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“Is that what you’ve done?” she asks. “Is that what you’re doing?”
The weight of her question bears down on me. “I just sell real estate,” I finally say.
Kat looks down. “What if I’m just not a big, daring person with big daring ideas?” she asks.
“You figure out how you got that way. Go back in time, to the person who showed you that you couldn’t be one, and give yourself a do-over. You only get one life,” I tell her. “How do you want to live it?”
“Why did Ron’s house sell so far below market value?” she asks, ignoring me. “I did the research. It should have sold for at least five million based on comps in the area.”
My eyes widen, letting my surprise show before looking down at my hands, clasped in my lap. I’m not surprised she kept working the story, even as she was sorting through her own problems. I wouldn’t have expected any less from her. Then I look up, my expression steely. “Both parties were happy with the transaction,” I say. “There’s nothing to see there, Kat.”
“Can you tell me now who bought it?”
House sales become public record as soon as the title is recorded, which can take anywhere from six to eight weeks. Rick and Gretchen Turner will be revealed to be the owners of the house, and I wonder how much time Kat will lose digging into their background. Like a magician, I’ve let her see just enough to believe she’s watching the trick, when all the while the deception is happening out of sight. “I’m bound to my clients’ request not to reveal that,” I finally say.
I’m exhausted by how careful we each have to be, picking and choosing our words to reflect a reality that doesn’t exist. But I’ve made a decision. When this is over, Kat will know everything. Not just about this job, but about all of them, the people I chose to target, and why. I want her to know that I’ve done my best to adhere to Kristen’s girl code—that you help other women, whenever you can. That I never picked a mark simply because I could.
I check my phone. “I’d better go. There are several properties I need to see.”
I’ll be happy when the whole charade is over.
