Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #16)(63)

“What do you think so far?” Andrea asked, after Hannah had seen the master bedroom with the furniture fit for royalty, the master bath with an indoor Jacuzzi that could have seated eight, and the gourmet kitchen that contained every piece of culinary equipment that a celebrity chef might desire.

Hannah was silent for a moment, trying to think of the right words. Andrea was obviously impressed with the furnishings and she didn’t want to hurt her sister’s feelings. “It’s a real showplace,” she said at last.

“But?”

“How do you know there’s a but?”

“Because you’re my sister and I know you. And you must have a but because you had to think before you answered me.”

“Guilty as charged,” Hannah said, and then she wished she hadn’t put it quite that way in light of her recent circumstances. “You’re right, Andrea. There’s a but.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a real showplace, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable living here.”

“Neither would I! Just the thought of raising kids in this living room with the white leather furniture makes me nervous. And that’s where the television is. What if the kids wanted a snack while they were watching cartoons? I’d be spending a fortune in leather cleaner. And then there’s the Steinway. Tracey takes piano lessons, but she’s barely past the “Chopsticks” phase. And Bethie pounds the keys every chance she gets. They need a practice piano, not a fine musical instrument. That Steinway deserves to belong to a concert pianist.”

“Agreed,” Hannah said. “It just about killed me when you said Roger and Doctor Bev bought it for decoration.”

“And then there’s the location of the bedrooms. They’re so big and far apart that we’d never hear Bethie or Tracey if they called us at night. Don’t get me wrong. It’s beautiful, but it’s no place to raise a regular family.”

“Do you think different furnishings would make it . . .” Hannah paused to think of the right word. “. . . homier?”

“Absolutely. The things Roger and Doctor Bev chose are gorgeous, but they’re off-putting. They dictate a certain lifestyle that’s just not the norm here in Lake Eden.”

“Lifestyles of the rich and famous?”

“Exactly. And that’s why I asked the executive account specialist at the furniture store if the furniture could be exchanged for other furniture if the new buyers didn’t like it. He said yes, as long as it was an exchange and not a refund.”

“But can the new buyer . . .” Again Hannah hesitated. “What’s that phrase you used for buying something more expensive than what you were selling?”

“Buy up?”

“That’s it. Can the new owners do an exchange down? What I mean is, say the person who buys the penthouse doesn’t want the white leather sectional and what they’d like is something smaller in fabric. Can they exchange for something cheaper?”

“Yes, but they won’t get a refund. Instead they’ll have a store credit. So if they get something less expensive and smaller, they can also get a recliner for him, a rocker for her, chairs for the kids, and . . . well . . . anything they want. They just can’t get money back.”

“That’s perfect,” Hannah said, “especially with the Steinway. You could probably furnish a two-bedroom condo with the money they paid for that.”

“I think you’re right. I didn’t ask how much it was, but I’m willing to bet it was a bundle.” Andrea led the way to the staircase leading up to the rooftop garden. “Come and see their patio furniture, Hannah. I don’t think anyone will want to exchange that!”

“Oh, my!” Hannah exclaimed as she stepped out onto the rooftop garden and saw the dome. Curved pieces of what looked like glass rose to a height of at least twenty feet above their heads, framing a sparkling panorama of the town and the surrounding area including the blue sky and puffy white clouds above. The lake glittered through the pines in the distance and when a raven flew close to the dome, Hannah actually ducked. “Do birds ever hit it?”

“The manufacturer says no, that the struts between the panes give it structure and the birds know that they can’t fly through it.”

“That’s good. I wouldn’t like to be relaxing up here in the lap of luxury and see some poor bird hit the dome. It’s so clear it looks like glass, but didn’t you say it was some kind of Plexiglas?”

“It’s Plexiglas, but it’s a special kind that’s relatively new on the market. Each section is tinted, double-paned, and argon-filled. If it were just plain glass, it would be really hot up here. We’re in direct sunlight and it’s hot out today.”

“You’re right and it’s cool here.” Hannah held out her arm. “I can’t feel the heat of the sun at all.”

“That’s the argon filling between the panes. It insulates it, but you don’t see it.”

“Well, it’s just amazing. And you can see a full three-sixty except for the area with the staircase and that space right next to it. Why didn’t they put windows in that space?”

“Because that’s where the window-washing safety cage is docked.”

“The what?”