Chapter 4
Unaware of the ongoing drama at his hotel, Ray Caldwell was at breakfast with his wife, Patricia, when his cell phone rang.
Still on guard about Ray’s well-being, Patricia frowned. “Let it go to voicemail, dear. Eat your breakfast.”
But Ray had already seen caller ID. “It’s Liz,” he said, then put his food aside to answer. “Good morning, darling! What a wonderful way to begin my day. It’s cold and blustery here. What’s happening in Jubilee?”
“It’s been snowing a bit off and on, but today looks clear. It’s so good to hear your voice, Dad. Is Mom there, too?”
“Yes, she is. I’ll put you on speaker.”
Liz sighed. Her mom was going to be angry with her for calling, but there was no help for it.
“Hi, Mom! Love you!” Liz said.
“We love you back,” Patricia said. “Are you two going to talk business?”
Liz laughed. “Yes, please.”
“Then I’ll leave you to it. Ray, you can eat while you two are talking. Skipping meals will not serve you,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Ray said, and blew her a kiss as she left the room.
“Take it off speaker, Dad,” Liz said.
Ray frowned as he followed her instructions. “What’s wrong?”
“Nearly everything, and it’s escalating,” Liz said, and then began to fill him in on everything she knew, what had been reported to her, and finished it off with Brendan’s email. “I don’t know what to do about this. I know my part of the hotel business, but I have no skills in hotel management. I’m so sorry to be bothering you about this, but Michael gave me some advice I thought it best to follow. He reminded me what a smart businessman you are, and that whatever needed to be done, you would have the answers for it.”
Ray sighed. “Well, I appreciate my son-in-law’s faith in me, and I am so sorry that any part of this burden has fallen on you. I have an idea. If it pans out, I’ll call you later today, okay? Just leave this to me. Don’t tell anyone we’ve spoken. I don’t want to alert Beaumont or his daughter to that fact. And you’re right. Something is very off. I would never agree to changing vendors or wholesalers, and there was no need to even do so. Sounds like he’s giving business to his buddies, but I’m wondering what he’s getting out of that. I don’t know what’s going on, but we’re going to find out. For now, you go and have yourself a good day.”
“Will do, Dad, and thank you. Michael was right. You rock.”
Liz breathed a sigh of relief as she disconnected.
But Ray was frowning when the call ended. He needed to get to his office, but if he wanted any peace today, he had to finish breakfast first. He picked up his fork, wrinkled his nose at the vegan sausage, and continued his meal.
***
Harley Banks had been home for weeks. The snowfall that had welcomed her home was over, but nothing was melting. It was still there, just slushy and dirtier—a cold reminder of winter in Chicago.
She’d passed her time by working out in the gym in her apartment complex and swimming laps in the heated pool. When it got too confining inside, she walked down the block to the sports bar on the corner, ordered a beer and cheese nachos smothered in jalapenos, then picked a game to watch on the array of TVs hanging on the walls as she ate. She knew a few regulars but didn’t interact with them beyond a little friendly hazing and a game of darts now and then. She wasn’t looking for a relationship, and if she had been, she would not have gone to a sports bar to find it.
She’d awakened this morning to a fairly empty refrigerator and decided it was time to put in a grocery order for delivery. She had the list at her elbow as she opened the site on her laptop and glanced down at the first item on her list—which happened to be spray cheese that came out in cute swirls that she put on her crackers—thinking how horrified her mother would be to know she liked and ate such plebian foods. But before she could type it into the search bar, her cell phone rang. She glanced at caller ID, didn’t recognize the name or number, which was normal in her line of work, and answered.
“Harley Banks.”
“Miss Banks, my name is Ray Caldwell. Do you have a few moments to speak with me? It is business-related.”
“Of course.”
“Thank you. You were recommended to me by Wilhem Crossley. He’s a business acquaintance and, as I understand, a man you recently worked for. He speaks highly of you, by the way.”
“Yes, I’ve done work for him. How can I help you?” Harley asked.
“I’m a real estate developer and hotelier, but due to some health issues I’ve been having, I had to install a manager at the location where I’d been living and working, and I’ve just received word that there are grave issues arising that needs immediate attention. My problem is, I don’t know what’s happening to cause them, and I’m suspicious of the financial end of it, too. Are you available?”
“Is this hotel in the States or overseas?” Harley asked.
“In Kentucky, at a popular tourist attraction in a mountain town called Jubilee.”
“I’ve heard of it,” Harley said.
