Betrayal - Fern Michaels [87]
“Ma’am?”
“Yes?” Kate asked.
“I think we’ve got something for you to look at later this afternoon. Would that be possible?”
“I would love to. Yes, thank you. This is great.”
“We aim to please.”
“I guess you do. How many agents do you have?” Kate asked as she followed the girl back to the front.
“I think we have around thirty, but that figure can change daily.”
“Why is that?”
She looked behind her. “I shouldn’t say this, you being a new client and all.”
“I’m good at keeping secrets,” Kate encouraged.
“The owner. We call her Ms. Winter White. She does love the color. Anyway, she’s not always the easiest person to work for. Very moody.”
Office gossip. Kate couldn’t be more pleased.
“I know what you mean. I used to work for a woman who was the same way. Every day when I came to work I thought it was going to be my last. She was a real tiger.”
“Yeah? Well, Mrs. Winter can be a real B-I-T-C-H.” She spelled out the word to Kate.
“How so, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Like I said, she’s very moody. If her daughter is here, you might as well kiss a pleasant day good-bye. They fight like cats and dogs. None of us can stand the little witch. She’s just like her mother.”
“So she has a daughter?” Kate hoped the girl’s loose lips would reveal which daughter she was referring to.
“Actually, she has two. I think the older one moved away years ago. Some of the girls that worked with Mrs. Winter said the older girl didn’t get along with her parents. I think someone said they haven’t spoken since the girl graduated from high school. But you know how office talk is. Who knows? But you’re not here to listen to this silliness. I’m sorry, I guess I shouldn’t have told you all that.”
Kate held up her hand. “Hey, not to worry. Sometimes you need a good gab about the boss. I’ve had my share.”
“Well, I hope you’ll still consider us as your Realtor.”
“Of course I will. Now, what about those houses you want me to look at?”
“I’ll get the agent. Hang on a minute.”
Kate sat down in the waiting area. She couldn’t believe her good fortune. An office gossip. Maybe she’d make friends with her, invite her to lunch. A few minutes later, Kate was escorted to a junior agent’s office just as she figured. They made arrangements to view a three-bedroom condo later that afternoon. Kate thanked the agent, Randi, and left the office.
Inside her car, she took the small framed picture out. It was Sara and Emily, but it’d been taken a long time ago. If what the receptionist told her was correct, then this picture had to have been taken before Emily graduated. She looked at Sara. She was at least fifty pounds heavier than she’d been as a preteen. She wore as much makeup as her mother. Her brown hair was frizzy just like Debbie’s. Debbie Junior , Kate thought. Emily, on the other hand, looked nothing like her mother or father. She was still tall and thin. Her long blond hair reached her waist. She was a beautiful young woman. Kate’s heart lurched at the sight of her. She put the photo inside her purse. She had no intention of returning it.
Kate had some time to kill before seeing the condo. She drove around the town familiarizing herself with the area. It had grown by leaps and bounds since she was there last. Shopping centers at every intersection. Gated communities. Movie theaters. The roads had been four-lane. Progress. The medians were lined with palm trees and multicolored annuals. Very pretty.
Before she realized where she was headed, Kate found herself on one of the lesser-traveled roads. She knew what she was doing. She was looking for Coleman Fitzpatrick’s office. He was still located in the same building. Low-key, nothing