Traci Tyne Hilton - Mitzi Neuhaus 04 - Frozen Assets by Traci Tyne Hilton

throw some colors on it, add some design elements to the sketches. I’m not asking that much.” Irritation built up in Mitzy like a static charge. When Joan started down her artsy road, it could get hard to rein her back in. “The muse likes money, right? I could pay you for this.”
    Joan gave Mitzy a hurt, motherly look. “Now, I didn’t ask for money. Just a smaller house to work with. I’m not being that difficult.”
    “Of course not.” Mitzy pushed the stack of papers towards Joan and grabbed a pastry for herself. “Why don’t you take those with you and see if you can’t get over the size of the house and make them pretty for me?”
    Joan shook her head slowly. “You keep them. Your client won’t be happy with a house that size no matter what color I pencil in.” She also took a pastry and then stood up. “I’ve got to go. There’s an estate sale in Ridgefield that I can’t miss.”
    “Of course.” Mitzy leaned on her elbows. “Have fun.”
    “Want to join me?” Joan smiled as she walked towards the door.
    The invitation sounded hollow to Mitzy’s disappointed ears, so she declined. She had work to do. Like coloring in the mid-century modern sketches and talking to Karina’s neighbors.
     
    ***
     
    Mitzy’s cell rang, so she grabbed it from the jumble of her purse. She answered it before the voicemail did, but just barely. “Neuhaus New Homes, this is Mitzy. How can I help you?”
    “Mitzy, this is Karina.”
    Despite the concerted mental effort Mitzy had exerted on behalf of Karina English, she hadn’t actually spoken to her in several days. Her heart sped up. She was dying to get the pulse of the situation as it currently stood. “How are you holding up?” She moderated her excitement a bit.
    “As well as can be expected.” Karina cleared her throat. “But I was hoping you could help me with something.”
    Mitzy turned to a new page in her notepad. “I’m ready. What do you need?”
    “I’ve spoken to Zachary.” Her voice was taut as though she put a great deal of effort into controlling it. “He and his wife want to see me.”
    “That’s great news, isn’t it?” It made Mitzy smile. She wanted to see Zachary and his ex-step-mom reconcile. It could only do good for both of them to have each other during their family crisis.
    “No, it can’t be good.”
    “I’m sorry?” Mitzy paused, pen hovering over her page. “I thought maybe this meant he wanted to reconnect.” She put her pen to paper and wrote PRAY in bold letters, though she suspected that was not what Karina was going to ask her to do.
    “Zachary and his wife want to meet me somewhere to talk. Will you come with me?” Her voice cracked, making her sound older and frail.
    Mitzy underlined her one note to herself. She was far from a crisis negotiator, despite her great negotiating skills, and though she counseled families all the time, she was hardly the right person to call for mediation. But Karina didn’t want a negotiator or a mediator any more than she wanted a Realtor right now. She just wanted a friend. Mitzy laid her pen down. Karina was so very alone in the world. “Of course I will.”
    “Thank you.” Her voice wasn’t much more than a whisper. “I just know he is going to confront me about the house again, and I’m just not myself right now. If you’re not there to represent me, who knows what I’ll agree to.”
    “I see.” Mitzy picked her pen up again, chagrinned. This was just about the real estate. She stifled a disappointed sigh. Not that it mattered. That’s how she would earn her commission, after all. “So, tell me, Karina, before we’re all together, what exactly do you need from me? Give me your parameters.”
    “If he wants the house, I won’t take anything less than full asking price. No seller assist, no discount. If he still wants my house, he is going to have to pay for it.”
    Mitzy detected hurt and pain behind Karina’s words, nonetheless, there was an icy coldness