CHAPTER TWENTY
The next morning, before heading to the car dealership with Clint’s car, I vacuumed the interior and made sure that all the pockets and compartments were empty of personal papers and items.
As I was going through the glove compartment, I found a note to Clint from Claudine.
“Hey, partner! I thought we’d celebrate your joining the firm and my project with a special dinner. I hope you’re available because it’s going to be you and me going forward. Can’t wait! Xo Claudine.
I studied the note with dismay. From the very beginning, Clint had a beautiful woman enticing him to cheat. I could understand the attraction, especially if there was conflict at home. But Clint had told Claudine in front of me that there wasn’t any relationship and never had been.
I tucked that note in my pocket. Though there wasn’t a date on it, it might become important in any legal battle.
After everything had been removed from the car, I vacuumed and quickly spruced up the interior. I had no idea what financial arrangements had been made, but I wanted the car to look as nice as possible.
I called Rhonda, and she met me at the dealership.
After turning in the car, I climbed into Rhonda’s convertible.
“Let’s take a little drive,” said Rhonda. “I want to go to the Chamber of Commerce and see that email from Claudine. We might need it if we receive any more harassment from her. If we end up going to our lawyer, it could be useful.”
“Here. Take a look at this,” I said, pulling Claudine’s note out from my pocket.
Rhonda read it and shook her head. “This woman is batshit crazy. Let’s see, she wants a job working for the family, wants a man, and wants her father’s approval. It must have been hard never to measure up. Still, everyone knows you don’t go fishing off the company pier.”
“Apparently, she doesn’t. As upset as I was about the prospect of Clint cheating on Nell, I’m just as upset at how Claudine pursued him from the beginning.” I let out a long sigh. “It reminds me of how Kandie pursued Robert. With a lot of flattery and determination.”
“The difference is your Ex fell for it. Clint didn’t cross that line,” said Rhonda.
“You’re right. But it still bugs me when women go after married men.”
“Or married men become fools thinking they can entice younger women,” said Rhonda, and I knew she was remembering her ex-husband, Sal.
“A game as old as time,” I grumbled.
“Let’s see if we can catch this little witch at her game,” Rhonda said. “She should know better than to try to hurt us or our hotel.”
###
We drove to the Chamber, got out, and went inside to see the head of the organization. Alisa MacDonald, a charming, middle-aged woman and supporter of ours, greeted us with a smile.
“Hello to two of my favorite people,” she said. “What can I do for you today?”
“I want a copy of the email and any paperwork you recorded from Claudine Everett’s complaints about our hotel,” said Rhonda.
“No problem. I’ll forward it to you, so you can make a proper response. That’s our normal procedure,” Alisa said. “I wasn’t sure you wanted to deal with it.”
“We do,” I said. “We can’t let anything like that go.”
“I understand,” Alisa said. “We never get anything but praise for The Beach House Hotel. That’s why I called you, Rhonda.”
“Thanks. “Are there any other updates we should be aware of?” Rhonda asked.
“Nothing of any substance. Brock Goodwin was in here yesterday nosing around. Honestly, I find him detestable. He’s selling Valentine's decorations that he wants the city to buy. I told him we weren’t adding anything to our existing display.”
“We turned him down, too,” I said. “Let us know when you need anything from us. I see you still have our brochures on display.”
“Oh, yes,” said Alisa. “Excuse me. I have to take a phone call.”
She left, and Rhonda and I decided to leave. A walk on the beach sounded like a relaxing way to discuss Claudine.
###
On the way to the hotel, I called Clint to tell him I’d delivered the car to the dealership.
“Thanks. Can’t talk. I’m with my lawyer,” he said.
“Good luck. I found something in the car you should know about. But it can wait until later.” I ended the call.
“You know, Annie, I’m really proud of Clint for the changes he’s making,” said Rhonda. “I remember how sweet Nell’s wedding was and how much he obviously loved her.”
“Working in D.C. with powerful people can be detrimental by making you believe you deserve the same lifestyle they have. Or wanting what they have,” I said.
“I have had very little money and then a lot, but you have to live your life in such a way that you can look at yourself in a mirror.” Rhonda chuckled. “Although I wonder who that old lady in the mirror is. We’re getting older, Annie.”
“Older and wiser, I hope,” I said, laughing.
###
At the hotel, all thoughts of personal problems were erased as Rhonda and I entered.
A small fire had broken out in the kitchen.
It had quickly been put out, but there was some interior damage, and Jean-Luc was in a horrible state.
His kitchen was always spotless, and seeing where flames had marred a wall behind one of the stoves seemed like a personal affront to him.
He’d already dismissed the new kitchen helper who’d caused the blaze.
After reassuring Jean-Luc that we’d take care of any repairs immediately, we went to our office. A holiday dinner hosted by the mayor of Sabal was on the agenda, and we needed to make sure all was in order for the event.
We walked down to the hospitality department to check with Annette on the dinner and were surprised to find Lorraine there.
Rhonda and I exchanged hugs with her.
“How’s it going?” I asked her.
“It’s lonelier than I thought it’d be,” said Lorraine. “Arthur wasn’t a large man, but he filled the house. With him gone, the house is empty, too quiet.”
“Are you giving yourself enough freedom to recover?” asked Rhonda. “We love having you here, especially now that Nell is gone. But we don’t want any pressure put on you to return.”
“Being here is wonderful for me. It gives me something else to think about,” said Lorraine. “I’m taking over for Annette today. So, I’ll be handling the private dinner tonight. Anything I should know?”
“That’s why we’re here,” I said. “Helena Naylor is very particular about service at her dinners. While she wants everyone to be relaxed, she doesn’t want too much time to elapse between courses.