“Excellent. So, you can imagine the setup on-site. My hotel is called the Serenity Inn. My daughter, Liz, is the event coordinator there, but what’s going on is beyond her ability to cope.”
“Tell me what’s happening,” Harley said.
Ray began to explain, in depth, what was happening and what he needed to know, and then added, “I was given to understand that you are also capable of corporate auditing, as well as investigating corporate crime, is this correct?”
“Yes, sir. I am a licensed CPA specializing in corporate audits, and my private investigator’s license avails me of other skills when needed.”
“Are you available now?” Ray asked.
“Yes. I can leave as soon as tomorrow, if need be,” she said.
“Perfect,” Ray said. “What kind of fee do you need to begin, and how do you bill for your work? Money is no object, but I want to make sure you are compensated as needed before you arrive.”
Harley gave him the numbers and an account to which payments to her were to be made.
“Perfect,” Ray said. “I’ll have the upfront fee in your account as soon as we hang up. My daughter, Liz, will simply alert the staff that I have hired someone to do an audit. It won’t be a surprise to anyone because of my recent health issues. I’m considering selling the hotel anyway and would need this for prospective buyers. That will cover the reason for your presence at the hotel and give you access to every aspect of the business. If there’s anything illegal happening, I need to know. And if it’s just a really bad manager, I need to know that, too. Your suite, food, and hotel amenities will be comped. You will have a computer set up in your suite giving you access to every aspect of the hotel business, and you can work from there. I also want to know if the food quality and service is lacking. Those are details, but my main concern is the money angle. I don’t like that the manager has changed vendors and wholesalers. That smacks of a control he was not given.”
“Understood,” Harley said. “As for arriving there, what kind of travel is recommended?”
“The nearest airport is in Bowling Green. You’d have to rent a car and drive over Pope Mountain to get there, but helicopter charters come and go in Jubilee regularly. There are three different music venues there as well as the other tourist attractions, so strangers come and go by the hundreds, even in winter. If you’d prefer to fly in, I’ll send you by chopper, and you can rent a car in Jubilee to get around.”
“Then let’s do the chopper,” Harley said. “Tomorrow or the day after if need be. I’m in Chicago. Just give me details as to where to hook up with a chopper service here. I’ll rent the car myself in Jubilee and add the charges to your final bill.”
“Done,” Ray said. “I’ll text you with details as soon as I get the charter scheduled. Oh…one other thing. My head pastry chef is a man named Brendan Pope. He’s on the verge of pressing charges against Justine Beaumont, the manager’s daughter, for sexual harassment and stalking. I don’t want to lose that man. He’s a star at his job, and he’s local to the area and highly popular. If you get in a tight spot, you can count on him. He has two brothers who are officers with the Jubilee police force, and a cousin, Cameron, who is ex-special forces. And Cameron’s wife, my niece, is ex-FBI. Pope Mountain towers over the town of Jubilee, and the people who live on that mountain are some of the best people you will ever meet.”
Harley was surprised by the high level of government security clearance he’d mentioned and the chef’s situation. “Sexual harassment is a common demon of a workforce, but I don’t think I’ve ever encountered it in reverse. A man being the target, I mean.”
Ray sighed. “Well, men in the Pope family have a habit of being born larger than life and shockingly handsome. As a man, I will admit I’m a bit envious of such amazing DNA.” And then he laughed. “When you meet him, you’ll see what I mean. But they don’t mess around. Their reputations are spotless, and their word is gold. Just remember that.”
“Yes, sir,” Harley said. “I’ll go ahead and pack, and wait for further information.”
“It’s cold there. Pack for warmth,” Ray added.
“Duly noted,” she said, and disconnected, then glanced at her shopping list and closed her laptop. No need ordering in a fresh supply of food when she was going to be leaving again, so she was back to DoorDash until she left. But she was going to need clean clothes, and went to start a load of laundry.
***
Ollie Prine didn’t have the skills to hack into airline passenger lists or rental car sites to try and find this Harley Banks, but all he knew was she’d probably flown out of Philadelphia, rather than drive. There was very little information about her online, with no website, no social media presence, and no information as to where she lived. He knew more about her parents than he did about her. The only photos he found were of her as a young girl, always standing between her parents at some uppity social function.
He was surprised to learn her father was Jason Banks, a NASA scientist, and her mother, Judith, a well-known playwright and screenwriter. Harley had a master’s degree in math and a CPA license, but she didn’t have an office. She didn’t own property or a car. He’d tried to get a background check and gotten blocked. That surprised him. Whatever else she did, she didn’t advertise it. If he hadn’t seen her with his own eyes, he would have thought she was a ghost.
