Page 33 of My Brother’s Best Friends Entanglement

Then he spins, walking right back out the door he'd just come from, calling over his shoulder, "Let's go, I'm driving."

EIGHT

Alexia

The first place is a ground-floor one-bedroom apartment in an alley in Thebarton.

It has good bones, the listing said. Natural light. Freshly painted.

The natural light is a skylight above the bedroom and the paint job is the kind you do when you're trying to cover something you don't want asked about. Dulux Antique White, brush-applied, slightly uneven near the cornices, approximately eleven layers. One for every time a tenant has run screaming from the place.

Marcus has obviously picked up on this, because he's standing in the kitchen tapping the bench, clicking his tongue.

"Hollow," he says.

The landlord blanches. "Sorry?"

"The bench." Marcus taps it again. "Listen to that. That's not solid. That's a laminate skin over particleboard and it's been re-edged at least twice." He opens a cupboard. Closes it. Opens it again. "And whoever hung these doors didn't account for the seasonal movement in the frame. See how it catches? That's going to get worse."

"The kitchen was renovated only two years ago," the landlord says.

"I can see that," Marcus says. "That's the problem."

I look at Zachary for help, but he's busy typing something into his notes app. Marcus turns the sink tap on. "How long has the current hot water system been in place?"

"About four years."

Right." More tapping. "And the last building inspection was⁠—"

"Marcus!" I hiss. I don't know if I'm going to rent this place or not, but I certainly don't want my future landlord already pissed at me if I move in.

"Yes, Lexi?" he sways sweetly. "I'm asking perfectly acceptable questions. I'm sure the man knows that we just want the best for you. Right, sir?"

He pins the poor man with a look.

"Oh. Um, yes. Of course. Ask away. I have nothing to hide."

Marcus gives him a bright, winning smile and then points to some peeling laminate on the bureau. "Really? You sure you're not trying to hide anything?"

The landlord visibly breaks out into a sweat.

I turn to look for Rhys, silent since we walked in, which I'd taken as a good sign. How wrong I was. He's standing in the doorway between the bedroom and the rest of the space, looking at the ceiling, then the floor, as if silently surveying each tile in turn. Then he looks at me.

"No," he says.

I bristle. "But. You haven't even⁠—"

"No."

He walks back through the kitchen, out the front door, and crosses the street. We hear his car start.

Zachary makes his way to the door. Marcus pats the landlord on the shoulder and says, "Shaw Construction. Look me up next time you want a job done properly. I won't even charge you for getting rid of what's been done here." Then he follows the other guys out.

The landlord looks at me.

I sigh and pick up my bag.

The second place is in Prospect. Slightly bigger, second floor, a cute little balcony with a view of the park across the road.