The Visitors(32)

‘Now, I’ve something special to share with you.’ Emily’s voice dropped lower, but fortunately Holly was well within eavesdropping range. ‘As soon as I saw these divine lamps, I thought of you. I shouldn’t really tell you this, but…’ she glanced around, apparently to ensure nobody else was listening, ‘we only have the two lamps in. They’re limited-edition stock direct from the exclusive Haus of Rome, and as you can imagine, they’re like gold dust to source.’

Holly noted Emily’s meaningful pause before her killer finish.

‘They’re retailing at twelve hundred each, or as a special deal, I can do the pair for just two thousand pounds.’

The extortionate price tag elicited a snort from Mr Fenwick, but his wife remained entranced by the convincing sales patter.

‘However, there’s good news,’ Emily continued smoothly. ‘I’ve had special clearance from Mr Kellington himself to offer them to you, my best clients, for a mere eighteen hundred the pair.’ She flashed an excited smile, as if she could barely believe the bargain she’d been able to extend to them.

‘I don’t know,’ Mr Fenwick said doubtfully. ‘Perhaps we’ll have a look around before we make a decision and—’

Emily cut in as if he’d never spoken.

‘I immediately thought of you because I know how much Mrs Fenwick loves her black-and-gold colour scheme in the lounge. I can almost picture them there myself.’

‘You’re so right, Emily!’ Mrs Fenwick clapped her hands together and turned to her husband. ‘Oh darling, they’d go so perfectly in there.’

‘We already own more fancy lamps than you can shake a stick at,’ her husband growled. ‘The house’ll be in danger of resembling Blackpool illuminations soon.’

‘But I could take out those Tiffany-style lamps we’ve had for a while and put the new ones in their place.’

‘I don’t know, Amanda. These lamps are very expensive, and—’

‘Look, I’m probably going to get in trouble for doing this,’ Emily confided. ‘But what if I could do them for sixteen hundred the pair? They’re so exclusive, they’re probably the only two in the whole of the East Midlands right now. I’d hate you to miss out.’

There was a beat or two of tense silence.

‘You know, darling, I just don’t think I can go home without them,’ Mrs Fenwick simpered, leaning in to her husband. ‘And sixteen hundred… well, it’s a bargain.’

‘Oh, go on then.’ He rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. ‘You two just tie me up in knots every time I come in here.’

Emily and Mrs Fenwick embraced and giggled together conspiratorially like schoolgirls.

Holly smiled to herself as she carried the surplus packaging from the vase into the back office. Emily didn’t have a clue that this afternoon she’d kindly provided her with a masterclass in how to sell the most expensive items.

She pushed the box and bubble wrap into the waste materials corner of the small room, ready for collection by the warehouse staff.

When she turned to leave, a handwritten list on the desk caught her attention.

It was a breakdown of bottom-line sales prices for all the items currently on display in the store. Josh had shown her a similar list on her first day.

‘You can check here how far you can discount the more expensive items to give our regular customers the best deal,’ he’d explained.

Holly shook her head in disbelief when she read the top line:

Haus of Rome feather boa lamps – ￡1,250 the pair.

The Fenwicks had just paid ￡350 over the odds for their lamps, and yet they’d been made to feel they’d been given a very special one-off deal to reward their loyalty to Kellington’s.

Emily had added a very nice fifteen per cent boost – at the higher price – to her commission total for the month.

The following day, Holly witnessed her colleague using exactly the same method on different customers when she sold a pricey mirrored coffee table for twenty per cent higher than the back-room list price.

You had to hand it to her. She knew exactly how to sell to Kellington’s wealthiest customers, each time securing herself a very generous bonus in the process.

They all thought they were her special VIP clients, receiving a preferential service from Kellington’s top saleswoman, but of course, the last laugh was always on them, as they fell for Emily’s flattery hook, line and sinker.

Holly got the distinct feeling that when it came to boosting her own salary, there was much to be learned from her colleague.

Emily appeared to have an instinctive sense of what made people tick.





Chapter Twenty-Six





Holly





On arriving home from work each day, Holly walked down the side of the house and used the back door, which led directly into the kitchen.

It was a large room, with mismatched, dated units. No work island or breakfast bar; just a small wooden table in the centre of the room that now, thanks to David, had two chairs pulled up to it.

‘Hello?’ she called out to Cora, as was her habit upon stepping into the house. ‘Oh!’

She stopped and closed the door softly behind her. Cora sat at the table with a man who looked to be in his mid forties. There were two mugs on the table, and some paperwork.