“So tell me,” Marlowe brought her head down. She was a bit taller than Jenna. “How did it happen that the date for my open house was changed without my input?”
Jenna blinked her blue eyes. “But Landon said you didn't answer your phone. He tried to contact you.”
In some ways Jenna was right and Marlowe could kick herself. But she refused to be reeled in by Jenna’s innocence. Not tonight. She was glad the place was jammed. Glad that the noise level was high. The truth was, she hadn't answered her phone while she was at Sunnycrest. Not when she thought it was just Landon, with his stupid flirtatious jokes. What part of his marriage did that man not understand?
Charlevoix had cleared her head about her boss and right now she struggled to maintain that clarity. How she wished Sam or her Aunt Cate was standing here to bolster her spirits and feed her anger. They knew how to cut right through to the chase.
“I'm surprised that you made such a drastic change without getting my input. I would have expected a call.”
As she spoke, Jenna's face grew pale. This was the girl who’d cowered nervously at her desk on the first day of work until Marlowe invited her to lunch. She'd seen herself in Jenna’s wide eyes and determination to succeed. They’d had a special bond, or so she thought. What had happened?
“So the traveler has returned.” There was no mistaking the gravely, teasing tone of Landon Hardy’s voice. Marlowe turned.
“Happy New Year, Landon.” Was her smile strained? Marlowe wanted to rip his eyes out.Bide your time.
She turned her head away to face Jenna. “So tell me how the open house went. Did you have a lot of visitors?”
The words “open house” had thrown a blanket over the entire group. Alberto looked to Jonathan as if he didn't know what to do. Secure in her position, Shari wore a smile that made Marlowe wonder what she knew about the situation. Poor Jenna looked totally panicked, as if she might faint or leave for the restroom at any moment.The poor girl. That’s what Marlowe would have thought two weeks ago. But now? Jenna better put on her big girl pants.
Landon shrugged, sending off a whiff of his expensive cologne. “The usual group with one or two I added at the last minute. Jenna did a great job. I finessed the situation with Bobby since you were…out of reach.” His words brought a flush to Jenna's cheeks. Of course he would try to own it. Poor Jenna. Landon had no doubt maneuvered around her. She’d probably been too intimidated to protest or send Marlowe an alert.
“Do you mean that the confirmed buyer was someone not on the original list?” Shari had come closer and Marlowe felt bolstered by her presence. Multi-million dollar deals were Shari’s specialty. She rarely took a listing below five million. A steady player, the older woman knew how to rub elbows with the high rollers. From what Marlowe saw in the papers and online, Shari was a constant figure at charity events, where Naple’s donors lifted flutes of French champagne and pledged amounts that others, Marlowe included, could never afford.
The habit Landon had of sucking in his cheeks when he was questioned was very familiar to her. “The list? Can't recall. But this was what Bobby wanted. A New Year’s Day open house. Pivotal point.” The word salad came spilling out.
So he was going to play that card? Marlowe dug one of her stiletto heels into the wood flooring, mentally apologizing to the owners. She’d cultivated Bobby Jensen. Had taken his Christmas present to him in person. But who was she kidding? This was a man who didn't really need another silver bowl or a box of holiday wrapping paper. He had just divorced his third wife and had children in four countries.
“So Bobby pushed for moving up the open house?”
A flush worked its way up from Landon’s open-collared shirt. “Yeah, sure. He was all in favor of it. I mean…”
Marlowe enjoyed watching him squirm. Shari wore a grim smile. Doubt rippled at the edges of her mind. Had she dropped the ball? She hadn't touched base with Bobby over the past two weeks. Standing there clutching her stemmed glass, she was mentally kicking herself until something occurred to her. “Bobby was in the Mediterranean over the holidays or so he told me.”
“Reachable by phone.” The patronizing tone told her Landon would not give up. Meanwhile, the guys had withdrawn and ordered another round. Jenna looked totally zoned out. ButShari’s bright eyes indicated she was enjoying it. Whose side was she on?
“He thought the New Year's Day open house was a fresh take on it.” When Landon dipped his head, Marlowe decided he was a little old for that gelled look of the younger men.
But back to business. “It would have been nice if the listing agent had a voice in that decision.”
“You didn’t?” Landon had the nerve to look surprised. Jenna edged farther away, while Shari stayed close. Marlowe thought the stemmed drink in her hand would snap. “Sorry, cupcake. Bobby wanted some changes made.”
The heat rushed to Marlowe's cheeks. Landon was a good fifteen years older than her, and that word showed his age. Her revulsion must have shown on her face and Marlowe didn’t care.
Jenna's eyes flitted between the two of them as if she were at a tennis match. After that last comment, the younger woman gripped the bar with one hand. Mouth pursed, Shari still wasn't going anywhere.
Marlowe knew that she had to be careful. Although she’d tossed around a lot of ideas with her aunt and sisters in Charlevoix, she wasn't ready to walk away from this career. Not yet, anyway. She needed some time. But letting Landon get away with this move, which was really theft, ran against the grain.
Marlowe tried another angle. “I'm surprised that you were able to gather such a group on a day when most of you would be nursing a hangover.”
“Melissa and I did have a great time that New Year's Eve.” Blowing out one of his deep chuckles, Landon shook his head as if something was wildly amusing. “She wants to have another kid. Can you believe it?”
Thinking about her sister Izzy and her darling baby Holly, Marlowe felt this comment as a personal blow. Here she was dressed to kill in her stiletto heels, with no husband and no baby.But she had her family. Remembering those three strong women and how they’d stand behind her, she took a deep breath. Back to business
“I’m the listing agent for that property, Landon, and we both know it.”
With a casual shrug, Landon shook his head. “Time was short and we had to make changes.”
What was this? An open house two weeks after New Year’s would have brought a buyer, and they both knew it. Circling the lip of her drink with one finger, she cast her eyes over Alberto and Jonathan, who were tuning into the conversation. Shari seemed to be waiting too. The air crackled with tension. “Although they may be unwritten, there are protocols,” Marlowe said quietly
