Chapter 28 #3
“Dad talked about you a lot,” Noel proclaimed as pieces of a puzzle she never thought much about began falling into place.
“He told us about giving you a job because you seemed so passionate about being a chef. I vividly remember him saying that within a short period of time, your passion for making chocolate grew into something more than anyone he ever met. Dad said you were successful, but he never told us that we would all know your company’s candy if he mentioned the names of the products. ”
“Your dad was a humble man, Noel, and he didn’t just teach me how to make candy; he taught me about what was important in life, things beyond money,” Rudy explained.
“When I came here this time around, I came to check on you and your brother and the candy shop. I arrived prepared to help financially if needed.” Rudy stopped talking for a moment and let his head sink ever so slightly.
“I felt terrible because a little over a year ago, your father sent me a document to look over about an investment he wanted to make. He knew that in addition to my chocolate business, I invested heavily in real estate over the years. His letter stated he didn’t trust someone involved locally, and he wanted my advice.
He said he wasn’t hiring an attorney; he wanted to handle everything the old-fashioned way.
Somehow that document and the letter got put aside because my wife just passed away, and I didn’t rediscover the package until I recently learned of your father’s passing. ”
“What is the document?” Noel asked.
“It’s part of your Christmas present, Noel,” Rudy offered with a grin fueled with mixed emotions.
“I showed it to Cavin last night after he came to me with the results of his investigation. Something wasn’t adding up, and I had the piece he needed, and he had the pieces I needed.
This document shows your dad purchased the building next to yours which I didn’t realize until Cavin pointed that out last night.
It wasn’t just a proposal; it was a copy of the signed papers.
He was simply asking me if he made a good decision because it seems there was still a window to back out because the local businessman who’d taken over wasn’t keen on the deal his father, who also passed, agreed to. ”
“I don’t quite understand,” Noel commented.
Cavin spoke up. “Yesterday when I went through your numbers, I realized your sales are amazing. Every estimate I ran showed your profits should be much higher than you thought.”
“But mom and dad hadn’t been able to take a salary for a while because the candy shop was struggling. Nothing has changed. I have barely increased sales,” Noel presented.
“That is what your accountant told you,” Cavin explained.
“The truth is your mom and dad chose not to take a salary because they were making monthly cash payments to Walter’s father to buy his building, the one next door to yours.
That is what the document Rudy has reveals.
Your parents’ salaries went to those payments for quite some time.
The last payment went through not long before your dad passed making the building his and ultimately, yours.
This paperwork provides all the details, but it was never filed at the register of deeds office as legally required. ”
Noel took a few moments to take in everything. “What if Dad backed out on the deal at the last minute?” Noel considered aloud. “If he sent Rudy the proposal and mentioned that as an option, maybe he was questioning the deal, and when he didn’t hear from you, he thought that was a sign?”
Rudy smiled really big. “In that case your accountant should have written you a big fat check,” he pointed out.
Cavin chimed in. “Walt would have been legally responsible for returning all of the money your parents paid him and his father.”
Noel sighed, suddenly feeling the weight of the world drop from her shoulders.
“So that was Dad’s big announcement,” she realized audibly speaking the words to herself more so than anyone else.
“He planned to tell us on the Shackelford Banks trip that he bought the rest of the building he always dreamed of acquiring.”
“It appears he did just that,” Rudy confirmed.
“And it sounds like telling you all on the trip was probably his plan,” Cavin agreed.
“So, if Walter doesn’t own the adjacent building anymore and I do, why is he trying to buy my building?” Noel inquired with a scrunched brow.
“He is sneakily trying in one fell swoop to buy the candy shop building along with the one his family used to own but is actually now owned by you,” Cavin explained.
“I believe he plans to file the paperwork showing your dad’s purchase as soon as you agree to the proposal, and then once that is officially documented through the register of deeds, he is going to turn around and buy it right back from under you without you ever realizing what happened. ”
Noel’s nostrils flared. “I’ve never cared for Walter Benson, but I never expected he would be capable of doing something so terrible.”
“There’s even more to it, Noel,” Cavin explained, waiting for the smoke to clear from her flared nostrils by the end of this bit of information.
“Walter embezzled the salaries your mom and dad should have received once the property was fully paid. When your folks passed away, the timing worked out perfectly for him to shift those funds without you noticing. He obviously knew your dad had not told you about any of this, and even if it ended up that you knew, he realized you would have mentioned it. He probably would have just played dumb and then sorted it all out or offered you some ridiculously low offer for both buildings hoping to capitalize on your state of mind after the accident.”
“I bet dad told him it was a secret,” Noel imagined. “What are we going to do? Can we prove it?”
“With all the evidence we have, there will be no denying the truth, and I imagine it runs even deeper than we realize,” Cavin claimed. “At first I thought Walt was just doing something immoral, but this is illegal. He is a criminal, and so is Georgia who is also directly involved in the coverup.”
Grasping the implications of these findings as much as humanly possible at this moment, Noel wrapped her arms around Cavin and squeezed him tightly for nearly a minute. “Thank you so much for saving my family’s candy company.”
“You saved it,” he assured her, “by keeping it going through such a challenging time.”
“You’re the best,” she uttered. “You’re trying to be humble, and that reminds me of my dad.” Cavin grinned appreciatively, and then Noel turned to Rudy. “Thank you, Rudy. I can never repay you.”
Rudy shook his head and hugged Noel. “You repay me,” he laughed. “Noel, I owe more to your dad for believing in me than any of us could ever imagine.”
“It sounds like we were all lucky to know him,” Noel proclaimed, praying her dad could see and hear this conversation, especially after all the tears she cried.
“I wish I had known him,” Cavin mentioned.
“You remind me of him every day when you wear his hat,” Noel shared. “And now his legacy will continue to live on with Beaufort Candy Company because of you two wonderful men.”
“I am proud to wear his hat,” Cavin acknowledged with an upward glance. Noel’s dedication to the Christmas spirit was contagious; he wore the hat everywhere, matching her.
Noel turned her attention to Levi and Laney who had been patiently trying to take in all of the adult talk.
She knew explaining it on their level would be helpful.
“Kids, this means that we get to keep the candy shop, and you get to keep all the money you earned at your hot chocolate stand,” she explained with a huge smile.
“I think we will take Rudy’s advice and use that and the reward money to help start your animal finding non-profit, save for your college or careers, and I wholeheartedly believe you two deserve to spend some on yourselves. ”
Levi’s and Laney’s response warmed Noel Puckett’s heart on this frigid, snowy Christmas Day.
The two children instantly grew huge grins and began jumping up and down with their hands in the air dancing all over Rudy’s boat.
Scout hastily joined in on their celebration as all the adults smiled the smiles that come when realizing that truth always triumphs.
Something told Noel that Levi and Laney would be smart with their spending.
She was so proud of their big hearts which they showcased today by being willing to give all their money on a day when they could have been focused on wanting more Christmas gifts.
It just showed that even kids could understand that the true meaning of Christmas was about giving rather than receiving.
Cavin and Rudy had also been generous with their time and talents, and Noel knew she would forever be grateful for such a wonderful Christmas gift.
It was evident that neither of these gentlemen wanted anything in return; they simply wanted to save Beaufort Candy Company for her and her family, and that was the greatest Christmas present she could have asked for this year or any year.