by D. B. Henson
She picked up the contract again and tried to concentrate.
The intercom buzzed.
“Yes?”
It was Janet. “You have a call on line one,” she said. “It’s about your listing in Leiper’s Fork. He said he’s ready to make an offer, and he’ll only speak to you.”
“I’ll take it. Thanks.”
Built by a country music star, the horse farm southwest of Nashville was her highest priced listing. It was currently on the market at five and a half million. She picked up the phone. “Toni Matthews.”
“Miss Matthews, my name is Davis Michener. You may have heard of me. I own the chain of Michener’s restaurants.”
She recognized the name. His family-style restaurants were located throughout the southeastern part of the country. “Yes, I have. How can I help you, Mr. Michener?”
“You have a piece of property out in Leiper’s Fork. It’s exactly what my wife and I have been looking for.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“We saw the grounds and the stables this morning. The gate was open, so we took the liberty of driving up to the house. I hope that was okay.”
Another agent must have left it open. She had written strict instructions in the showing information. The owners wanted the gate kept closed at all times. She would have to check the list and find out who showed the property last.
“Yes, that’s fine,” Toni said. “I’m glad you were able to get in.”
“From what we’ve seen so far, we love the place. We just need to see inside the home, and then we’ll be ready to sign a contract. We’d like to do it tonight.”
“That’s sounds wonderful. I just need you to come by the office first, and then I’ll take you out to the house.”
“No, no that’s not possible. You see, we’re down in Columbia right now. I have a business meeting late this afternoon. We’re opening another restaurant here. We can meet you at the house after that. Say, around seven-thirty?”
Toni had a policy never to meet a buyer without having them come into the office first. That way she could feel them out a little, get a copy of their driver’s license and some background information. Make sure they were for real. She had heard too many horror stories of agents being robbed, or sometimes worse. The property at Leiper’s Fork was vacant. And it would be dark by seven-thirty.
“I’d love to meet you there,” Toni said. “But our company’s managing broker insists that we meet all customers here at the office.”
“I can understand that, but we just don’t have the time. We have to be at the airport before ten o’clock. My wife will be heartbroken if we don’t get to see it. Your assistant told me the asking price. It’s a lot less than we figured. And we’re prepared to pay cash. Of course, I guess we could have another agent show it to us.”
Toni knew that any other agent would jump at the chance.
Why should she give up the sales side of the commission when it was right here in her hand? Maybe it would be okay to break her policy just this once. After all, Mr. Michener was a well-known businessman. “Since you’re on such a tight schedule, I’ll be happy to meet you at the property.”
“You’re sure? We don’t want to get you into any trouble with your boss.”
“I’m sure. It’ll be fine. Just let me get a phone number in case I need to contact you before then.”
Toni wrote down Mr. Michener’s mobile phone number. She still felt a little uneasy about breaking her cardinal rule, but if she made the sale, it would be worth it. “Thank you, Mr. Michener. I’ll see you at seven-thirty.”
Toni hung up the phone and went back to her contract. She forced herself to focus on the terms of the offer. The buyers wanted the sellers to leave all the window treatments and to pay for a home warranty. They also wanted the playground equipment in the back yard. The last item might prove to be a deal breaker. She knew the sellers had already arranged to move it to their new home.
She buzzed Janet on the intercom. “Can you call the Wilsons and let them know that I have an offer?”
“I already did, remember? You asked me to call them half an hour ago.”
“Did I? What did they say?”
“They’ll be home the rest of the afternoon.”
It took Toni nearly two hours to get the Wilsons to come to an agreement on a counter offer. As she had suspected, Mr. Wilson was dead set against leaving his son’s playground equipment, and Mrs. Wilson had no intention of leaving any of the window treatments. On top of all that, even after seeing a market analysis, they both felt that the sales price on the offer was too low.
By the time Toni left their house, it was almost five o’clock.
Instead of returning to her office, she drove to the office of the agent who had written the offer. After getting a copy for her files, she gave the original to the sales agent. The two sides were so far apart, it would be a miracle if the contract was ever worked out.
As Toni walked back to her car, she scanned the parking lot, looking for anyone suspicious. Seeing no one, she let her mind drift back to Gloria.
Even though she didn’t believe that Scott had cheated, the encounter still bothered her. She wondered how long it had been since their breakup. Scott had asked Toni to marry him almost nine months ago, and she was pretty sure that he had dated her exclusively for at least a few months prior.
Gloria’s attitude definitely fit that of a woman scorned, even after all that time. But if she had still carried feelings for Scott, why were there no mementos of him in her apartment? Maybe because she had a new boyfriend. The man Toni had seen in the photographs.
But if she did have a new love, why would she tell the police that she was still seeing Scott? Wouldn’t that jeopardize her new relationship?
None of it really made any sense.