And then out of the blue, Berlin called him.
“Update me,” he said shortly.
Ollie gave him the rundown about all of the roadblocks.
“I have something that might help,” Berlin said. “She’s based in Chicago. I don’t have an address. Just a phone number, but don’t just call her up like a dumbass. Be smart. Figure out a way to use that number to find her. Got a pen and paper?”
“Hang on a sec and I’ll put it in my phone,” Ollie said.
“What kind of an enforcer are you? You do not want any record of a connection to her.”
“I’m the kind who’ll off his mother for the right money,” Ollie snapped.
“Write this down,” Berlin said, and read off a phone number. “Did you get it?”
“Yes, I—” Before Ollie could finish, the line went dead. “Asshole,” he muttered, added the number to his phone anyway, then proceeded to book himself a one-way flight to Chicago, made a hotel reservation, and went to pack.
***
Ray spent the rest of the morning getting Harley Banks’s travel arrangements made. He’d chartered a chopper for the day after tomorrow, sent a text back to Harley with the travel information, and ended with a long phone call to his daughter, Liz, to update her on what he was doing.
As soon as she answered, he began filling her in.
“Liz, this is what’s happening, and what I need from you. Notify Larry Beaumont I’ve hired a woman named Harley Banks to do an audit of the hotel in preparation to put it up for sale. It’s common practice and he’ll think nothing of it. Make sure one of the nicer suites is made available for her while she’s on-site. Have a computer from our offices installed in her room with an all-access password that will get her into any account she needs to see, and you register her at the front desk before she arrives, which will be the day after tomorrow. The pilot will notify you about twenty minutes before they land so you can have a car waiting at the heliport to pick her up. She will be accessing every aspect of the hotel, from the purchasing department to housekeeping, guest amenities, and dining, and interviewing any staff members she deems necessary.”
“Are you really planning on selling?” Liz asked.
“Your mother has been pushing the issue ever since my heart surgery, and I do have to accept the reality of my situation, but I hadn’t thought seriously of it until now. If all of this trouble is happening without me on-site, I don’t want the hotel to go downhill, and it’s a good cover for Harley Banks’s arrival. You can reassure Beaumont that his presence is appreciated and ask him to assist her with any requests she might make of him. If he’s up to something and he panics and starts cleaning up and hiding what he’s been doing, we might never find out what it was. And, as for the daughter’s behavior, I’ll message Brendan myself. I don’t want him to feel threatened or pressured in any way, and I also don’t want to lose him.”
“Understood,” Liz said. “I love you, Daddy. Say hi to Mom for me. I miss you both so much.”
“We miss you, too,” Ray said. “Our best to Michael.”
When the call ended, Liz began implementing her father’s instructions, and Ray looked up Brendan’s phone number in his contacts and sent him a text.
Brendan, I’ve been made aware of ongoing problems at the hotel and your problems with Justine Beaumont. Rest assured this is being dealt with. However, if anything new occurs or the stalking continues, let me know. This is also confidential info, but I want you to know I’ve hired a corporate auditor/private investigator to look into the hotel finances. Her name is Harley Banks. To the staff, she will simply be an auditor preparing the paperwork for putting the hotel up for sale. I gave her your name in case she needs on-site assistance. I would appreciate any help you can give her. Since my health problems, I’m not ruling out the need to sell, but that’s all in the future. Right now, I’m trying to stop a leak in the system before it becomes a flood. I don’t want to lose you. You are a very valuable member of my staff and a well-loved member of my extended family.
Ray.
***
Brendan was finishing up for the day when he heard his phone signal a text, but he was in the middle of prepping for tomorrow and let it go, then forgot about it. He’d driven his car to work because he needed groceries before he went home and was on his way to the supermarket when he remembered the text. As soon as he parked, he pulled it up and read it.
He was relieved that Ray Caldwell had been made aware of the trouble and grateful for the reassurance that he wasn’t being held responsible for someone else’s actions. It wasn’t the first time he’d wondered if Ray would keep the hotel.
Now it appeared a lot of it hinged on what they found out about the current management. He wondered about the auditor, and then shrugged it off. She wasn’t there to police Justine Beaumont. It was her father who was going to be under scrutiny, whether he liked it or not.
