“It’s just due diligence,” Mike said. “It’s what I do—checks and balances. Cuts out all the back-end work, so indulge me. If everything is on the up and up…”
Everett threw his hands up in the air. “Have you always been this anal?”
“Yes.”
“Every item that you put on your little checklist is complete. All you have to do is show up, make sure he signs in the right places, and file them with the county.”
Ev, you’re losing your edge.
A thin, tight smile pulled at the corners of Mike’s mouth as he reclined in his chair. He steepled his fingers, tapping them against one another as he scrutinized Everett. Mike had successfully thrown him off his scent. He wasn’t worried about the business. If there was anything to be found, he would find it. Zora on the other hand, she was the reason he was bent out of shape.
The blue dress swam across his mind again. “Then that’s what I’ll do,” he said.
“Good.”
“Right after I run a fine-tooth comb over the contract.” And jerk off in the restroom.
Chapter Seven
Zora
“Arrived.”
“Thanks, Baby,” Zora said to her GPS unit. It had a perky female voice, so she named after her favorite eighties movie character from Dirty Dancing. Also, she would never put Zora in the corner.
She tapped the screen to end the route and looked over at the split-level home converted to a duplex in Centennial. It was within walking distance of the nature park. From the outside, it wasn’t half bad. It looked fairly decent. Based on curb appeal—well-maintained lawn, no shingles hanging from the roof, no weathered side panels from jousting the elements. It was booger green, though.
Lord knows I should learn not to be so picky. No pun intended. Zora snorted. After she’d seen the house of horrors, the teensy she-shed, and the condemned shack earlier in the week, she just needed the last one to be livable enough to keep her out of Mike’s house.
On the sidewalk, Zora took in the tree-lined street with its single-family homes, heavy traffic, and high noise levels. The app said it was a mix of urban living and suburban quiet, but it pulsed with activity—a crazy amount of activity—even on a Thursday afternoon. Out of the side of her eye, she caught site of a tall guy with black hair, tons of tattoos, and rumpled clothes striding toward her.
She tightened her key between her middle and ring fingers as she flashed him a tentative smile. She held her breath. Her heart raced as she fought the urge to run.
“Hi,” she managed. Her voice was as shaky as she felt.
He kept on walking, albeit with a rather creepy, lecherous look in his eyes. Zora swallowed back her panic. The guy could not have cared less about her. Freaking Oli with all of her “heads-up” information.
This was her fault.
“Ooh, Centennial,” she’d said. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea for a single woman living by herself. The crime rates out there are off the charts. And the noise levels... Please.”
Zora shook it off and exhaled as she made her way to the door on the bottom level.
The realtor Sophia recommended said she would be there early. With a deep breath, Zora placed her hand on the doorknob, which was…jiggly. And apparently, missing a screw or two.
Ugh.
Still determined to make this house work, she twisted it, opening the door, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank. Goodness.”
The place wasn’t exactly her taste, but it was clean and roomy. There were windows on every wall with light shining in from every direction, hardwood floors, granite countertops, a decent-sized kitchen, and a nook for her precious TV.
She broke out into spirit fingers and was about to do her happy dance when she heard movement toward the back of the house.
“Is that you, Zora?” her realtor asked.
“Hi, Ellen.” Zora was still beaming. “If this place is as great as it looks, I’m going to owe you big time. I mean it’s not in the best area, but I think I can make it work for a month or so.”
Ellen came out to greet Zora with a tight smile that failed to reach her eyes. “Okay, then. Let me show you around.” Ellen had hot pink rimmed glasses and leopard flats. She was a cute, trim little thing, but her soft-spoken, uptight demeanor didn’t seem to match her fashion sense.
Zora thought she might have been a little more bubbly. It took spunk to pull of pink and leopard. But she wasn’t here for Ellen, she was here to find a place to hole up until her house was finished.
It wasn’t forever.
She winced at a crack in the ceiling with a small brownish, watery stain in the center, likely from a leak.
It’s fine. Everything is going to work out.
Determined to find the good in the quaint little duplex, Zora forced a smile and reminded herself of all its pros. Granted, it wasn’t the best house, but she could make it work. It was one of very few places with a month-to-month payment, so she wouldn’t be locked into a six-month or year-long lease requirement.
So what if the doorknob is loose?
Zora had a tool kit. Or, maybe she could change the locks if it was allowed. There was street parking and a washer/dryer, for goodness sake. If she felt unsafe, she could get some of those alarm system stickers.
This was fine. Everything was going to be fine, and best of all, she wouldn’t have to stay with Mike.
“It’s smoke-free and pet-friendly.” Ellen swiveled around when she noticed Zora hadn’t followed her. The plastered-on smile was back in full force. “The owner already pre-wired for an alarm system, which I recommend.”
Zora nodded, taking her cue to follow along.
The bedroom wasn’t huge, but it could fit her queen bed and one nightstand. The living area pretty much had her at the built-ins.
So far so good.
Ellen led her down the hall for a quick peek at the closet with the stacked washer and dryer before they got to the sole bathroom. Since only one of them could fit inside at a time, Zora sidestepped her way in and did a small turn toward the shower. The basin was kind of dingy and the caulking was cracked in several spots. She leaned in closer, squinting.
“Is that—”
“Bleach. All you need is a little bleach and it’ll be…fine.”
Zora righted herself and met Ellen’s gaze. “It’s mold. Black mold.” She sighed and ran her fingers over her hair. “Bleach? I thought mold could make you very ill…ruin your lungs.”
The realtor’s brows bounced, and, magically, the tight smile made its way back onto her face. Ellen didn’t disagree with her or try to deny that spores of a micro fungus that could shut down organs, incapacitate the immune system, or leave someone brain-dead were growing freely where she was supposed to bathe.
Wow. What a selling point.
Zora blew out a breath and shook her head. Okay, so that was one major setback.
Maybe I can just get one of Ev’s contractors out here to take a look. It might not be that big a deal.
Zora pivoted toward the toilet and flushed.
“You just have to hold it down,” Ellen offered helpfully.
When she did, the water went down quickly then made a gurgling noise as it struggled to refill itself.