by Claire Adams
“You’re busy,” I said, finishing the sentence for him. “Say no more. We’ll talk later.”
Once we had hung up, I sighed in disappointment. It was silly of me to feel so nervous about Molly. It was just that I’d never been in a relationship like this before. It made me feel weaker and stronger at the same time, and sometimes I wasn’t sure if I liked that. I looked at the pictures on my wall and realized that there were no personal images there.
My office was cold and business-like, there was nothing personal or warm or intimate about it. Even my desk didn’t have any pictures that we remotely familial. I wondered if I was turning out just like my father. Before he had been diagnosed, he had practically lived in his office. The difference was that he had lost the woman he claimed to love, and I had just found the woman I believed I loved.
I was trying to sort out my own fragmented thoughts when Ben walked through the door. I could tell instantly from the expression on his face that he wasn’t bringing good news.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, steeling myself for the news. I knew it would only be a matter of time before the other shoe dropped.
“We have a situation,” he started.
I didn’t like the sound of that. “How bad is it?”
“It can be controlled,” he said. “But it has to be dealt with fast…”
“What happened?”
“One of our guests has come forward with a complaint.”
“A complaint?” I repeated. “Oh, well, we were bound to have a complaint sooner or later. That’s not so bad; I thought it was going to be terrible—”
“He’s accused one of the staff of theft,” Ben cut in.
Immediately I fell silent. Theft was a big accusation, and it wouldn’t bode well for the resort’s reputation if this got out there. The fact that we had just opened made us vulnerable, and bad publicity could very easily break us.
“Fuck,” I breathed.
“Yeah,” he replied.
I groaned and stood up. “What’s he claiming has been stolen?”
“A diamond choker,” he replied. “Apparently, it’s close to a million dollars.”
“Are you fucking serious?” I demanded. “The guy’s brought a diamond choker on vacation with him?”
“He’s claiming to have bought it for his wife,” he said. “For their wedding anniversary.”
“Fuck,” I said again. “This is a nightmare.”
“I’ve convinced him not to call the police,” he said.
“Good.”
“But I don’t know how long he’ll keep to that,” Ben said quickly. “I spoke to him just before coming up here. He looks like he wants to make trouble.”
“If word of this gets out, we’re not going to fare too well,” I said. “We’re a fledgling resort; we can’t afford any bad press.”
“How are we supposed to calm the guy down?”
“Offer him free room and board for…a week?”
Ben looked at me incredulously. “He’s going to laugh at that offer.”
“What would you suggest I do?” I demanded.
“Prove him wrong.”
“Excuse me?”
“Prove that the necklace wasn’t stolen,” Ben said. “Prove that he or his wife simply…misplaced it.”
“Then it’ll be his word against mine,” I pointed out. “Which is only going to piss this guy off—if it becomes a he said, she said situation we’re definitely going to be looking at bad press. We’re going to have to handle this quietly.”
“But I doubt that’ll work for long,” Ben said. “This guy looks like a complete asshole. I think I’ve mentioned him to you once before actually.”
“Who?” I asked, trying to remember.
“Mr. Beaumont?”
I frowned. “The name sounds vaguely familiar,” I nodded. “Why did you mention him to me?”
“It was the day that the Japanese delegation came in,” Ben told me. “I got here late, remember? Mr. Beaumont was trying to grope one of the staff, a young waitress named Nakoma, and I was handling it?”
“Fuck, yes,” I nodded, remembering hearing about it from Ben. “This is the same guy?”
“The very same,” he nodded.
“And do you believe him?”
“I don’t know one way or the other,” he said, with a shrug. “Just because he’s a pervert and a cad doesn’t necessarily mean he’s also a liar.”
“Funny, I would argue that he is,” I said. “Especially considering he has a wife. You mentioned she was aware of the theft, didn’t you?”
“She’s the one who realized the choker was missing in the first place,” Ben said. “She’s demanding the immediate dismissal of the employee she’s accusing.”
“Wait, she suspects someone specific?” I asked.
“She does,” Ben nodded. “And, she looks like she’s out for blood. They both do. In fact…”
“In fact what?”
“Well, I spoke to both of them this morning,” Ben said. “It actually sounded like they would both be satisfied if the person they’re accusing was fired immediately.”
