Mercifully, the rest of the open house went off without a hitch. Three additional couples stopped in. One was from next door, so I assumed it was more of a curiosity factor than anything else. A newlywed couple expressed a great interest in the home. They acted normal, asked a few intelligent questions, and were very attentive to my responses. Unfortunately, they were already working with someone else. If I'd been more like Tiffany, I would have done everything a real estate agent shouldn't—wined and dined them and then convinced them to sign with me instead. Too bad I had morals.
I sighed heavily as I packed up the remainder of the lunch. There were still a few sandwiches and several bags of chips left. I wrapped the sandwiches in Saran wrap and tossed the chips into my duffel bag. What the heck. I can use these in the kids' lunches. Except for the free food, the entire ordeal had been a complete waste of my day. Next time, Tiffany could find someone else.
It was obvious Tiffany had chosen to avoid my earlier message. I was certain she'd phone during the open house to see how everything was going and to make sure I hadn't screwed up anything. She probably didn't want to deal with me. Well, too bad for her.
I picked up the house phone and dialed her number. If Tiffany happened to recognize the number, I knew she'd answer, thinking it was her client calling to report a disaster. If not, she might think it was a potential lead. Either way, I couldn't lose.
"Good afternoon, this is Tiffany Roberts."
I was right on the money. "Well, good afternoon, Tiffany. It's Cindy York, fellow real estate agent. You know, the one you cheated out of Agnes Hunter's listing?"
There was a momentary pause. "Cindy, honey. I've been meaning to call and ask how the open house went. Did a lot of people show?"
I avoided her question. "You stole my listing, and I want it back."
She laughed. "Was that your listing? I had no idea."
I gritted my teeth. "Please don't insult my intelligence. You overheard me telling Donna I had an appointment to list the house today. I suggest you get right over to Mrs. Hunter's and void that contract unless you want me to report you."
Tiffany purred into the phone. "I'm so sorry you feel that way. Unfortunately, I'm busy for the rest of the afternoon. Perhaps we can work out some sort of deal, like a sixty-forty split with sixty going to me."
Where did this woman get her nerve? "Forget it."
"Why don't you come over to the office tonight, and we'll discuss it."
My shoulders tensed right up to my ears. "There's nothing to discuss."
"You should come over anyway. I have some wonderful ideas for marketing the Hunter home. I know it will go quickly—if we work together." The smooth tone of Tiffany's voice set me even further on edge.
Damn her. I could probably get her to split the commission with me, but why should I? I knew she wasn't lying when she said she could sell it quickly. Like King Midas, everything Tiffany touched turned to gold. Even in this dismal market, she'd listed a home last week and already had a pending sale. Lord knows I needed the money, and I suspected Tiffany knew that too.
I caved. "Fine. We'll talk. What time?"
She laughed. "How about after you get done feeding the kiddies? Is seven all right?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. "All right. We can meet at the office."
"Wonderful." Tiffany sounded pleased with herself. "So how did the open house go today? Any potential buyers?"
"Only one couple you might actually be hearing from. Nancy Townsend's their agent. She may be calling you."
She cooed into the phone, and I held the receiver away from my ear in disgust. "I just adore Nancy." Her phoniness was so apparent. "What about the lunch? Did everyone enjoy it?"
And how. "Oh, yes. They definitely enjoyed it."
"Terrific. Who won the Macy's gift card?"
Oh, crap. With everything else going on, I'd forgotten to register people for the darn card. I didn't even know where it was. I lifted my purse off the countertop, and sure enough, there was the envelope.
"Um, a little old lady," I lied. "Her name was Lila. She said she was going to buy a bed for her dog."
Tiffany was silent for a few seconds. "Well, I guess if you must have pets, you should buy them the best. Funny, I didn't even know they had a pet department at Macy's. I'm usually over in shoes, myself. Well, darling, I have to run. I have a check to deliver to the office for my latest closing. I'll let Donna know what's going on with Mrs. Hunter's home when I stop by. You know, that we'll be splitting the deal. The house I sold today—"
Here we go again. "I never said for sure I was splitting it with you. I thought we were going to discuss—"
My words fell upon deaf ears as she rambled on. "Yes, it was just shy of half a million. Looks like it's going to be a slow week. See you tonight. Bye now." With that, she disconnected.
I shook my head in disgust. Agents like Tiffany shouldn't be allowed to screw other people over. Maybe she'd pay for her lies someday. My mother, rest her soul, used to love saying what goes around, comes around. I threw the Macy's card into my handbag, gathered up my belongings, and prayed Mom was right.
KILLER TRANSACTION
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Baked to Death (Cookies & Chance Mysteries Book 2) Page 24