Suspecting Her by Mary P. Burns

Author:Mary P. Burns [Burns, Mary P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781635559590
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2021-09-01T16:17:21+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Nat and Erin stood beside Red’s chair Monday morning looking at the computer screen with him. “Okay? That’s Erin’s page. Now…” Nat reached for the keyboard and hit a button that brought up another screen. “Here’s my Facebook page.”

“Okay, so, what am I missing?”

“Look at the Sumter Realty ads versus everyone else’s.”

Red toggled back and forth between the two pages studying the border ads, watching the filters change.

“You see?” Erin said, pointing. “All the other companies sent us both all their ads, regardless of where the apartments were. But Sumter, only certain neighborhoods sent to her, certain ones only to me.”

“Oh, hell, no,” Red said. “That’s not marketing. That’s redlining. All right, we got ourselves a problem. If it’s driven solely by your realty company. There’s other engines involved.”

“I already spoke to Buzz. She’s looking into it,” Nat said.

“You focus on your story. I’ll work with Buzz to see if this is extensive or local,” Red said. Nat nodded and Red spread her charts across his desk. “I’m gonna find that thread. It’s in here somewhere, you’re right. Like it’s just out of focus. But you’re gonna visit some of these Realtors a second and third time alone as a yardstick, right?”

“Yup. Already have stuff scheduled.”

“Okay, I’ll look at the rough draft of your first article later.”

Nat hoisted her leather bag onto her shoulder. “Thanks.”

“Hey,” Erin said as they walked through the gates of Red’s brownstone. “Let’s get breakfast at that diner on Fourteenth Street.”

“That Mexican one?”

“Yeah, I like their huevos rancheros.”

“That place is spicy.”

“They have avocado toast.”

“Oh. Okay, then.”

After several blocks walked in silence, Nat stopped. “Why do I suddenly feel like Father Thomas in the confessional back at college? Only I didn’t do any sinning this weekend.”

“Man, I’m just an open book to you, aren’t I?” Erin sighed. “Because maybe I transgressed yesterday. But you’ll think I sinned.”

Nat folded her arms across her chest. “What did you do? Do I have to worry? Is this a colossal blunder or a hiccup?”

“Let’s go to the restaurant first.” Erin turned and walked in the direction of the diner, but several steps out, knew that Nat wasn’t following her.

“Tell me.” Nat cocked her head, the expression on her face one Erin knew from many a confrontation. “Don’t ruin my breakfast.”

“Fine. I think I’m in love.”

“What? I thought Marquita hadn’t called you.”

“She hasn’t.”

“So you called her. And what?”

“Not Marquita. With Catherine.”

“Uh-huh. You don’t say.” Nat held up her finger in front of Erin’s face. “No.”

Erin held up her hand against the retort that might come her way. “Hear me out. I spent all day yesterday with her.”

Nat fixed her with that look again, arms folded across her chest. “Define all day.”

“The Met in the morning, brunch, the afternoon in Riverside Park, dinner, then a long walk around the upper West Side.”

Nat leaned forward and studied her Louboutin high-tops that looked like a Jackson Pollock drip painting to Erin. They complemented her gray shorts and red polo shirt. “And you’re in love. After one day with someone.

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