Read Online Remember Me by Mary Higgins Clark - Free Book Online

more and more she’d been able to convert these expressions of preliminary interest into an excellent percentage of sales.
    This summer she’d tried a new gimmick. She’d had aerial photographs taken of houses with particularly good locations. One of them was Remember House. When she’d arrived at work this morning at ten, Marge Salem, her assistant, told her there had already been two inquiries about it.
    â€œThat aerial photo really does the trick. Do you think it was wise to rent it to the Nicholses without asking for the right to show it?” Marge asked.
    â€œIt was necessary,” Elaine said briskly. “Adam Nichols isn’t the type who’s going to want people trooping through a house he’s renting, and he did pay top dollar for it. But we’re not losing a sale. My hunch is that the Nicholses will decide to buy that place.”
    â€œI would have thought that he’d look in Harwich Port. That’s where his family came from and always summered.”
    â€œYes, but Adam always liked Chatham. And he knows a good buy when he sees it. He also likes to own, not rent. I think he regrets not buying the family home when his mother sold it. If his wife is happy here, we’ve got a customer. Watch and see.” She smiled at Marge. “And if by chance he doesn’t, well, Scott Covey loves that place. When things settle down for him he’ll be in the market again. He won’t want to keep Vivian’s house.”
    Marge’s pleasant face became serious. The fifty-year-old housewife had started working for Elaine at the beginning of the summer and found that she thoroughly enjoyed the real estate business. She also loved gossip and, as Elaine joked, could pick it out of theair. “There are a lot of rumors floating around about Scott Covey.”
    Elaine made a quick gesture with her hand, always a sign of impatience. “Why don’t they leave that poor guy alone? If Vivian hadn’t come into that trust fund, everyone would be keening with him. That’s the trouble with people in these parts. On principle, they don’t like to see family money go to an outsider.”
    Marge nodded. “God knows that’s true.”
    They were interrupted by the tingling of the bell over the front door, signaling the arrival of a potential client. After that they were busy all morning. At one o’clock, Elaine got up, went into the bathroom and came out wearing fresh lipstick and with her hair re-combed.
    Marge studied her. Elaine was wearing a white linen dress and sandals, making an attractive contrast to her deeply tanned arms and legs. Her dark blond hair streaked with highlights was pulled back by a band. “If I hadn’t mentioned it before, you look terrific,” Marge said. “Obviously being engaged suits you.”
    Elaine wiggled her ring finger, and the large solitaire on it glittered. “I agree. I’m meeting John for lunch at the Impudent Oyster. Hold the fort.”
    When she returned an hour later, Marge said, “There’ve been a bunch of calls. The top one is the most interesting.”
    It was from Detective Nat Coogan. It was imperative that he speak with Miss Atkins at her earliest convenience.

18
    B y mid-morning, Menley had begun to convince herself that the terror that had awakened her had been simply a vivid dream. With Hannah held tightly in her arms she walked outside to the edge of the embankment. The sky was vividly blue and reflected in the water that broke gently against the shoreline. It was low tide, and the long expanse of sandy beach was tranquil.
    Even without the ocean it’s a wonderful piece of property, she thought as she studied the grounds. In the many years the house had been abandoned, the locust and oak trees had grown unchecked. Now heavily laden with leaves, they were in natural harmony with the velvety fullness of the pines.
    The lush midsummer look, Menley thought. Then she