People tend to drink more wine than they should when that happens, and she doesn’t want the mayor’s office held responsible for it. ”
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem. I’ll coordinate with Jean-Luc,” Lorraine said.
“I’d wait a while if I was you,” said Rhonda. “There’s been a small kitchen fire, and Jean-Luc is in a bad state.”
“Thanks for the warning,” said Lorraine. “Don’t worry, though. I’ll take care of the timing.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll leave it to you. If you need anything from me, you can reach me at home.”
“I’m staying at the hotel a while longer, then I can be reached at home, too,” said Rhonda.
We returned to our office, and I picked up my purse, ready to leave. I’d promised to pick up Ned from school for an early release day, and I didn’t want to be late. Bailey was going home with Angie.
At a knock on the door, Rhonda and I both called out, “Come in!”
Bernie opened the door and walked inside, looking worried.
“What’s going on?” I asked. Very little flustered Bernie, but he looked unhappy.
“The firm of Everett, Shuster, and Donnelly has hired a private detective to investigate the claims that Claudine Everett made about the hotel. He wanted to speak to you, but I told him you were unavailable, but he could talk to me. He told me he had to speak to the two of you. He gave me his business card and asked me to have you call him for an appointment.”
I slammed my purse on my desk. “This is becoming a total nightmare. Why should we have to talk to him?”
“I think it’s smart to clear the air with this issue,” said Bernie. “But when you do talk to him, I suggest you have Mike Torson sit in. We may need a lawyer if this gets out of hand.”
Rhonda stirred in her chair. “Like Annie said, this is becoming a freakin’ nightmare. All because of Clint working for this firm and wanting to resign.”
“It looks like they want to play hardball for some reason,” said Bernie. “But for the sake of the hotel’s reputation, we have to settle this issue with them.”
“I agree, but I don’t like it,” I said. “But right now, I’ve got to go pick up Ned at school.”
“Don’t worry, Annie. “I’ll work out an appointment with Mike and get back to you,” said Rhonda. “But I don’t like this one bit.”
###
On the way to Ned’s school, I reminded myself to calm down. I’d planned this to be a special break for Ned and me, and I didn’t want to let my anger ruin that. He was a dear little boy who needed me to make our moments together pleasant.
I pulled into the line of cars in the front circle of the school and took a deep breath. I was pleased that Nell and Clint’s purchase of the Wiley house would mean that Ned and Bailey would stay in the same schools they were in now.
A teacher walked her class to the front door and waited with them while they were picked up.
Ned was standing with a boy his age when he saw me. His face lit up with joy, bringing a sting of tears to my eyes. It brought back memories of Robbie.
He walked over to the car and opened the door. “Hi, Gammy!”
“Did you have a good school day?” I asked as he sat in the back seat and buckled up.
“Yes. But I didn’t eat lunch today.”
“That’s why I’m taking you to your favorite place,” I said, smiling.
“Really? I want a burger and fries.”
“Okay. That’s what we’ll get.” I headed to the drive-through restaurant and parked the car.
Inside, after I’d ordered and received our food, I sat at a small table with Ned. He’d been pretty quiet lately, and I wanted to find out what he was thinking.
“Here you go,” I said, handing him his meal and helping him get everything in place.
Sitting opposite him, I studied his smiling, alert face. He had Nell’s blue eyes, and his light-brown hair was sun-streaked with blond, like hers. His features were strong like his father’s, but his impish grin was his own.
“How are you liking your new school?” I asked him.
He smiled and nodded. “I have another new friend. His name is Adam.”
“Making new friends is part of the excitement of moving to a new area. I’m sure you’ll have many more. You already have a lot of friends if you count all your special cousins.”
He gave me a serious look. “Yep. When are Daddy and Mommy coming back?”
“I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t worry about them. They’re getting your old house ready to sell. Then you’ll have a new house in the same neighborhood as Sally Kate, the T’s, and the rest of the families.”
“Really? Cool.” Ned grinned at me and picked up another French fry. “I like it here.”
“I love having you in Sabal,” I said, feeling my heart fill with love for him. My dream of having him and his family live here was coming true. I just wish it didn’t involve trouble for Nell and Clint.
As if she knew I was thinking of her, my cell rang. Nell.
“Hi,” she said. “I just remembered this was an early release day for the kids.”
“Yes, Ned and I are having lunch at his favorite place,” I said. “Bailey is at Angela’s. Would you like to speak to Ned?”
I handed the phone to Ned and watched his face fill with pride as he told her he earned a gold star in reading. While they chatted, I ate my chicken sandwich, and then Ned handed me the phone.
“Anything new on the Claudine front?” Nell asked me.
“As a matter of fact, there is. Her company sent an investigator to check out her allegations against the hotel. Rhonda and I will meet with him and with our lawyer to make sure everything goes smoothly.”
“Aw, Ann, I’m sorry you and Rhonda have become part of this mistake. That isn’t fair. Clint and I would never want to put you through this.”
“I know, sweetie, but we’ll see it through to the end. How is it going there?”
“Smoothly with the house and the move. Bumpy for Clint, though. He has been in touch with the man who recently left the firm before him and is receiving helpful tips. But there’s something off about this company. Something shady.”
“Does Clint have a sharp lawyer?” I asked.
“Oh, yes. That’s one thing we agreed on from the beginning,” said Nell. “I’ve got to go. Have fun with my Ned. Tell Bailey ‘hi’ for me. I’ll phone at bedtime.”
I ended the call and turned back to Ned, hiding my frustration at the situation. One thing was for certain: Rhonda and I would fight for our hotel’s reputation and do anything to help Nell and Clint.