Crime Seen by Victoria Laurie Read Free Book Online Page B

about this?’’ I suggested. ‘‘How about I just come to your gym and root you on? Wouldn’t that be fun? Your own personal cheerleader!’’
    ‘‘Tomorrow morning,’’ she said to me, and her eyes meant business. ‘‘Six a.m.’’ I gulped and she continued, ‘‘Now, about that rent payment . . .’’
    For the next twenty minutes, we firmed up the financial part of our new partnership. Afterward, I showed Candice her office area and told her that I’d make room for her in the third room, where I kept my computer, fax machine, filing cabinets, and assorted other business equipment. ‘‘That’s okay,’’ she said at my offer. ‘‘Theresa’s old room is bigger than your reading room, and I don’t need any extra space. I can fit everything in there.’’
    ‘‘Great. Here’s the extra key, and you’ll need to see Yvonne on the third floor in the management’s office about getting a parking space assigned to you in the structure across the street. It’s a little pricey, but it beats feeding the meter every two hours.’’
    ‘‘Got it,’’ she said, taking the key. ‘‘I’m having my new office furniture delivered here tomorrow at nine a.m. Is that going to disturb your appointment schedule?’’
    I smiled. ‘‘No. I haven’t had an appointment in a long time now.’’
    ‘‘No clients are calling, huh?’’ she asked as she went around my desk to my phone, which had a little red light on it blinking furiously.
    I sighed. ‘‘Would you look at that,’’ I said as she held up the phone and pointed to the light. ‘‘Better return that call, huh?’’
    ‘‘Time to get back on the horse, Abs.’’
    ‘‘Yee-ha,’’ I said woodenly.
    ‘‘It’ll be good for you,’’ she insisted as she nosily hit the caller ID button and clicked through the calls. ‘‘Holy cow! There are like six new calls here since yesterday.’’
    ‘‘Really?’’
    Candice extended the phone toward me and I took a look. ‘‘Five-one-seven area code, hmmm. That’s the same as for Kalamazoo, isn’t it?’’
    ‘‘Coincidence,’’ she said with a smirk. ‘‘I may have told a few friends of mine I was moving in with this really amazing psychic and they might be interested in a reading with you.’’
    ‘‘I’ll call them later,’’ I said and set the phone down.
    ‘‘Abby,’’ Candice said with a sigh.
    ‘‘I will,’’ I said as I turned around. ‘‘Really. But right now I gotta get going. I promised Dutch I’d go grocery shopping if he cooked.’’
    ‘‘Okay,’’ she said, but she didn’t look convinced.
    I left Candice in the office to make a few phone calls and get acquainted with her new surroundings. As I hurried to my car, my cell phone beeped. ‘‘Hey there, Cat!’’ I said happily. ‘‘I was just about to call you.’’
    ‘‘So you got my message?’’
    ‘‘Dutch said you called while I was taking a nap, and I’m so glad you did, because we got an offer on Fern!’’ I said excitedly. I was really hoping that I could convince her through my enthusiasm that no matter what the offer, we needed to close on that house before Dave went crazy.
    ‘‘How much?’’ I told her and there was a slight pause on her end. Then I heard the sound of fingers clicking on a calculator. ‘‘That’s not bad,’’ she said when she came up with our profit. ‘‘We should counter for ten grand more.’’
    I stifled a groan. ‘‘Huh,’’ I said instead.
    ‘‘What’s, ‘huh’?’’
    ‘‘Oh, nothing. Just . . . my radar is buzzing like crazy!’’
    ‘‘Really?’’ she asked, and I could imagine her leaning in over her desk and giving me her full attention. ‘‘What’s the crew saying?’’
    ‘‘Well, the moment you said counteroffer, I really felt my left side go heavy. . . .’’
    ‘‘Your sign for no,’’ she said.
    ‘‘Yep. And then when you said to counter by ten thousand, I saw the back of this couple walking away.’’
    ‘‘I