The man was thirty-something and clean-shaven. His suit jacket strained at the buttonholes to contain a body packing too many business lunches. He slipped his cell phone back into his suit pocket and stared back at Kat.
“Who the heck are you? How’d you manage to get in here?” He smiled at her, but cold eyes betrayed him. A couple in their early thirties came up behind him, the woman obviously pregnant.
Just because she looked like a vagrant didn’t give him the right to talk to her that way.
“I should ask you the same. I’m Katerina Carter, Harry Denton’s niece.” Harry couldn’t have done this. He hadn’t been out of her sight until he left Hideaway Bay only yesterday morning with Hillary.
Hillary.
What was Hillary up to?
Why was she explaining herself to strangers?
“Denton? Oh, right. Aren’t you supposed to be someplace else? Because I’m showing the house.” His pupils dilated like bloated dollar signs.
“You’re a real estate agent?” Kat crossed her arms and blocked the hallway. “Harry’s house isn’t for sale.”
“It is for sale, and Hillary told me it was vacant. Now, if you’ll excuse us...”
The woman sniffed and hugged the wall as she waddled past Kat.
“Hillary doesn’t own this house.” Kat didn’t move. “Harry Denton does. Unless you have permission from him, I suggest you leave. We’ll straighten this out later.”
“Katerina?” The real estate agent didn’t wait for Kat’s confirmation. “Hillary—the owner—listed the house, and these nice folks—” he gestured to the couple, who were already discussing how to gut the kitchen, “—want to look at it.” He pulled out his cell phone again. “Uninterrupted. I don’t want any problems, so if you’ll just leave quietly...”
Every ounce of energy she had left evaporated. She started to protest, but had nothing left inside. So Hillary had her hands on Harry’s house now too? That might explain Harry’s possessions in the lane. One thing was clear; the real estate agent wasn’t about to divulge the details. She was too afraid to hear them anyway.
In the end she did leave. Even if it was Harry’s house, this was not the time or place to fight. She would confront Hillary, but right now she had more pressing things on her plate. Like finding Jace and getting the truth from Zachary.