I rotated the monitor, so the Parnhams could see the additional online interior photographs.
‘I can’t understand why Bryony didn’t mention this house, it’s exactly what we’re looking for.’ Mrs Parnham tapped her long, red nails on the edge of my desk. ‘She said she had nothing with more than five bedrooms and nothing located in the Berry Hill area. Yet this property has both.’
I frowned and scanned the details on the screen. For some reason, it looked like the property had been flagged as under offer when it was clearly still for sale. I felt relieved it wasn’t my error.
‘I’ll get you the full details,’ I said, pressing the print button. ‘It’s a stunning property and it’s been with us for a few weeks now. Between you and me, the owner might well be open to a reasonable offer.’
‘Oh, I’m excited.’ Mrs Parnham turned to her husband, her leathery skin flushed against her startling, over-backcombed orange hair. ‘When can we view?’
‘I’m sure Bryony can sort you out a time when she returns,’ Jo called helpfully from the other side of the office, her call having just ended.
‘Bob, I don’t want to wait a moment longer,’ Mrs Parnham appealed to her husband. ‘I’m worried someone else will make an offer.’
‘Could you contact the owner while we’re here, please, Toni?’ Mr Parnham said firmly.
‘Of course.’ I beamed. ‘His number is right here.’
Five minutes later, I’d made an appointment for the Parnhams to view the property on Saturday morning.
‘Someone from Gregory’s will meet you there,’ I reassured them, unsure quite who it would be.
‘Thank you so much, Toni.’ Ms Parnham took my hand in both of hers as the office phone started ringing again. ‘We’re so grateful.’
I showed them out of the shop and closed the door. I turned to Jo, beaming. My smile faded at the look on her face.
‘Shit, Toni. What were you thinking—’
Just then, the door walloped open behind me and caught me hard on the shoulder.
‘Oww!’ I turned, expecting an apologetic customer. Instead, I got an irate-looking Bryony.
‘I’ve just bumped into the Parnhams,’ she fumed, slamming the door shut. ‘What the HELL have you just done?’
Jo buried her face in her hands.
‘How dare you?’ Bryony rounded on me. ‘I knew you were going to be trouble from the moment I set eyes on you. And you!’ She hissed over at Jo. ‘Why the hell did you let her—’
‘I was on an important customer call,’ Jo said calmly. ‘Had you instructed Toni not to deal with the Parnhams?’
‘I didn’t think I needed to,’ Bryony spat, her face thunderous. ‘Anyone with an ounce of common sense would know that—’
‘Is everything OK in here?’ Dale stood in the hallway. He’d obviously let himself in the back door, directly from the car park. ‘Sounds like World War Three is kicking off from where I’m standing.’
It seemed I’d misjudged Dale. There was no trace of the mild-mannered personality he’d displayed during my interview.
‘Bryony?’ he said sharply. ‘What’s happened?’
‘I pop out for one hour, that’s what. One bloody hour! And your new appointment, Miss Cotter here, loses me a shitload of commission by poking her nose in where it’s not wanted.’
I took in a sharp gasp.
‘Bryony, please.’ Dale frowned. ‘Try to keep it professional.’
‘You won’t say that when you find out she’s probably just lost us one of our biggest customers. The Parnhams.’
Dale’s mouth opened and closed again. He looked at me.
‘They came into the shop looking for Bryony,’ I said, my mouth instantly turning dry. ‘I told them she’d be back any time but they asked if I could get them details on a property they were interested in. I thought I was helping by—’
‘That’s the trouble,’ Bryony snapped, beside herself with fury. ‘You didn’t think at all.’
My years of experience were telling me that something wasn’t adding up here. All I’d done was furnish the Parnhams with some additional property details and arrange a weekend viewing. A completely normal task in any property agency – it’s what we were there for.
‘You shouldn’t be introducing them to properties. They’re my clients. That’s my job.’
I’d held back long enough. Bryony was trying to cover something up and by the look on Dale’s face, if I didn’t watch it, she was going to successfully pin the blame firmly on me.
‘They already had the property details, Dale.’ I picked up the original brochure the Parnhams had brought into the shop. Bryony lunged for it but Dale was quicker and took it from me.
‘Th – they shouldn’t have had that one,’ Bryony stammered, reddening. ‘I thought I’d kept it back. I never gave them that one.’
‘Dan Porterhouse’s property,’ Dale mused, looking at the brochure. ‘Why would you not give them details of this one, Bryony?’
‘They said it was perfect, just what they were looking for,’ I added, earning myself a killer glance from Bryony. ‘It had somehow been incorrectly tagged as under offer on the system.’
‘Mr and Mrs Parnham wouldn’t leave until Toni tried to make a viewing appointment with the owner,’ Jo explained. ‘She didn’t really have a choice.’
I looked over gratefully at Jo.
‘If you didn’t give them these details, then who did?’ Bryony said, as if she’d caught me out.
I suddenly remembered that I’d picked up a stray property brochure from the floor of Bryony’s office when I’d been looking for the photocopier. I’d assumed I’d dropped it, but . . .
‘Why does it matter so much that they were interested in the house, Bryony? You should be congratulating Toni that she’s managed to make a viewing appointment on a 1.5 million pound property,’ Dale said sternly. ‘A property you’ve somehow managed to mark as already sold. Can you come through to my office, please?’
Bryony followed him a little sheepishly, but not before she’d thrown me yet another hateful look.
‘Oh God,’ I sighed, sitting down heavily at my desk. ‘I’ve made a complete balls-up and I don’t even really know what I’ve done yet.’
‘That’s what I was trying to tell you when I was on the phone,’ Jo said in a low voice. ‘Never, ever attempt to deal with Bryony’s clients. You never know what shady deals she’s pulling off.’
I looked at her, puzzled.
‘She plays clients off against each other,’ Jo explained, glancing nervously though the back to check we were still alone. ‘She’ll be keeping the Parnhams away from that property so they buy another mega-expensive one. Meanwhile, she’ll have another client lined up to buy Dan Porterhouse’s property. That way, Bryony gets double commission. She’s pulled it off loads of times.’
I shook my head, incredulous. That wasn’t ethical or honest behaviour in anyone’s book. Worst of all, it was betraying the trust of loyal clients like the Parnhams, who’d been coming to her for years.
Jo and I both worked in silence for a while. My hands felt a bit shaky and my heart was pounding.
Ten minutes later, Bryony whisked through the shop, clutching her coat and bag.
Jo had customers again by this time and Bryony came close to the edge of my desk.
‘I’ll get you back for this,’ she muttered, too low for anyone else to hear. ‘I’ll fucking teach you not to mess with me.’
And then she was gone, leaving the glass door shuddering behind her.
32
Three Years Earlier
The Teacher
Harriet dodged the delicate china cup, full of tea, that flew past her and shattered on the wall behind.
‘Tea is supposed to be hot,’ her mother screamed. ‘HOT. Not tepid. You know I hate tepid anything, you stupid bitch.’
Harriet turned and watched for a second or two as the dark brown liquid streamed down the cream wall like dirty tears.
‘When will she be here? When will you get off your useless backside and do something?’
‘Mother, I’ve told you—’
‘I don’t want to hear it.’ The old woman cupped her hands over her ears. ‘I don’t want to hear you or see you. I never wanted you.’