CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The next morning, I got up early and silently made my way out of the house. It had been too long since I’d strolled the beach, and I needed to inhale the salty air and feel the sand between my toes in order to settle into my usual cheerful self.
I parked behind the hotel and waved to the security guard. Crossing the parking lot, I hurried to the sand, where I took off my sandals and set them aside.
Feeling the cool surface beneath my feet, I walked to the water’s edge and stepped into its lacy pattern. The waves rolled onto shore, allowing water to play around my ankles. I was absorbed in watching the rhythmic movement when I felt someone’s presence nearby and whipped around.
“ ’Morning. What are you doing here?” I asked Claudine.
“I like to walk on the beach when only a few people are around,” she said. “I met one of your neighbors earlier, and he mentioned you might be here.”
“Are you talking about Brock Goodwin?” I asked her.
“Why, yes, that was his name. He said he was president of the Neighborhood Association and if I needed anything, I should talk to him.”
I decided not to comment.
“Do you come here often?” Claudine asked me.
“Yes. It’s a relaxing place to think.”
Claudine kicked at the sand with a sneakered foot. “I know you don’t like the thought of Clint and me being together, but we’re good for one another.”
“I think you’re wrong about that. Nell and Clint are happily married. Has he told you otherwise?” I asked.
“Not in so many words, but I can tell,” Claudine said. “We work together very well and have a lot of fun doing it. He likes the same kind of lifestyle as I do. Together, we can make an impact in the business world.”
“You’ll have to excuse me. I need to get back to the hotel,” I said abruptly. “I have commitments there.”
“You’ll see I’m right,” said Claudine, giving me a steady look.
As I left her, my mind spun. Why in the world would this woman believe I would think she and Clint were good for one another if it meant breaking up his marriage? Had Clint said something to Claudine to make her believe that, or was the woman totally deranged and delusional?
###
I’d just finished seeing the last of the wedding guests escorted out of the library, where a breakfast buffet had been set up, when I saw Clint come into the hotel with Nell.
I walked over to greet them.
“You’re here for your meeting with Claudine?” I asked Clint.
“Yes. We’re meeting in one of the small conference rooms. I’ve resigned from the company, but felt it was only fair to tell Claudine in person,” said Clint.
“I’ll be working in the hospitality department,” Nell told him, giving him a kiss. “Let me know when you’re ready to go home.”
After Nell left, I turned to Clint. “Claudine thinks you and she are going to be together. Why would she believe that unless you said something to her about it?”
Clint grimaced. “Believe me, I’ve never discussed a future together.
She overheard an argument I had with Nell on the phone in my office.
That’s all. She has this insane desire to think of herself as irresistible when, in truth, she can be quite annoying.
I’m not the first man in the company chased away by her weird behavior, claiming it was harassment.
Now that the project we were working on has changed, I want no part of it.
I emailed my resignation letter to HR and left messages for a few other people at the company. ”
“Thanks for clarifying. I’ll show you to the conference rooms,” I said, leading him from the lobby to a group of rooms at the end of a long hallway.
“Call me if you need anything,” I said. “You have my number on your cell.”
The door to the conference room was closed when we arrived. I opened the door for him and stepped back.
Claudine was sitting at the table inside wearing a low-cut sundress that showed off her cleavage. She patted the chair next to her. “Come sit down with me. I’ve been waiting for you. To celebrate, I’ve ordered coffee for us and a treat besides.”
Clint remained standing. “I’m here to tell you in person that I’ve resigned from the company. I told you the other day that I wouldn’t accept what the new numbers would mean for the people who worked at the company we were trying to buy.”
“Business is business, Clint. You know that,” chided Claudine. “You were brought on specifically for this project because of your contacts and your reputation for being fair. You must sign these papers. You’re obligated to do so. Let me get you some coffee while you think about it.”
She poured some coffee into a paper cup. “I’m serving it this way to make it easier for you to drink. Do you want me to help you?”
He shook his head and took a sip, then another. “I’ve already explained why I can’t go along with these numbers. You’ve changed everything. Now, I can’t honestly endorse it.”
“What about us?” Claudine said.
“There is no us,” said Clint. “There never was.”
“But I overheard you tell Nell you couldn’t live with her,” said Claudine.
“That was in the heat of anger, and we’ve resolved the issues that were coming between us,” said Clint. “Besides, it was a conversation you should never have overheard. It was supposed to be in the privacy of my office.”
