Page 33 of Speak of the Devil

“Anyone else?” she asked, offering the newcomers another smile, although she still appeared a little too tense.

Both Paige Loomis and her client declined, with the real estate agent adding, “We’d just like to get this wrapped up as quickly as possible. Tim has a meeting with his general contractor at eleven-thirty.”

“Oh, you’re working on another house?” Delia said politely, and the man nodded.

“Two others. So it’ll be a relief to get this one off my hands.”

Paige gave him a sharp look, as though she wasn’t too happy with her client for being so honest about his situation, but Delia only nodded.

“I can imagine. Caleb, you have the paperwork from your bank?”

“I do,” he said, and gave it to her. He’d decided to bring statements from two different “Caleb Lowe” accounts, just to be sure — and to show Paige Loomis that paying cash for the house definitely wasn’t going to drain all his assets. Even with pulling out the $475K for the property on Pueblo Street, he would still have almost two million on hand, thanks to the way he’d bulked up his coffers over the weekend.

Because he’d gone ahead and returned to the casinos yesterday, earning himself another hundred grand. No sign of any demons lurking nearby, so wherever that imp had comefrom, he didn’t think it had any buddies hanging around and waiting to pounce.

Paige studied the documents he’d handed her and gave a brisk nod. “Everything appears in order. Tim, I think it’s fine to go ahead and sign the offer.”

Looking relieved, he took the pen Delia handed him and placed his signature on the designated line. Once he was done, he handed over the pen, and Caleb signed his name with a flourish.

Good thing he’d been practicing so he wouldn’t mistakenly write “Lockwood” instead of “Lowe.”

With that done, Delia picked up the paper, saying, “Let me make a copy of this, and then I think we’re good.”

After she walked out of the office, Tim seemed to relax enough that he thought it was okay to open up a bit. “You’re taking on quite a project.”

“I am,” Caleb said calmly. “But Delia and I already discussed some options for the renovation, and she’s going to put me in touch with some general contractors she knows.”

“It sounds like she’s being very helpful,” Paige said, in tones that seemed to hint there might be more to her “help” than merely offering some advice to a client.

Because he didn’t want to get into it — and because he knew there was nothing going on between Delia and him, more’s the pity — he only shrugged. “I guess that’s just what she does. But I appreciate it.”

Luckily, the subject of their exchange appeared a moment later, so he didn’t need to say anything else. She handed the original offer agreement to Paige and one of the copies to Caleb.

“Since we’re waiving the inspection, we’ll just go ahead with the title search,” she said. “I assume there won’t be any issues with that?”

“No,” Tim replied, even as Paige opened her mouth to answer. “Despite the house ending up in probate, the heirs were able to provide a clean title. So everything should go smoothly.”

Once again, he wore the expression of someone who thought he was getting away with something. No one present at the meeting had mentioned anything about the home’s resident ghost, and Caleb guessed it would stay that way. There was no reason for him or Delia to announce that the spirit had been sent to its just rewards, and now the only thing wrong with the house was that it was going to need six figures’ worth of repairs and updates before it was habitable again.

“Excellent,” Delia said. “Then, once the title search is complete, we’ll arrange to have the funds wired to you, and that should be that.”

“Sounds perfect,” Paige responded, although something about the set of her mouth told Caleb that she still was a little annoyed — probably because her client had spoken up even though she’d most likely told him she should be the one to do most of the talking.

But at least the matter was handled, and soon enough, both Paige and Tim left, leaving Caleb and Delia alone in her office.

Should he try asking her to lunch? It was now almost noon, and —

“Can we talk for a minute?” she asked.

Something in her tone set off his inner alarms. Was she about to tell him that she didn’t want to be involved in the remodel after all and that he’d need to do the legwork of finding a decent general contractor?

He supposed he could muddle his way through that if he had to…but he much preferred to have her around to offer her expert advice.

Among many other reasons.

“Sure,” he said, making sure he sounded utterly casual.

The corners of her mouth lifted, although her expression couldn’t be construed as exactly a smile. Without saying anything, she went over to her office door and closed it, then turned around and faced him, arms crossed.

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