“Oh, hello, Cane. Yes, I think he’s still around. Can you hold for a second?”
“Sure.” I watched the shadows play against the wall while I waited for Thomas to pick up. I considered what angle to take with him.
“Thomas Stanley.”
“Hi, Thomas. This is Cane Alexander.”
“Well, hello. It is nice to finally talk to you. I hope everything is going all right with your property.”
I smiled. “Yes. Jada has done an excellent job. I’m very happy with her performance.”
If he only knew …
“That’s great. What can I do for you, Cane?”
I stood and paced the room. “There is a prospective buyer on Solomon Place. His name is Simon Powers.”
“Yes. I heard he made an offer today.”
“That’s right. And as happy as I am with the job Jada has done, Mr. Stanley, I would appreciate it if you would reassign another real estate agent to work with Mr. Powers.”
“May I ask why?”
“Of course.” I paused, considering my next words carefully. “This decision has nothing to do with Jada, except her safety.”
“Please, go on.”
“I have known Simon for a number of years. We have a history together, and he’s never been a nice guy. My sources are telling me that he is involved in some nefarious activities. Now, if he wants to buy Solomon—that’s fine with me. Money is money. But I hope you trust me when I tell you he is no one Jada should be dealing with.”
Thomas let out a deep breath. “Is that all you’re going to give me?”
“Well, considering I have no hard evidence on what he’s doing nowand the past is very personal, I’d rather leave it there. I hope my word is good enough. If Jada were my daughter or my wife, I wouldn’t want her to be anywhere near Simon Powers.”
The line was quiet, and my body tensed.
Have I crossed a line?
“It sounds like you’re fond of my daughter. Have you told her what you’re telling me?”
“I have told her that Simon is dangerous, but she’s pretty hardheaded. I hope you don’t mind me saying that.”
Thomas laughed. “She got that from her mother.”
“So as you can imagine, she bristled and now I’m not sure if she’s going to listen.”
“I’ll tell you what, Cane. I’ll reassign Powers to Zack, another associate here in our offices. And I appreciate the call. That’s my baby girl we’re talking about, so her safety trumps everything.”
“And if you don’t mind, I’d like to keep this conversation between us. I’m sure you can understand why.”
“Agreed.”
“I’ll let you get back to your day now, sir. Thank you for all of your help on Solomon Place, and I’ll let you know when I have something else to list.”
“No problem. And, Cane”—Thomas paused—“thank you. I appreciate you looking out for Jada.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
EIGHTEEN