He got out and was walking across the parking lot toward the store when he felt a hand on his back, turned around, then smiled. It was Amalie.
“Amalie! How’s it going, Sister?”
Being called anybody’s sister, when she’d grown up without siblings or even knowing who her parents were, was a constant delight. Amalie loved being Sean Pope’s wife, and his mother and brothers were the icing on the cake.
“All good,” Amalie said. “Up to my eyeballs in tax returns already. I was getting ready to leave when I saw you get out. I just wanted to say how good it was to have supper with you the other night. We don’t see you as much as we’d like.”
“Gotta keep the people fed,” he said.
“Understood. But we had a fun time with Ava when you brought her up. She wound up spending the night and sleeping with Shirley, but you probably guessed that would happen.”
“Not the least bit surprised,” Brendan said. “Mom is our lifesaver for every family emergency and every family drama we’ve ever had.”
“She’s a treasure, for sure,” Amalie said, and then glanced at the time. “It’s getting late. I don’t want Sean to worry, so I’d better scoot.” She gave Brendan’s hand a quick squeeze goodbye, and then staggered but didn’t turn loose.
Brendan watched her eyes lose focus, then close and waited, still holding her hand, still wondering what she would say. The whole family knew and accepted that Amalie had the “sight.”
Then she began to speak. “Someone’s coming who’s going to need your help. Don’t shy away from what happens between you. It’s meant to be,” she said, and then opened her eyes and looked up. “Gotta go. Sean’s waiting,” she said, and walked off as if none of that had just happened.
“Lord,” he muttered, and then regained his composure and went into the store.
***
That night as Brendan was getting ready for bed, he thought of Amalie’s prediction and couldn’t help but wonder who was coming and how she would play into his life. Maybe it was the auditor, or not. Only time would tell.
But Ray’s text had confirmed his decision to turn over the threatening message he had found on his door. He wanted all of this on record, should Justine decide to escalate some stupid kind of revenge. And just to be on the safe side, he sent his brother Sean a text.
I need a security camera set up at my place. If you’re not too busy, could you do it tomorrow? It’s my day off. I have a stalker at work and have already received one threatening note on my door, but I can’t prove she left it there.
Within a minute, Sean answered.
What the hell, Brendan? Who is it? And yes, I’ll be there first thing tomorrow! Have you told the police? If not, get your ass down to the station with that note and make a report. It’s protection. And who’s your stalker?
Brendan sighed. This was the push he needed.
The new hotel manager’s daughter, Justine Beaumont. The one I mentioned to you the other day. I swear to God, something is wrong with her. All of her behavior is almost manic, and I’ve turned her down so many times in the past five months that she’s out for revenge. She even pulled a knife on me about a month ago. She’s nuts, and that’s all I’m going to say about it.
Sean fired back one last text.
If they’re not already on, go turn on your outside lights. Get to the station early tomorrow. Talk to Aaron and Wiley before they go out on patrol. Give them your statement and turn in the note. Maybe they can get prints off of it. And I’ll be at your house by 8:00 a.m. I swear to God, I thought Wiley’s crazy exes were bad, but this is over the top. Don’t worry. We’ve got your back.
Brendan’s shoulders slumped in relief.
He set the alarm on his phone, then put it on the charger and crawled into bed. Just as he was falling asleep, Amalie’s warning slid through his mind.
Someone’s coming. She’s going to need your help. Don’t shy away. It’s meant to be.
And then he slept.
***
It was a quarter to eight the next morning when Brendan Pope walked into the Jubilee Police Department. As always, Sergeant Winter was at the front desk. He looked up and grinned when he saw who was coming in.
“Morning, Brendan.”
“Morning, Sarge. I need to speak to my brothers. I’m here to file a complaint.”
“They’re just finishing up roll call. I’ll let Chief Warren know. Have a seat,” Winters said.
Brendan walked back to the row of chairs lined up against the wall and sat down. Less than five minutes later, both of his brothers came charging up the hall like the front line of the Green Bay Packers. Aaron reached him first, but Wiley was right behind him.
“What’s wrong? You’re filing a complaint? Against whom?” Aaron asked.
Wiley followed up with his own question. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just being hassled.”
Aaron grabbed him by the arm. “This way. We’ll talk in private,” he said, and took Brendan to an empty interrogation room, sat him down, and pulled up chairs around the table.
“Talk to us,” Wiley said. He turned on the recorder and started the interview by introducing himself and Wiley, and then Brendan introduced himself as the complainant.
