18 Deader Homes and Gardens by Joan Hess Read Free Book Online

you worry about Angela—I’ll make sure she gets her share of the commission.”
    “My name is Ms. Malloy, and my husband’s name is Peter Rosen. He’s out of town, but I’m quite capable of signing the offer. The house is located in Hollow Valley. I don’t have the address, but surely you do.”
    “Hollow Valley? That doesn’t sound familiar.” He took out a notebook and thumbed through it. “There’s a lovely house on Holland Avenue, three bedrooms, two baths, and a fireplace. At the listed price it’s a bargain, but we can try to get the sellers to come down a few thousand dollars—”
    “Hollow Valley,” I interrupted before he filled out an offer form and stabbed my hand with a pen. “It’s at the northeast edge of Farberville, barely within the city limits. It has four bedrooms and four bathrooms, French doors, and is unoccupied but fully furnished.”
    “Nope, doesn’t ring a bell. Maybe it just came on the market yesterday. You stay here while I check with the sales team. Somebody has to know something.”
    While he went in search of information, I gazed at the duck prints hanging on his office walls, along with all manner of framed awards and citations. The photo of the Bartleby-King Little League team members hinted at a less than victorious season, if their tiny trophies were indicative. Several years ago I’d been asked to sponsor a team, but the Book Depot didn’t have enough cash to buy a baseball—even a used one.
    “This is puzzling,” Bartleby said as he entered the office. “This house you described isn’t listed by anyone. Angela knows we have very strict guidelines about private sales. We have to keep a roof over our heads, don’t we?” His chuckle was strained.
    “Did you look in her desk?”
    “Thoroughly searched.” He leaned back in his chair to stare at me. “Did Angela mention a price?”
    I shook my head. “Only that it was well below market value. What about her computer? It might have some information.”
    “It might, but we insist that our agents change their passwords weekly. There have been accusations of poaching clients and potential listings. I’m sure a hacker could get into her files, but our office policy forbids it. Trust is essential to team success.”
    He’d attended too many seminars on management techniques. I pictured him falling backward into his colleagues’ protective arms—or cracking his head on the floor. “You’re sure Danny isn’t involved?” I asked.
    “Danny’s an outstanding member of our community. He served on the school board and organized the upcoming Babes, Boobs, and Bling biker rally. There’s going to be a wet T-shirt contest and live music on Saturday. Good, clean family fun. Now you just let me take care of this, Ms. Malloy. Angela will pop up before too long, and then we can make sure you get that house you’re so fond of.” He stood up, in case I’d missed the cue to leave. “I’ve got an appointment in five minutes. Afterward, I’ll go ahead and call Danny. If he knows anything, I’ll pass it along.”
    I exited graciously, but I was fuming as I got in the car. “I don’t suppose either of you knows how to hack into a computer,” I said as I leaned my forehead on the steering wheel. “Wait, I don’t want to know the answer. It’s likely to be a federal offense.”
    “It is,” Inez said.
    “So you might as well let us go to the mall,” Caron added smugly. “Can I borrow twenty dollars?”

3
     
    “Let’s go out to the Hollow Valley house,” I suggested brightly. “Angela may be asleep in a bed, à la Goldilocks.”
    “I left my red hoodie at home,” muttered Caron. “You go right ahead, Mother, but keep an eye out for a big, bad wolf. He might blow your house down. Please can I borrow the twenty dollars? I swear I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”
    “With what?”
    “With the twenty dollars you pay me for breaking into Angela’s house. Fifty if the housekeeper’s there. Please,