I stood frozen in place. When Claudine started to cry, I eased away from the doorway. This, too, was a private conversation.
###
When I walked back into my office, I was surprised to see Rhonda.
“ ’Morning. I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you were going to try to take the day off.”
“I’ve been thinking about Clint,” said Rhonda. “Will told me Clint’s resigning from his job and the project he was working on. I’ve had some worrying thoughts. Nothing specific, but I want to be here.”
I felt my heart stop and then start up again. Rhonda’s intuitions were usually spot on.
“The wedding party that just left was a very easy one,” said Rhonda. “Too bad all of them couldn’t be like that. I want to be sure the hospitality department writes them a thank you note.”
“Yes. It’s important to follow up with other members of the wedding party, as well. You never know when we’ll get another wedding out of that group.”
My cell rang. Clint.
“Hi, what’s up?” I asked.
“Help me,” Clint said in a soft voice and then went silent.
I gaped at Rhonda and waved her out of her chair. “C’mon. Clint needs help.”
We trotted down to the conference room and looked inside.
Clint’s face was turned away from us, his upper body sprawled on the conference table.
“Clint! What happened?” I said, rushing to him.
“I think I’ve been drugged. I can’t move. Help me. I’m going to be sick.”
Rhonda and I got him to his feet and to the bathroom in the hallway outside the door.
A few minutes later, Clint emerged from the bathroom looking ghostly white. “Claudine must’ve slipped something in my coffee. She made me sign the new contract. I need to get to her to retrieve those papers. She’s probably on her way to Miami.”
“Rhonda, you stay with Clint. I’m going to see if she’s checked out,” I said, and sprinted away.
I hurried to the front desk. “Has Claudine Everett checked out?
“Yes, a few minutes ago,” said one of the clerks. “She left in her fancy car.”
“Thanks,” I said, and trotted back to Rhonda and Clint.
“She left moments ago in her car,” I said. “We might be able to catch her.”
“You drive,” said Rhonda, putting an arm around Clint’s waist and leading him to the back of the hotel.
“Should I tell Nell?” I asked Clint.
“Not yet,” said Clint. “We need to catch Claudine. I need those papers back. I’ll never be able to work for anyone else again if I get caught up in that bad deal.”
As soon as Clint settled in the backseat of my car and Rhonda had buckled herself into the passenger seat, I took off.
“Chances are she’s using Alligator Alley,” said Rhonda. “If so, we should be able to catch her. I’m going to make a call to remind the State Troopers.”
I drove through town, and once we reached the point where Alligator Alley began, and I had a clear view of the road ahead, I accelerated.
“I’m sorry for this,” said Clint. “I can hardly believe the situation I’m in. I should never have taken this job and invested in the project. And now I just want to get out of it.”
“If something seems too good to be true, there’s usually a reason behind it. Not always a wise choice,” Rhonda said. “But you’ve resigned. Right?”
“The board wants me to make an appearance before they officially release me. I told them I’d come to D.C. as soon as the doctor gives me permission to travel.” He lifted his right arm in his soft cast. “This isn’t the problem. My other arm is.”
I glanced at Clint in the backseat through the rearview mirror. Stress and pain had taken a toll on him. He looked older and more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him.
“You and Nell and the kids can stay at the house as long as you need to,” I said.
“Thanks. Nell and I talked most of last night,” said Clint. “With my financial background, I’ve already spoken to Reggie and Will about working with them. It won’t be the glamorous job I’m leaving, but it’s an honest one with room for growth.”
“What kind of car does Claudine have?” I asked Clint.
“She drives a sporty silver BMW.” He peered ahead. “I think that’s her ahead of us in the distance.”
I pressed down on the accelerator. Claudine had no problem playing dirty. When called upon, Rhonda and I could step up our game.
I passed Claudine and then slowed down, making her slow as well and forcing her to the side of the road, where I stopped my car.
Rhonda got out and walked over to the driver’s side of Claudine’s vehicle.
When Claudine noticed her, she gunned her engine and prepared to back up her car to get away, just as a Florida Highway Patrol car pulled up behind her.
Rhonda waved to the State Trooper. “Hi, John. Thanks for coming. We have a problem here.”
“What’s going on, Rhonda?” he asked. Tall, with broad shoulders and thick gray hair, he took off his sunglasses and smiled at her.