“Okay, Brendan, tell us why you’re here, and who you’re filing a complaint against,” Aaron said.
Brendan took a deep breath. He’d kept this to himself for so long that it was going to feel weird even talking about it.
“I’m here because I’ve been stalked and harassed for the past five months by Justine Beaumont, the daughter of Larry Beaumont, who is the manager at the Serenity Inn where I’m employed.”
He went into detail about everything that had happened, including the knife attack, and then got to the end of the story by pulling out the plastic bag with the note.
“When I came home from work, this unsigned note was on my front door. The words read: ‘I’ll make you sorry you were ever born.’ It was taped to my front door. I haven’t touched it. I removed it with tweezers and put it in this plastic bag, debating with myself as to what to do, but this situation feels like it’s escalating. I’m having security cameras installed in case this happens again. I hope you can retrieve prints from the note that will prove who sent it. But if not, at least this report will be on file.”
“Do you want to press charges?” Wiley asked.
“It depends whether you find her prints on the note or not,” he said.
Aaron picked up the plastic bag. “We’ll log this into evidence and send it to the lab. One way or the other, you will be notified of the results, and you can decide what you want to do after that. Is that satisfaction enough for you now?” he asked.
“Yes,” Brendan said.
“Interview terminated at 08:20 a.m. Thursday, February 20th,” Aaron said, and turned off the recorder.
“I know this wasn’t easy for you, but you did the right thing,” Wiley said.
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Aaron asked. “I mean…five months of that had to be crazy.”
Brendan shrugged. “Because I’m a grown-ass man and admitting all that’s happening is a bit embarrassing. I’ve been hit on countless times in my life. We all have, and you know it. It was never a big deal, and never in a threatening manner. Never to this extent.”
Aaron nodded. “Understood.”
Wiley poked his little brother’s shoulder, trying to lighten up the moment. “If you’d been born ugly, you wouldn’t have these problems.”
“Famous last words from the brother who had two women on his ass who came close to ruining everything with Linette,” Brendan said.
Wiley grinned. “Yeah, there was that.”
“I’m going to get this statement typed up,” Aaron said, and walked out.
Wiley stayed behind. “And I never got to thank you for getting Ava up to Mom’s house the night of the wreck.”
Brendan smiled. “It was my pleasure. She’s the funniest, smartest little thing, and she quotes Mikey Pope every other sentence.”
Wiley sighed. “Yeah. We know. We get a nightly dose of it, and she is smart. Don’t know where she got it. God knows Corina didn’t have a brain in her head, and whatever Clyde’s mental capacity was, he’d long since soaked and fried it with booze and drugs.”
“She’s spent the first five years of her life observing everything because nobody told her anything. She took all of it in, and sorted and filed it into that little brain of hers until we came along and gave her permission to bloom. That’s what love does,” Brendan said.
Wiley was speechless. Brendan never had a lot to say in family gatherings, but when he did, it always mattered. It humbled him enough that it took him a few moments to recover. “Well, however it happened, I’m grateful for her presence in our lives.”
“Me too,” Brendan said. Then his phone buzzed. He glanced down at the message that appeared. “Sean is at my house. As soon as I sign my complaint, I’m heading home. I’ll be set for security before the day is over.”
***
Justine Beaumont was holed up in the penthouse, scrolling through social media sites, destroying her fifteen months of sobriety by drinking cola liberally laced with whiskey, and eating the peanut butter and jelly sandwich she was having for lunch. It wasn’t her food of choice, but it was all there was in the penthouse kitchen, and she would die before she’d ever order food from room service again. She had installed the local delivery-service app on her phone and was already planning to order her food from the local eateries, have it delivered to the concierge at the hotel, and make them bring it up.
Her father had the audacity to try to talk to her again last night, but she wasn’t having it. She was still furious with him and had locked herself in her room. When he came up for the night and knocked on her door, she didn’t respond, so he sent her a text, telling her they needed to talk about ground rules that had to be obeyed if she were to stay with him here.
Her answer was brief and to the point. Go to hell. Then she turned up the sound on the TV and left it on blast all night just to ensure he got no sleep at all, unaware that he wasn’t taking this lying down.
***
Larry went to his suite and called his ex-wife, Karen. The call rang and rang until he thought it was going to go to voicemail, then suddenly she picked up.
“Dammit, somebody better be dead for you to call me at this time of night,” she snapped.
