The Girl I Used to Be by Heidi Hostetter (booksvooks .txt) 📗

“Sure.” She had nothing to lose now.

When they got to the table, Chase offered each agent a firm handshake before settling into a chair opposite them. “You must be Seth. And Sheri. I’m Chase Bennett, and I’m pleased to meet you both. Please excuse our interruption, but we have a proposal that you’ll find interesting.”

Confused, Seth glanced at Jill, who nodded for him to listen. She had no idea where this was headed, but if Ellie was involved, then she’d trust it.

Chase withdrew a folder from his briefcase and set it on the table. Then he directed his attention to the agents. “A friend of ours, Billy Jacob, owns a large brownstone in Brooklyn and he wants to sell it. We’d like you to list it and handle the sale.” Chase slid several pages of photographs across the table. “Mr. Jacob owns this entire building.”

Seth accepted the packet and flipped the pages. “The building’s been restored. Original transom windows and fixtures, right down to the glass doorknobs.” He glanced up, a smile on his face. “Pre-war brownstones are almost non-existent these days. Most of them have been divided into apartments but this one is whole. This one… this is a treasure.”

“I’d hoped you’d think so,” Chase replied. “We’d like to offer you Mr. Jacob’s listing in exchange for dropping this listing.”

Jill tensed. “Dropping this listing” wasn’t what she wanted at all.

Seth looked to Jill. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do? I know you’re not crazy about these buyers, but you don’t have to be. Their offer is solid, and if you turn them down, you’ll be walking away from quite a bit of money.”

Jill drew a breath. She felt Ellie beside her, and she trusted her friend. “I think we should listen to them, at least.”

Mrs. Ivey rose from her chair. “Why don’t we all go into the kitchen and chat a bit? I have some basic information to get you started and a few extra pictures of the renovation in case you want them.”

Jill watched as Seth, Sheri, and Mrs. Ivey left the table and made their way across the room. Then she turned to Chase. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

He withdrew a second folder from his briefcase and placed it in front of her. “Billy owns what is generously called a motel on the edge of town. Do you know it?”

Jill remembered Stacy mentioning it and nodded. It was the same motel she’d tried to check into when she first came to town. The place was ghastly.

“The property was beautiful in its time. A few cabins on mostly green space with a copse of shady trees and winding paths.” Chase waved his hand through the air. “The details aren’t important, except to say that now the property is terribly run-down and Billy doesn’t have the interest or the time to revive it. Brenda has always wanted to transform the property into an artists’ retreat, but we couldn’t figure out a way to do that, until now.”

Jill leaned back in her chair. “I don’t understand.”

“One solution fed the other, and it was brilliant. Brenda needs building material for her retreat, and you have a house that needs to be razed. Our idea is to buy everything we need for the artists’ retreat from you—everything that can be salvaged, from furnishings and linens to, well, as I said, everything that can be salvaged.” Chase reached into his briefcase for a stapled printout and offered it to her. “This list is a good start, but I think we can do better. We’d also like to buy fixtures, drywall, cabinets: everything.”

“Where did you get this?” Jill glanced at the list. It was the inventory she’d put together back when she thought selling the contents might pay for the demolition.

“I got it from Marc’s office,” Ellie replied. “Last night, when I said I needed to borrow a pen? I found your list, then went to find Mr. Bennett.”

“You did indeed,” Chase answered. “Gave me an earful too.”

Jill looked at the list again. “Will that work? I mean, Billy can have whatever he wants, and he’s welcome to it, but it won’t pay for bulldozers and haul-away. And what am I supposed to do with a vacant lot? I can sell it, but what if the buyer is another Marc?”

“I think we have everything we need, Mr. Bennett.” Seth and Sheri returned to the table. He offered his hand and shook Chase’s. “We’ll be in touch and thank you.” He turned to Jill and smiled. “I’ll contact the buyers and tell them the house is off the market. I wish you the best, Ms. DiFiore. I really do.”

Jill showed them out and returned to the table.

“They were nice,” Mrs. Ivey decided. “So what did I miss?”

“Jill had just pointed out that clearing the land might attract another developer with Marc’s lack of scruples,” Chase explained. “Then we’d have the same problem.”

“You didn’t tell her?”

Chase shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Oh, honey, that’s the best part,” Mrs. Ivey supplied, happily turning her attention back to Jill. “Collectively, all of us have lived in Dewberry Beach for what, five decades?” She glanced at Chase for confirmation. “Maybe longer,” she amended. “Feels like longer. Anyway, our roots are deep and our reach is wide. We have connections to do this and to do it quickly. After the land is cleared, we restore the deed. Usually that would require a hearing, but the county clerk was one of my students. She’ll help if I ask. And I will.”

“Then we persuade the township to buy the smaller lot next to the Pellish home. We’ll need that for an art gallery,” Chase continued. “Dewberry Beach doesn’t have one.”

“What about the other lot?” Jill asked.

“I have banking contacts,” Chase said. “We’ll secure a construction loan to build a small cottage and pay it off when it sells. Shouldn’t be a problem at all.”

“It