Chapter 11 Clarice
CLARICE
Bruno laughed as Clarice locked up and she replayed it in her head for the short drive to the final house.
He had a really nice laugh, and he didn’t seem to mind her being silly about showing houses.
Framing it as a game show didn’t offend him, even though Clarice appreciated that it was a big serious commitment to buy a house.
“I remember this one,” Bruno said, meeting her at the front door. “The one that’s overpriced because they don’t really want to sell.”
“It’s not perfect,” Clarice cautioned, as she unlocked the door. “It only has two bedrooms.”
It was a three-story cottage on one of the biggest lots in the neighborhood, and it was absolutely packed with charm. It was even scantly furnished, although clearly un-lived in. The cabinets were empty and the beds had bare mattresses. The sofa had seen better days.
They started the tour at the top, where two bedrooms split the floor almost equally.
Neither one of them was very large, but they did have generous closets and big windows that looked out in every direction.
The view over the back yard was the best, and there was a snow-covered swing set and a raised playhouse.
Several winter-bare birch trees dotted the property.
“Veronica tried to buy this one to use as a short term rental before the city clamped down on those. Veronica backed out on the purchase, but the seller left it on the market. She lives in Minnesota now; this was her mom’s house.
I’m guessing that she grew up here. Doesn’t it look perfect for kids? ”
One of the rooms was clearly a child’s room, with a headboard in the shape of a spouting whale.
The upstairs bathroom was small, but it had a full-sized tub. There was a second half-bath downstairs, right off the laundry room. At the bottom of the house was a daylight basement with the furnace room.
“This window doesn’t count for egress,” Clarice explained, pointing up at the sliver of a window. “But if you really had your heart set on three bedrooms, you could excavate a window well and put one in to bring it up to code.”
“This wouldn’t be a bad office,” Bruno said thoughtfully as they walked back up the stairs to the ground floor. “But it could be a game room. I could put a desk here, in the breakfast nook, instead.”
“That would be a wonderful place to work,” Clarice agreed. It was getting dark, and when the lights were on, she saw more of their reflection in the window than she did outside. “I’m sorry, I have to get back to the office now so Veronica can get to her hunter’s club.”
“She’s a hunter? I didn’t realize there was a club for that.” Bruno sounded deeply skeptical, and Clarice could understand why.
“Not a hunting hunter… it’s a horse thing. They have pretty, pedigreed horses that jump over things and are judged on their beauty.”
“That makes more sense for Veronica.” Bruno had the nicest chuckle.
Clarice turned off all of the lights and locked up, then lingered on the porch for a moment because she really didn’t want to say goodbye yet. “Do you want a printout for this one? I could make you one at the office.”
“We have a winner!” Bruno said in his gameshow voice. Then he dropped into his usual tones. “Well, depending on what the banks says. Do you think they’d take less than they’re asking?”
Clarice shrugged. “It’s been on the market for a while. No one has made an offer for some time now, so it’s possible.”
Clarice’s phone buzzed with a text from Veronica asking where she was. “Sorry!” she said out loud. “I’ll see you there in just a moment!”
They were just a few minutes from the office.
“I’m so sorry we’re late,” Clarice said breathlessly, rushing in without waiting for Bruno to catch up with her. “I showed him a third property.”
Veronica, who was waiting, already wrapped in her fur coat with her arms crossed, probably would have scolded her if Bruno hadn’t come in, stomping snow off his feet.
“Let me get a printout of that last property,” he said cheerfully. “I think that’s the one.”
Veronica’s entire demeanor changed on a dime. “Marvelous! Which place was it?”
“1750 Beech Street,” Clarice provided. “The two-bedroom with the unfinished basement.”
“Oh yes!” Veronica said. “It was her mother’s house. She moved to Michigan.”
“Minnesota,” Clarice murmured.
“It’s a beautiful place. Partly furnished, and definitely worth what she’s asking. We’ve had several clients put in offers for it recently.”
Clarice bit her lip. Veronica wasn’t necessarily lying to increase the urgency.
It was much more likely that she just misremembered which property they were talking about.
“Let me get you the printout,” she said brightly, hurrying to her computer.
“And I can get you all the paperwork you’ll need to take to the bank. Are you pre-approved?”
Bruno, following her to the counter, chuckled. “Afraid not. This was all very spur of the moment.”
Clarice sent the files to the printer and looked up to find Bruno leaning on the counter and smiling down at her.
Beyond him, Veronica was frowning thoughtfully.
“We’ve got everything you need to walk you through the process,” Clarice said, finding a new folder and tucking a Home Ownership and You!
pamphlet into it. The property printout and the papers for the bank were added to it, along with another copy of her business card.
While she was compiling it, Veronica said loudly, “Oh, I really must go! Lock up, Clarice! Ciao, Bruno!” Her fur-trimmed fashion boots clicked across the floor like tap shoes.
Then Clarice was alone in the office with Bruno, and it was very, very quiet except for the rustling of papers.