‘Okay,’ Mick said, drawing up his shoulders. ‘How much did this guy offer for Jake’s nanna’s place?’
‘I can’t tell you that, sorry,’ Ella said.
‘Surely you can give us a ballpark figure?’ Mick said, a stubborn edge hardening his jaw. ‘What do you think he’d pay for Mum’s house?’
‘I appraised your house just like I did next door. This lot is slightly smaller, but only by about fifty square metres. Your mum’s place doesn’t have a big shed, like next door. There’s an argument that next door has the better view of the bridge—’
‘You said the buyer isn’t interested in the shed or the house.’
‘True. But I’m just trying to explain how I’d come to an appraisal price. Given all the news to do with the upgrade to Chalk Hill Bridge Road, that definitely adds to the value here. So my appraisal would be between $479,000 and $499,000. That’s where I’d be thinking. Possibly even more than $500,000.’ Ella dug through her file and pulled the appraisal out, handing it to Helen.
‘You’d be half a millionaire, Mum,’ Mick said.
‘Just gotta find me the other half then, don’t I?’ Helen said, but it got stuck in her throat.
‘Is that as far as this guy got with Jake?’ Mick pressed.
‘I’m not allowed to say, Mick. I’m sorry. It’s in the vicinity, and I can tell you that before the news broke about the road upgrade, I have to be honest, my appraisal would have been lower. When I started trying to get the deal together on Irma’s house, no one knew about the road.’ She shook her head. ‘Although I think the buyer might have had some idea it was about to happen.’
‘Was he trying to pull a swifty?’ Helen demanded.
‘I think he knew there was an opportunity,’ Ella answered, trying to be diplomatic. ‘It makes a big difference to the values on Chalk Hill Bridge Road. All Chalk Hill town, really; that’s if it all goes ahead.’
‘So he was trying to pull a swifty.’
‘That’s developers for you, Mum.’
It was Mick who picked up the appraisal, pointing out Ella’s information to his mother, who put her hand to her throat and left it there among the many crevices and folds.
‘Why don’t I leave you two to talk it all over, and have a chat to your sister too, and then I’ll give you a call tomorrow when you’ve had time to think it through? Is that okay?’
‘That would be great, Ella. Thanks. Do you have information about what it would cost Mum to do this? Like, all your commission and fees and that sort of thing?’ Mick put his hand on Helen’s shoulder and rubbed once. ‘It’s okay, Mum.’
‘I do. I’ll leave the information pack here.’ Ella patted the Begg & Robertson presentation folder. ‘Thanks for the glass of water, Helen. Here’s my card, Mick. You or your mum can call me if you have any questions at all, okay?’
‘Thanks, Ella.’ Mick looked up. ‘I think this is a good thing, and my sister and me have been talking about it, but we have to be sure it’s the best thing for Mum.’
‘Absolutely,’ Ella said, standing up. ‘I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s a big decision.’
Helen Nillson shifted in her chair but Ella put her hand out. ‘Please don’t get up, Helen. I know the way.’
CHAPTER
23
Ella started with Donna Summer and moved through Gloria Gaynor to the Bee Gees, singing as she danced the vacuum cleaner around the house that Saturday afternoon, music loud enough to let her hear it over the cleaner’s engine.
Helen Nillson would sell if the price was right.
Mick had called this morning and Ella had gone around to Helen’s to collect the signed authority. This meant that, right now, Henry Graham had new offer paperwork in his hot little hands for Lot 5, Chalk Hill Bridge Road, Chalk Hill.
Vacuuming finished, Ella checked her phone. Nothing yet from Henry.
Waiting sucked.
Digging under the kitchen sink, Ella found a pair of yellow rubber gloves and pulled them up her arms then armed herself with bleach before she set into scrubbing the bathrooms.
She was in the ensuite when the volume halved on Boney M singing Daddy Cool. Ella called out, ‘Sam? Is that you?’
No answer, but a series of thumps: backpack hitting kitchen counter, butt hitting couch. ‘Is there anything to eat?’
‘There’s fruit in the fruit bowl.’
‘I don’t mean fruit,’ Sam said.
‘You might find a packet of sultanas if you look in the pantry.’
‘Since when were sultanas not fruit, Mum? I hate sultanas anyway.’
‘Since when didn’t you like sultanas? You’ve liked them fine for years.’
About then, Ella discovered she’d been rubbing the same smudge of toothpaste from the mirror for the last ten seconds. ‘Well, I could give you a list and you could go down to the general store and do some shopping for me. That would be a help.’
‘I’ll just make some toast.’ Freezer door opening, thudding shut. ‘We’ve only got that wholemeal bread. Can’t you buy white bread?’
Ella rubbed ever smaller circles, hard enough to make the stuff behind the cabinet mirrors rattle. ‘Well you’ll have to wait till I’ve finished here; I’ll go shopping and it’ll be time for dinner. Otherwise, have an apple.’
Sam appeared in the bathroom doorway, apple in hand and a frown on his face. Ella met his eyes through the medium of the bathroom mirror.
‘What are you so grumpy about?’ she asked her son.
‘Nothing.’
‘What have you been up to this arvo?’
Crunch of apple, and a long drawn out chew. ‘I was at the basketball court.’
‘Yeah? See any other kids up there?’
‘A girl was there for a while.’
Ella smiled encouragingly. ‘Oh yeah? What was her name?’
‘Lydia.’
‘Where does she live?’
‘On a farm somewhere. She said her dad is building a water ski park.’
‘Lydia Fields?’
Sam shrugged. ‘Dunno.’
She was a long way from home if she’d been in town