Toni got into her car and fastened her safety belt. Mark’s office was just down the street. If Scott had dated Gloria, he would know about it. Maybe she could get some straight answers for a change. She picked up her cell phone and dialed Mark’s number.
“Hi, it’s Toni.”
“Hey. I was just thinking about calling you. What are you up to?”
“Just work. I’m down the street at a real estate office. I was wondering if I could swing by. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Sure. Come on over.”
Toni was at Mark’s office in a matter of minutes. His secretary showed her in and then asked to leave for the day. Mark agreed and then closed the door behind her. Instead of sitting at his desk, he took a seat in a chair next to Toni.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked.
“Well, I’m going to ask you something and I want you to tell me the truth. I don’t want it sugar coated. I don’t want you to try to protect me. No matter how you think I might react, I need you to be honest.”
“Do you want my opinion on whether or not Brian will get the house?”
“No. That’s not it.”
“Then what? What could be so important?”
“Promise me first.”
“I promise. I’ll be honest with you.”
Toni took a deep breath. She wanted to know the truth, but at the same time, she dreaded hearing it. “Tell me about Gloria Keith.”
Mark’s face froze. He dropped his head, stared at the floor a moment, then got up from his chair and walked to the window. He stood there, saying nothing.
Toni’s heart felt like it had stopped. It refused to beat again until she heard his reply.
Finally, Mark turned from the window. “How do you know about Gloria Keith?”
Toni’s throat tightened. Why was he asking questions? Why didn’t he just come out and say it. Why couldn’t he just tell her and get it over with? “Does it matter?”
Mark dropped his gaze to the floor again and shook his head. He returned to his chair, sat on the edge, his elbows on his knees. “I had no idea he was seeing her. Not until after …”
“After Scott di
ed?”
Mark nodded. “She was at the police station. Detective Lewis called me in for an interview. She was leaving as I was going in. She stopped me, and we talked. I swear, I didn’t know until then.”
“Scott never told you about her?”
“No. I don’t really think she was the kind of girl worth mentioning. She was more the type that’s just for fun.”
“Even so, don’t you think it’s odd he never talked about her at all? I thought men liked to brag about their conquests.”
“He dated a lot of different girls before he met you. It’s possible that he said something about her back then and I just don’t remember it.”
“So aside from what Gloria told you at the station, you have no real evidence that Scott was still seeing her. Is that right?”
“I feel like I’m being cross examined.”
“But I’m right, aren’t I? The only thing you have is her word.”
“That’s true. It’s all hearsay.”
“Don’t make fun of me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just not sure what you’re going for here.”
“Then I’ll tell you. I don’t believe her. I think Scott broke up with her a long time ago. I think she made up the story she told to Detective Lewis.”
Mark didn’t answer. He just looked at her.
“What?” she asked. “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing.”
“Tell me. You promised.”
Mark took her hand in his. “I think you’re in a lot of pain. I think you need someone to direct your anger toward.”
“And you think Gloria Keith is my target?”
“If you take your anger out on her, then you can avoid being angry at Scott.”
“You just don’t get it, do you? I’m not mad at Scott.”
“Aren’t you?”
Toni got up from her chair. “This is pointless.” She headed for the door.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“I need to be alone. I need some time to think.”
CHAPTER 17
Dana Dawson leaned her hip against Janet’s empty desk, crossed her arms, and waited for Cheryl to get off the phone. Who was she talking to anyway? Probably her boyfriend. Never mind that she had work to do. Dana held up her wrist and tapped her watch indicating that she was in a hurry.
Cheryl nodded and raised her index finger letting Dana know that she would only be a second. “Yes, I’ll be sure to tell Toni,” she said into the receiver. “I’ll go ahead and put in the ad change myself.” She hung up the phone.
“I need a copy of the termite inspection for Coldwater Court,” Dana said. “The buyers want to see it before closing.”
Cheryl scribbled something on a note pad. “Okay, just let me finish writing this message for Toni and I’ll pull the file.”
“And how much longer will that take?”
Cheryl put down her pen and walked to the filing cabinet. “Coldwater Court, right?”
“That’s what I said.”
Cheryl found the file and flipped through the contents. She pulled out the termite inspection, placed it on the copier, and hit the start button. The machine hummed as the light began to pass across the document. Half way through, it stopped.
“It’s jammed again,” Cheryl said.
“What?”
“The copier. It’s been acting up all day.” She opened the front of the machine and tried to dislodge the paper. “It’s no use. I’ll have to call the repairman.”
Dana shook her head. How could Toni have hired someone so incompetent? “I need that inspection report now.”
“I know. I’ll run downstairs and make a copy.”
“Well, hurry up. I told you, I don’t have all night.”
After leaving Mark’s office, Toni had driven aimlessly down the highway. Even though she was convinced Gloria had lied, she couldn’t get the blonde out of her head.
