Page 67 of Sea Breezes at The Beach House Hotel

“Yes, he had the same problem with them. Well, with Claudine mostly,” said Clint. “She’s great at making you feel part of the team and then changing her mind. I just want to end my association with them and recover the money I invested.”

“Did the agreement state what would happen to your money if you left?” I asked.

“Yes. I was to get a major portion of it back, depending on how long I worked for them,” said Clint. “My lawyer is looking over the contract.”

“I’m sorry that it’s come down to this for all of us,” I said.

Beside me, Rhonda said, “Tell Clint we’re not going to let those bastards get away with their bullshit.”

“Did you hear that?” I asked Clint.

“Yes, I did. Both of you have been terrific about helping me, and I’m sorry to have dragged you into my disaster.”

“How are your injuries?” I asked him.

“My right arm is doing great. My left arm will take time, but I’ve continued to follow the doctor’s instructions. He chuckled. “Nell makes sure of it.”

“I’m glad,” I said. “We’ll let you know how the interview goes.”

I ended the call, let out a long breath, and turned to face the soothing motion of the waves once more. Clint was a decent man who’d let his ambition get him off track. It could happen to anyone. But unfortunately, he was dealing with a company that was dishonest at best.

“How is he doing overall?” asked Rhonda.

“His injuries are healing, and Nell is seeing that he follows the doctor’s orders. He’s very sorry to get us involved. But, as you know, all this trauma has brought Nell and Clint closer than ever.”

“Yeah, my grandmother used to say when one day is dim, the next is sunny,” said Rhonda. “Just think of us and the hotel.”

I turned and faced her. “We can’t let Clint’s company ruin what we’ve worked for. It’s a silly thing they’re trying to do. I’m very relieved Mike Torson will do most of the talking for us.”

“You know I’d let too many f-bombs out,” said Rhonda. “Because this is driving me fucking crazy!”

I took hold of her arm. “C’mon, let’s walk for a while.” I looked around. “No sign of Brock. We can relax.”

We were strolling along the sand when my cell phone rang. Tina Marks.

“Hi, Tina! Are you and your family preparing to visit us for Christmas? I asked her.

“Yes, but it’ll be for fewer days than I’d wanted. Nick is preparing to direct a movie right after the New Year, and he needs to stay in L.A. for a bit longer. I agreed to do a couple of social events with him. I’m sorry.”

“Please call Bernie with the change of arrival date. Rhonda and I will spend as many hours as you can give us over the holidays. And we’ve already got one of the guesthouses saved for you.”

“Thanks. Nick has other family, but you and Rhonda are mine,” said Tina. “I can’t wait to see you.”

I filled Rhonda in on the news, and we turned to walk back to the hotel. I liked having these peaceful moments with Rhonda on the beach. We didn’t even have to speak to understand what the other person was feeling. We’d grown that close.

###

Rhonda and I left our office and went to one of the smaller conference rooms to meet with Mike. He wanted a few minutes alone with us before we met with the investigator, a man named Aaron Flagg.

We entered the conference room to find Mike already seated at the head of the table. He stood when he saw us. “Ann, Rhonda, I’m glad we have a few minutes to talk before our meeting. Apparently, this was set up according to hearsay from Claudine. It’s almost as if we’re wasting our money on this.”

Rhonda and I took seats on either side of him.

“We, along with Bernie, feel it’s important to take care of this accusation before it becomes worse,” I explained. “Claudine is implying that we did something illegal and refused to let her meet at the hotel, along with a number of minor complaints that seem innocuous until you add them up.”

Mike listened politely, then nodded. Mike was someone who’d supported Rhonda and me from the beginning. He never disparaged anything we wanted to do and treated us with respect, even when we didn’t agree. Calm, steady, and bright, he was a respected lawyer in town.

“The burden of proof will be on them,” said Mike before we heard a knock on the door.