Fear Thy Neighbor (17)
“Diamond Realty; this is Kimberly. May I help you or direct your call to a particular agent?”
“Uh, no. I found your number in the Sentinel; I’m calling about the house—at least I believe it is—on the beach. Palmetto Island. Does your office have that listing?” Alison knew the listing had stated “beach house,” but she also knew that people tended to exaggerate when they were trying to sell something. At least this had been her experience on more than one occasion, though this was the first time she’d actually called a real estate agent to see a house for sale. She always rented, but maybe this was the start of a new beginning.
“Yes, ma’am, it’s only been on the market a few days. Beautiful home, if you don’t mind doing a few updates.”
“What do you mean, ‘updates’?” Was she talking new roof, windows, or anything major?
“The place is actually in decent shape. I believe the previous owners installed a new central air system. The inside hasn’t been updated in a while, though it’s very quaint. If you’d like, I can show you the house today.”
She was eager, Alison thought. That could mean a few things: Either the woman was desperate to make a sale, or there was more wrong with the house than she was telling her, or both.
“Yes, I’d like to see the place.” Decision made; it couldn’t hurt to look. It wasn’t as though she had a schedule to stick to, though Alison realized she kept making excuses for prolonging her drive to Key West. But maybe she wouldn’t have to drive that far south to find a forever home. Palmetto Island called to her, for some unexplainable reason. The quietness, the beach, and the sunsets, according to Renée, were extraordinary.
“Is three o’clock this afternoon convenient for you?” Kimberly asked.
“That’s fine, though I’ll need an address.”
“Are you familiar with the island?”
“Not much,” was all she said, which was true enough.
“Well, then do you have a GPS?” Kimberly asked.
“No, I don’t, but if you give me an address, I’m quite confident I’ll be able to find the place.” Did she think she was stupid?
“It’s a bit out of the way,” Kimberly told her. “Take Dolphin Drive to the beach, then turn left on Loblolly Way. There is a public parking area; it’s somewhat obscure, but keep driving until you see a small parking area. I can meet you at three. The house is just a short walk from there.”
“I’m familiar with the area. I’ll be there at three this afternoon.”
“Miss, before you hang up, I need your name and a contact number, just in case.”
In case of what? Alison thought, but gave her the information, because she knew this was expected. Real estate agents probably always needed this information, in case their clients decided not to show.
“Then it’s a date! Again, I’m Kimberly Everette. I’ll be in a white Range Rover. See you there.”
“Sure thing,” Alison said, ending the call. She didn’t want to waste her minutes on idle chitchat with a complete stranger. She had a little bit of time to kill before she had to meet Kimberly. She headed toward Matlacha Pass, remembering there was a coffee shop there, The Daily Grind. She could use another dose of caffeine. She spied the coffee shop and pulled into the empty parking lot. Thinking they were closed, she was about to turn around when she saw a couple go inside. Directing the Jeep to a parking spot, she shut off the engine and grabbed her purse with her weapon still inside. She locked the Jeep, then entered the coffee shop.
The scent of burnt coffee and grease hit her as soon as she opened the door. If the smell was indicative of their coffee, she couldn’t imagine how the place stayed in business. Starbucks didn’t have to worry, that much was clear. She idled up to the area where a sign read ORDER HERE. Standing there, she read the menu on the white board behind the counter. They offered every kind of coffee drink the big guys offered, but the prices were way less. An older man appeared from the back of the shop. He had steel-gray hair and brown eyes. His glasses were so thick, his eyes reminded her of a dead fish, only twice the size. “What can I get you today?”
“I’ll just have a coffee, black,” she said.
“Don’t let the smell scare you. We had a newbie leave a pot of coffee on the burner too long. This place smells hideous.” He smiled at her.
Alison smiled back. “Just black coffee. And sorry about your newbie.”
“They’re a dime a dozen these days, coming and going like the tides.”
Alison didn’t know how to respond, so she took a ten from her wallet, placing it on the counter. “Just keep the change,” she said before leaving.
“No, you take this back. Coffee is only a buck,” the owner with the fisheyes said.
Okay, so nine dollars was a ridiculous tip. He held a five and four ones up in the air. She took the five, then waved before returning to her car. She looked at her clock on the dash. She still had half an hour to kill before it was time to meet Kimberly. She contemplated making a stop at the souvenir shop, but she didn’t think half an hour would allow time for a reading. Maybe after she saw the beach house. A shiver of excitement rivered through her; owning a home seemed impossible. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, as more than likely, the place was a dump, like all the other apartments and hotels she’d lived in. Still, she couldn’t help being excited by the prospect of a home of her own, even if she was just looking.