Read Law and Disorder for Free Online

lantern.
    “Jacki Jewell,” she said with a wide smile that left stars in my eyes. “You must be Camilla. It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”
    I said, “I’m not sure I…” Oh, hang on. I knew the name Jacki Jewell. That toothy grin was plastered all over For Sale signs in The Glebe, Sandy Hill and New Edinburgh. But what the hell was she doing in my front hall?
    Closing the door behind her, I discovered. “Your sister sent me,” she said.
    Of course. I should have known.
    I said. “Which one?” Each of them is capable of meddling in my life in ways I never imagine until the meddling is in full swing and then it’s often hard to find a defensive position.
    “Edwina,” she said cheerfully.
    “Oh, well. She’s out of town. They’re all on a three-week Mediterranean cruise along with my father. Not back until the first of July.”
    I didn’t bother to add that I’d been reveling in a spell of peace and quiet without their daily badgering about my failure to measure up on so many fronts: quality of housekeeping, career path, marital status and driving skills being the main ones. Of course, I’d been dashing back and forth to Nepean to check on their houses every few days, but that was a small price to pay for peace and quiet.
    Her expression stayed positive, but I sensed a bit of strain at the corners of her lipsticky smile.
    “Yes, I know,” she said. “But…”
    “So whatever it is, I want you to know it wasn’t my idea.” I smiled grimly, expecting she’d take the hint.
    “That’s fine,” she said, sticking to her guns. “Doesn’t matter at all. There’s no finders’ fee for my services. I hear you’re interested in selling this house.”
    “Well, I guess I’ve been thinking about it. A bit. I haven’t really decided yet because…” I trailed off.
    Of course, I’d been thinking about selling the house. That was putting it mildly. I’d inherited the property, car and a pile of financial assets. The house was pretty and convenient, but I had good reasons to feel guilty living in it. The neighbours were less than lovable and Alvin’s decorating didn’t help. To add to it, the house had been fully furnished, and now my own belongings and whatever had survived from my office were squeezed in too.
    “Well, good, that’s why I’m here.”
    “Doesn’t work for me. I’m not ready yet. I have stacks of material from my previous office, and it’s taken quite a while to get that sorted out. In fact, I’m working on that this weekend.”
    She reached out and patted my shoulder, something I’ve never really tolerated well. I barely resisted the urge to swat her hand, partly because I’ve been working on being a nicer person, but mainly because I didn’t want a barrage of long-distance calls from my collective sisters admonishing me for my bad manners. Jacki Jewell must have read my mind because she withdrew her hand and kept it out of swatting distance.
    She didn’t lose her glow though, nor did her linen wilt. I had to hand it to her. “I can help with that. It’s a specialty really. You’ll be so glad when it’s over.”
    “Thanks for your interest, but as I just clearly said, I’m not ready yet and—”
    She opened her mouth.
    I held up my hand. “And I don’t do well under pressure.”
    Alvin’s voice piped up behind me, speaking directly to Jacki Jewell. “It’s so true. You’d want to watch out for that.”
    “Of course,” Jacki Jewell’s smile lit up again, “you won’t get any pressure from me. That’s why I have such satisfied clients.” I think she believed that.
    Alvin approached her, admiration on his face, his hand outstretched to shake hers. “Alvin Ferguson.”
    Gussie the dog took that opportunity to fart softly on the sofa.
    I said, “In the interests of saving time, let me state categorically that I’m not ready to sell the house.”
    Alvin piped up, “But Camilla, just the other day you said—”
    “Naturally,” Jacki Jewell said,