be drama, Kramer wanted the world to know about it.

Kramer explained the situation and what he’d be doing. “I can’t guarantee anything,” he said. “But I’m going to do this, and if you’re interested in joining me as a reporter, you are welcome to come aboard.”

Humphries got approval from his editor and agreed to meet Kramer in New London.

February 4, 2001

Bullock, Kramer and Humphries arrived at Susette’s house early in the evening. The plaintiffs had gathered to run through the game plan for standing vigil over Rich Beyer’s property until the conclusion of the hearing the following morning. Bullock explained that Kramer and Humphries would go up to Beyer’s vacant home around 11:30 p.m. and remain inside until dawn. Then at sunup, the rest of the coalition would surround the house and remain on-site until Judge Martin, they hoped, issued an order blocking any further demolitions until the conclusion of the trial.

While Bullock and Kramer reviewed the logistics, neighbors scurried in and out of Susette’s house, dropping off provisions for Kramer and Humphries: homemade brownies, a thermos of hot coffee, and flashlights with extra batteries.

Humphries cornered Susette for an interview for the Christian Science Monitor. The more questions he asked, the more emotional she became. When he asked about the possibility that another house would come down in the neighborhood, she broke down.

Kramer spotted Susette wiping tears from her cheeks. He looked at his watch. It was nearly 11:30, time to head over to the empty house. He put on his coat, gloves, and a wool ski cap and called for Humphries. They said good night to Susette, and Beyer led them up the street to the house. From the outside, it appeared in good shape other than some visible signs of damage caused by the NLDC, which had padlocked the front door to keep Beyer out. He had cut off the agency’s lock and replaced it with one of his own. After removing it, he ushered Kramer and Humphries inside.

Kramer stepped onto a dirt floor. The stench of cat urine forced him to cover his nose. After Beyer had installed brand-new window casings throughout the house, the NLDC had pried them off with crowbars, enabling stray cats to gain access.

To escape the smell and the dirt, Kramer and Humphries went upstairs, to an uninsulated, open area with nothing but studs and subflooring. They rolled out their sleeping bags on the dusty surface. The temperature outside was subfreezing, and the building had no heat or electricity.

“It’s cold as hell,” said Beyer, hardly able to take the smell. He was amazed that Kramer was still willing to spend the night in the building. “You need balls the size of watermelons to sleep