Why would she go to the police and tell them Scott wanted to kill himself? Why would she announce to the world that he was having an affair when he had been scheduled to be married that same week? Had her break up with Scott been so bitter that she wanted to ruin his reputation?
Even if Scott had been sleeping with Gloria, Toni doubted his business associates would care. The only person that lie could hurt was Toni herself. But the lie about the suicide had done some real damage. Because of her, Detective Lewis refused to consider the possibility that Scott’s death was a homicide. Gloria had single-handedly prevented a murder investigation. Thanks to her, Brian might go free.
Toni couldn’t let that happen.
She glanced out the passenger window and then realized where she was. She had driven north on interstate sixty-five all the way to Goodlettsville. The exit for Rivergate Mall was just up ahead. She checked the clock on the dashboard. It was already forty-five minutes past six. She was supposed to meet Mr. and Mrs. Michener in Leiper’s Fork at seven-thirty. There was no way she could make it on time.
She would just have to apologize and see if they would be willing to reschedule. If they were really serious about the property, they would be back. But more than likely, they would find another agent.
That would be okay. Handling both sides of a sale that large could be overly time consuming. Each party would require a lot of handholding. She wasn’t ready to devote herself to that yet. Not until after she had collected enough evidence to prove what Brian had done. She wanted to make sure he was locked away for a long, long time.
Toni pulled off the interstate and drove into the mall parking lot. She rummaged through her briefcase for the Micheners’ phone number. Then she remembered. She had left it on her desk. She would have to call the office. Cheryl would still be there. It was her night to work late.
Dana sat in Janet’s chair and poked through the papers on her desk. Toni had a new listing. One she hadn’t made public yet. All the forms were postdated and there were instructions not to enter it into the multiple listing service or allow it to be shown. Dana wondered if it was a pocket listing. A property so hot that Toni wanted to keep it from hitting the market just long enough to find her own buyer. It was a trick Dana used quite often.
She wrote down the address and the pertinent information on the home, along with the owner’s name and phone number. She might just find a buyer herself.
The phone rang.
Dana ignored the call. There was no way she was going to play secretary. She put the listing back on the corner of Janet’s desk and continued to snoop through the remaining papers.
The phone rang three more times and then the answering machine picked up.
“Cheryl, it’s Toni. I had an appointment with Mr. & Mrs. Michener at seven-thirty. They’re the couple who want to make an offer on the Leiper’s Fork property. Anyway, I was supposed to meet them at the house, but I’m not going to be able to make it. I need you to call them for me. I forgot and left their number on my desk. Try to get them to reschedule. Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”
Dana swiveled around in her chair. The Leiper’s Fork property? And they were ready to make an offer? How could Toni be so stupid?
Dana went to the answering machine and erased the message.
She checked the outer hallway, making sure Cheryl was still downstairs, and then opened the door to Toni’s private office. She flipped on the light. In the middle of the desk, she found a sticky note. It read Davis Michener, Michener restaurants. Underneath, Toni had written the phone number.
Dana stuck the note in her pocket. Toni shouldn’t be so careless with her buyers. Anyone could just come along and snatch them up. Dana mentally calculated the sales side of the commission. Enough to buy the new Mercedes she had her eye on.
Toni was an idiot. She deserved to lose the sale.
Dana turned out the light and closed the door. She checked her watch. There was just enough time for her to drive to Leiper’s Fork. She pulled the combs from her long red hair letting it cascade over her shoulders.
One of those moments she lived for.
Gloria lay on her back on the white bed and stared up at the ruffled pink canopy. She was in her childhood dream room. The room she had fantasized about nearly every night while she was growing up.
She remembered those nights long ago, trying to fall asleep on the tattered sofa bed with a broken spring poking her ribs. She would close her eyes and pretend her sister, Sylvia, wasn’t really lying beside her, and that her brother was not sleeping next to them on the living room floor.
She would shut out the noises from the trailers next door, and from the bedroom down the hall. She would imagine herself in this room. All by herself. A room of her own. One fit for a princess.
The first time she had seen the room of her dreams, she was six years old. It was Amanda Peterson’s birthday. Amanda’s mother had invited all the girls in her class over for a party. After playing games and eating cake, they had all gone into Amanda’s room.
Gloria had never seen anything so beautiful. Everything had been pink and white. There were dolls and stuffed animals everywhere. She remembered standing in the middle of the room afraid to touch anything.
When she got home, she pulled out an old JC Penney catalog Miss Pauline, the trailer park manager, had given her to make paper dolls. Inside she found a room similar to Amanda’s. She tore out the picture and put it up on the refrigerator. And she made a vow. Some day, some how, she would have that room.
And two years ago, right after she turned twenty, that day had arrived.
Although she was too old to really enjoy it now, she bought the furniture anyway, before purchasing any of the antiques. She wanted to fulfill the promise she had made to herself. And in a few years, she would find a little girl to adopt. One that nobody wanted. A little girl who would love the room as much as she had.