“Miss Everett has some paperwork we need,” said Rhonda. “She obtained a signature under duress.”
The officer walked over to Claudine’s car. “Please get out of the car, ma’am. We need to talk to you.”
As Claudine stepped out onto the verge, I helped Clint out of the car, and we joined them.
Claudine whipped around and faced him with a scowl. “You! What do you have to do with this?”
“You know damn well what you did in order to get my signature on those papers,” Clint said.
Claudine turned to the trooper. “Officer, do I look like the kind of woman who would do something bad?”
The trooper gave her a steady look. “I learned a long time ago not to judge someone by their appearance.”
Clint stepped forward. “I was in a meeting with this woman not long ago. She served us coffee, and shortly afterwards, I felt a strange sensation, as if I were suspended in time. Something like that. She pushed papers in front of me and forced me to sign them.”
“And then what happened?” the officer asked.
“She left, and a few minutes later, I called Ann Sanders for help,” said Clint. “I felt too sick to run after Claudine.”
“When Clint told me what had happened, it made sense to me because I was aware of an earlier conversation between them. Ms. Everett has been under the wrong impression about their relationship and refuses to believe his sincerity about being unwilling to sign the revised business documents.”
Rhonda said, “John, you know Annie and I have no reason to lie to you.”
He turned to Claudine. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
Claudine broke down, covering her face with her hands as she sobbed.
“I need to be successful with this project, or I will be forced out of the company. My father never wanted me to be part of it. He’s unhappy with the projects I’ve worked on.
He thinks I should get married, stay away from the business, and give him grandchildren. ”
Tears streamed down Claudine’s cheeks. She glanced around at us. “Nothing I do is ever good enough. I hate being compared to my perfect, dead sister. The one he always loved more than me. I’m so tired of being a failure.”
The trooper looked uncomfortable. “Rhonda, do you or this gentleman want to press charges?”
We all turned to face Clint.
He shook his head. “I just need those signed papers returned to me so I can destroy them. I want as little to do with Claudine Everett and her father’s business as possible.”
The trooper studied Claudine. “Is that fine with you?”
Still visibly shaken, she sniffled, nodded, and hung her head.
We stood by as she reached inside her car for her briefcase and opened it, placing it on the hood of the car.
Carefully, Clint and I went through the paperwork and removed the documents he wanted.
“Okay,” said the trooper. “That’s settled then. Are we all in agreement?”
We indicated so, and then Rhonda, Clint, and I returned to my car.
“How am I ever going to thank the two of you?” Clint asked as I helped buckle him in the backseat. “I’ve totally screwed up.”
“Listen, kiddo,” said Rhonda. “It’s one of those fucking life lessons. Learn from it.”
“You have a chance to make the changes you and Nell both want,,” I said. “Make that fresh start work for you.”
Clint nodded. “I’m not sure how it’s all going to evolve, but I want to make it right.”
We were quiet as we headed back. Nothing more really needed to be said.
###
At home, Clint went to his room to lie down, and Vaughn and I watched Bailey and Ned in the pool, while Robbie was with his friend next door.
Having a swimming pool meant making sure visiting children could swim.
Both of Nell’s children had learned at an early age.
And though they were capable swimmers, we always made sure to watch them.
When Nell called to tell me that she was on her way home, I told her about our plans to take Robbie, Bailey, and Ned to Robbie’s favorite pizza restaurant and then to the movies.
“Thanks. Clint spoke to me earlier, but as you said, we need to talk privately.” Nell cleared her throat. “I knew it was a bad idea for him to work for the company. Now, we’ll really have to listen to one another.”
###
That night, as I lay in bed beside Vaughn, he turned to me. “Thanks for being such a big support to Nell. It means a lot to me to know that she has your help navigating through this challenge. Nell is a lot like Ellie was—easygoing to a certain point, then watch out.”
“Clint knows he’s really screwed up and wants to make Nell happy. That will go a long way with her. Like we agreed earlier, we have to let them work it out. And if they end up with a much simpler lifestyle, that’s how it’ll be. Agreed?”
“Yes,” said Vaughn. “That’s how this whole debacle started, with Clint feeling he couldn’t support Nell as she wanted.”
“A completely false assumption,” I said. “The weeks ahead are going to be busy. Let’s enjoy them.”
“Okay. I’m going to start doing that right away. Come here,” said Vaughn, drawing me closer to him.