Page 4 of Deadly Designs

“I’m excited to see the pool house,” Aja Blue toldher. “However, I would like to tour your home to get an idea ofyour decorating preferences afterward.”

“Of course. That won’t be a problem. Follow me, andI’ll show you the building.”

Aja Blue took in the elegant décor as Mrs. Sinclairled them down a wallpapered hallway covered with a Persian throwrug. Mrs. Sinclair stopped and pressed a button. A set of largegold doors slid open silently, and they followed her into theelevator, which took them down two floors.

A climate-controlled, covered walkway connected thepool house to the main home.

“As you can see, the new structure matches the façadeof the house. I’d grown tired of the old one, so we had it torndown and removed.”

Though it was technically a pool house, it was biggerthan many regular homes. Mrs. Sinclair had told her earlier that itwas five thousand square feet. The task in front of Aja Blue seemeddaunting. “What are your priorities for the space?”

“I would like it to serve as a guest house when wehave overnight company.”

As if there weren’t enough rooms in the attachedtwenty-five-thousand-foot freaking mansion.

“I would like it to have at least three bedrooms andbaths, a living room with a fireplace, and a full kitchen.”Basically, a three-bedroom apartment. “It will also need storage toaccommodate my grandchildren’s various inflatables and pool toys,along with a shower and changing rooms.” She opened the door, andthey stepped inside. “As you can see, there are no walls yet. Ispecifically had the builder hold off until you designed theinterior. They are waiting for your blueprints before they do anymore construction and add plumbing. They will be at your beck andcall.”

“I’m flattered you thought of me.”

“I checked around. Your references are stellar. Youare the best. Your clients are mostly corporate, but that didn’tdeter me. When I see something I want, I get it.”

Well, that was a tad arrogant. “That’s very nice ofyou to say. Jay and I will need to do some measuring and sketching.We’ll need a couple of hours.”

“Take as much time as you need. I have an appointmentin town, so I will be leaving the premises. When you’re finished,find George in the kitchen. He’s the one who showed you to thesitting room. He’ll take care of escorting you out.”

Once Mrs. Sinclair left, Aja Blue placed her bag downand walked around the vast interior while Jay took pictures.Several windows took advantage of the spectacular view of theglittering bay and an incredible Olympic-sized swimming pool.Landscaped with towering boulder waterfalls and an arching bridge,the shimmering blue water was an invitation to jump in.

Aja Blue glanced up at the skylights. The ceiling wasat least twenty feet high. There was enough room to put in a loftthat the Sinclair grandchildren would love, maybe with a slide toget down. She mentally pictured what her design would look like. Itwould need to be divided into two separate spaces, one with athree-bedroom apartment and the other for typical pool house usage.She would include shower rooms with lockers for storing bathingsuits, as well as a washer and dryer or two.

So many thoughts ping-ponged through her head thatshe needed to write them down. It was incredible to think she hadan unlimited budget to bring the project to fruition.

“Good lord, this will be a monster project,” Jaymuttered.

“Yes, but we’re being generously compensated.”

“Is it worth it?”

Aja Blue turned to Jay. “Do you not want to work onthis with me?”

Jay’s brows creased. “I don’t know. This place givesme the creeps.”

“Why?”

A shudder wracked his body. “I don’t know. I can’texplain it. It feels sinister.”

Before Aja Blue could confront him on his feelings,his phone chimed with a text, and he glanced at it before stuffingit back into his pocket.

“Jay, was that the same person as before?”

He hitched his shoulder. “Probably.”

Aja Blue wasn’t sure what to do. Jay was usuallybubbly and the life of the party. For the last week or so, he’dbeen subdued. Now he was complaining about his dream job. She hadplanned on giving him the lead on fixtures, tiles, and lighting butfeared his heart wasn’t in it. She needed to nail this project.Praise from Eleanor Sinclair held a tremendous amount of weight.This would be a massive coup for her resume.

She glanced at Jay to find him staring off intospace. She asked, “Did you get pictures of everything?”

“No.”

“We need outside shots too. While you finish that up,I’ll look around the main house and get an idea of Mrs. Sinclair’staste.”

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