Larry didn’t mince words. “I’m sending Justine back to Dallas. You can deal with her, or not. But I’m finished. She’s caused so much trouble for me at this job that half the hotel staff are about to walk off the job. One employee is verging on filing sexual harassment charges against her. I’m not asking your advice. I’m just giving you a heads-up about what’s heading your way.”
“She’s not living with me!” Karen shrieked.
“Then she’s on the fucking streets. After all the shit she’s caused here, I have no doubt she’d make a good hooker.”
Karen gasped. “How dare you say that about your own daughter?”
“She’s your daughter, too, in more ways than one. We’re no longer married because you couldn’t keep your pants on around a man, and she can’t keep her hands off them. She even took a knife to one of the employees. I’m sending her back to Dallas. What she does after that is on her.”
Karen was screaming, “Larry, don’t you dare—” when he disconnected, then went to take a shower, while his ex-wife had a meltdown of her own because she knew something about their daughter that neither Larry or even Justine was aware of.
The last time they’d sent her to rehab, the psychiatrist on staff had asked for permission to run some psychological tests on Justine. Karen agreed without a thought, but the diagnosis she got later blew her mind. It explained so much and, at the same time, was as good as a death sentence to every dream she’d harbored for their child.
According to the tests, which they’d run twice, their daughter ticked off every aspect of a narcissistic psychopath. She had no reactions to other people’s pain or tragedies. Showed no emotion to anything that did not directly involve her, and when disciplined at the center, or had privileges taken away for infractions, she went after the people who delivered those decisions. She’d cut one doctor with a knife, and locked one of the cooks in a freezer for refusing to give her second helpings, and showed no remorse for what she’d done.
That was when Karen walked out. She turned her back on her husband and her daughter, and knew it was selfish and brutal, but she knew it was also the only thing she could do to keep from becoming her daughter’s next victim, because it had been Karen who’d driven Justine to rehab, and it was Justine who was cursing her name as she walked out.
***
Larry’s alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. He was up, dressed, and having breakfast in the dining room by seven. Usually, he ate and left without paying any attention to the staff, but after all that had occurred yesterday, he could tell they were uneasy at his presence, so he went out of his way to thank them for a coffee refill and praised the light-as-air biscuits with his meal.
He made a point of visiting every shop in the hotel, commenting positively on their displays, and then did a walk-through in the spa and gym area, speaking to attendants to make sure they had everything they needed. It was something he should have been doing regularly, but he’d taken the Serenity Inn for granted, assuming a well-oiled machine ran itself. And it had, until his daughter threw sand in the gears.
He stopped by Liz Devon’s office and knocked, this time waiting for approval to enter, and then opened the door.
“Got a minute?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” Liz said. “Come in, come in. There’s something I need to tell you as well. I was just waiting for you to get in your office.”
Larry sat down, this time without the attitude. “I want to apologize. I overstepped myself about your new event. I know better. Truth is, I let personal problems interfere with my job. It won’t happen again.”
Liz breathed a sigh of relief. “No problem. We’ve all been there. So, I got a call from Dad. I think Mom is guiding this decision, but it’s probably for his own good. He’s thinking of putting the hotel up for sale and has gone into preparatory mode. As you know, businesses like this always require an up-to-date profit-and-loss statement, and so he’s sending a CPA to the hotel to do our annual audit, instead of waiting for year-end like we always do. He wanted me to reassure you that this in no way affects your job here. This is all still up in the air, but he wants to be ready, just in case.”
“Ahhh, I wondered how his health was faring. I’m sure this wasn’t an easy decision for him,” Larry said.
Liz shrugged. “I’m sure it wasn’t, but this hotel is only a small part of Dad’s holdings, and he needs to slow down, for sure. Oh…he’s comping a suite for the CPA. Her name is Harley Banks. The comps include meals and hotel services, so she’ll work from inside the suite. She’ll have full access to the hotel computer system, but in view only. She won’t be interfering in any way with daily entries, etc. She’ll just be getting the data she needs to do the audit. But since you have nothing to do with the intake of income or payout to vendors, none of that will affect you.”
Larry nodded. “Right, but I’ll always be available to answer any questions for her, should the need arise.”
“Perfect,” Liz said, and smiled.
He slapped his legs and then stood. “Well then, if that’s it, I’ll let you get back to work. Have a good day.”
“You, too,” Liz said, and then watched as he left her office. Mission accomplished , she thought, and went back to work.
Larry wasn’t concerned about the audit. Everything ordered was paid for. Every bank statement was balanced. He was in the clear.