back in the entry hall.
“Well?” Rose said. Carl and Barbara Stevens looked at each other.
“It does have some problems,” Carl mused.
“And they’d be expensive problems, wouldn’t they?” Barbara added.
“Not expensive,” Rose said. “Very expensive. Count on putting in half again what you pay for it, and thatdoesn’t include the plumbing. Also, it’s going to need rewiring within five years, and a new roof in two.”
“Honest, aren’t you,” Carl said with a grin.
Rose shrugged. “If I don’t tell you now, you’ll tell me later. And I wouldn’t want the next-door neighbors mad at me.”
“And they want how much for it?” Rose could see the wheels clicking in Carl’s mind.
“Fifty-two five. If the floor plan weren’t so weird they could get at least twice that.”
“Okay,” Carl said.
“Okay?” Rose repeated. “What does ‘okay’ mean?” Barbara laughed. “It means ‘Okay, we’ll buy it.’ ”
“At the asking price?” Rose said vacantly.
“At the asking price.”
Rose shook her head. “You’re both crazy. You asked me how much they wanted for it, not how much I thought you could get it for. Don’t you want to make them a lower offer?”
“Not particularly,” Carl said.
“I see,” Rose said numbly. “What am I saying? I don’t see at all. If you don’t mind my saying this, you’re taking all the fun out of it for me. I get paid to write offers and counteroffers, and make everybody think he got a good deal. I’ve never heard of selling a house for the asking price. In fact, I know darn well you could get it for less.”
Barbara nodded. “But it would take time. We don’t want to wait. We don’t want an escrow, and we don’t want to finance it. Well write you a check for it today. Can we move in this weekend?”
Rose nodded. “I suppose so,” she said slowly. “There’s no mortgage on it, so I guess there isn’t anything to it but transferring the title. That doesn’t take any time at all.”
Carl began laughing. “You look like we’ve just spoiled your entire day. Let’s go back to your officeand get this thing settled. Then well go home and pick up Jeff and bring him out here. Hell love the place. He loves the ocean, and he loves climbing. That bluff should make him very happy.”
Again Rose nodded. “Something’s wrong,” she said. “Selling a house like this isn’t supposed to be this easy. Why are you in such a hurry to move in?”
“We’re in a hurry,” Barbara said, “because we’ve been looking for a house for a year, we know exactly what we want, we have the money to buy it and the talent to fix it, and it’s just what we’re looking for. Also, Jeff is fourteen years old, and we want to get him started in school before it gets too far into the year. In another month all the cliques for this year will be formed, and Jeff will be out in the cold till next fall. So if we can’t move in next weekend, we probably won’t move in at all. Can you arrange it?”
“Sure,” Rose said. “There isn’t anything to arrange. Like I said, you’ve taken all the fun out of it for me.”
“Well,” Carl said, “we’ll do our best to make it up to you.”
On the way back to town, Rose decided she liked the Stevenses.
Martin Forager stood in front of Jack Conger’s desk, his eyes blazing. He kept his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his plaid hunting jacket.
“I’m telling you, Conger,” he was saying, “it’s a disgrace. It’s been two days now, and nothing’s been done.” He turned to stare out the window. “Nothing,” he repeated.
“I’m sure Ray’s doing his best,” Jack began. Forager whirled.
“His best ain’t good enough. I don’t know what happened to my daughter, but I want to know.”
Jack looked up helplessly. Martin Forager was a big man. He had planted his fists on Jack’s desk and was leaning over him, glowering.
“I don’t see what I can do,” Jack said quietly.
“You can use your
“Well?” Rose said. Carl and Barbara Stevens looked at each other.
“It does have some problems,” Carl mused.
“And they’d be expensive problems, wouldn’t they?” Barbara added.
“Not expensive,” Rose said. “Very expensive. Count on putting in half again what you pay for it, and thatdoesn’t include the plumbing. Also, it’s going to need rewiring within five years, and a new roof in two.”
“Honest, aren’t you,” Carl said with a grin.
Rose shrugged. “If I don’t tell you now, you’ll tell me later. And I wouldn’t want the next-door neighbors mad at me.”
“And they want how much for it?” Rose could see the wheels clicking in Carl’s mind.
“Fifty-two five. If the floor plan weren’t so weird they could get at least twice that.”
“Okay,” Carl said.
“Okay?” Rose repeated. “What does ‘okay’ mean?” Barbara laughed. “It means ‘Okay, we’ll buy it.’ ”
“At the asking price?” Rose said vacantly.
“At the asking price.”
Rose shook her head. “You’re both crazy. You asked me how much they wanted for it, not how much I thought you could get it for. Don’t you want to make them a lower offer?”
“Not particularly,” Carl said.
“I see,” Rose said numbly. “What am I saying? I don’t see at all. If you don’t mind my saying this, you’re taking all the fun out of it for me. I get paid to write offers and counteroffers, and make everybody think he got a good deal. I’ve never heard of selling a house for the asking price. In fact, I know darn well you could get it for less.”
Barbara nodded. “But it would take time. We don’t want to wait. We don’t want an escrow, and we don’t want to finance it. Well write you a check for it today. Can we move in this weekend?”
Rose nodded. “I suppose so,” she said slowly. “There’s no mortgage on it, so I guess there isn’t anything to it but transferring the title. That doesn’t take any time at all.”
Carl began laughing. “You look like we’ve just spoiled your entire day. Let’s go back to your officeand get this thing settled. Then well go home and pick up Jeff and bring him out here. Hell love the place. He loves the ocean, and he loves climbing. That bluff should make him very happy.”
Again Rose nodded. “Something’s wrong,” she said. “Selling a house like this isn’t supposed to be this easy. Why are you in such a hurry to move in?”
“We’re in a hurry,” Barbara said, “because we’ve been looking for a house for a year, we know exactly what we want, we have the money to buy it and the talent to fix it, and it’s just what we’re looking for. Also, Jeff is fourteen years old, and we want to get him started in school before it gets too far into the year. In another month all the cliques for this year will be formed, and Jeff will be out in the cold till next fall. So if we can’t move in next weekend, we probably won’t move in at all. Can you arrange it?”
“Sure,” Rose said. “There isn’t anything to arrange. Like I said, you’ve taken all the fun out of it for me.”
“Well,” Carl said, “we’ll do our best to make it up to you.”
On the way back to town, Rose decided she liked the Stevenses.
Martin Forager stood in front of Jack Conger’s desk, his eyes blazing. He kept his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his plaid hunting jacket.
“I’m telling you, Conger,” he was saying, “it’s a disgrace. It’s been two days now, and nothing’s been done.” He turned to stare out the window. “Nothing,” he repeated.
“I’m sure Ray’s doing his best,” Jack began. Forager whirled.
“His best ain’t good enough. I don’t know what happened to my daughter, but I want to know.”
Jack looked up helplessly. Martin Forager was a big man. He had planted his fists on Jack’s desk and was leaning over him, glowering.
“I don’t see what I can do,” Jack said quietly.
“You can use your
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