I frowned. “And what?” I asked. “They would just forget about this choker that’s allegedly worth close to a million dollars?”
“It would seem that way,” he said.
“I don’t buy that,” I said. “There’s something wrong with this picture. If you lost an expensive piece of jewelry, would you just walk away without doing your best to retrieve it?”
“So, they’re lying about the worth of the choker,” Ben said. “It wouldn’t be the first time a guest has overvalued an item that they’ve lost. They’re probably trying to get a compensation package from us and need to drive up the price a little bit more so that they can cash in later… Not that they would need the money or anything, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Is that what you think they’re doing?” I asked uncertainly.
“What else would they be doing?” he asked. “The Beaumonts are wealthy—why would they fake a theft? I’m guessing they really did lose a piece of jewelry. They probably don’t care about it very much, but they’re going to milk it for all it’s worth.”
I frowned. “Has Molly been made aware of the situation?”
“She has,” Ben nodded.
“Good,” I said. “She’s the best person to handle it.”
He nodded. “She’s good in a crisis.”
“By the way,” I said, realizing that I hadn’t asked the most important question yet. “Who are the Beaumonts accusing of stealing this choker?”
Ben’s face soured a little and he looked slightly uncomfortable. “Alani Kama. She’s one of the assistant managers.”
“Alani Kama?” I repeated. “As in…Molly’s friend?”
Ben sighed. “That’s the one.”
Chapter 26
Molly
I was sitting behind the desk of my newly minted office. It was a small and modest room compared to Tristan’s, but it was exactly the right fit for me. Plus, it had a great view of the ocean. This was only the third day in the new office, and I was still getting used to the feel of sitting behind a desk in my own personal space. I’d only ever had a cubicle, so this was a step up.
I had already lined my desk with pictures of my family, in large part due to the fact that I missed them terribly and was not sure when I would see them next. Tristan was absent from my little photo collection, however. Somehow, I felt as though adding his picture would put unnecessary pressure on our relationship. Over the last week or so I’d gotten the feeling that Tristan was growing a little…distant.
He was still affectionate, polite, and always gentlemanly, but I just sensed a certain nervousness beneath the surface. He did his best to hide it, but I was sensitive to his moods and knew he had certain reservations about us that were only just beginning to rise to the surface. I tried not to over-think, but unfortunately, it kept me up at night.
The one thing that did help was my work. I ha
d made strides in the hiring process, the restaurants were now working smoothly, and the staff came to me if they had problems with anything. Most days I loved the work, and it was enough to keep my mind off Tristan.
But today was a different story altogether. Today, I hated my job because it meant handling a situation that I would have paid to avoid.
There was a knock on my door, and I stood up immediately and walked around my desk to answer it. Alani was standing on the other side, looking pale and close to tears. I didn’t say anything; I just stepped aside to let her pass.
The moment the door had closed behind her, Alani turned to me. She opened her mouth to say something but got choked up, and tears started pouring down her cheeks. I rushed to her immediately and hugged her.
“Hey, hey,” I said soothingly. “It’s alright… Come on, sit down and talk to me.”
I led Alani to a chair and sat her down. Then I pulled up the second chair and sat down right next to her. “Can I get you something to drink?” I asked. “Orange juice? Maybe some water?”
“Water, please,” she managed to croak out.
“Of course,” I nodded.
I poured her some ice water with a slice of lemon in it and passed her the box of tissues, too. She took both gratefully and managed to give me a teary smile. Once she had composed herself, I patted her gently on the arm.
“Alani—” I started.
“I didn’t do it,” she said, interrupting me before I could continue. “I swear, Molly, I didn’t do what they’re saying I did.”
“I know that,” I replied confidently.
“You do?” she asked, sounding incredulous. “You really believe I didn’t steal that choker?”
“I do,” I nodded.
“Why?”
“Firstly, because you’re my friend, and I think I know you well enough to know that you wouldn’t do steal,” I replied honestly. “And secondly because you get paid a decent salary, and I can’t see you risking your job by doing something like this.”
“Exactly,” Alani nodded. I could see the relief on her face. “Exactly. Why on earth would I risk such a good job for a choker? Even if it is worth so much.”
I pursed my lips. There was much being said about the value of the choker, and I knew that the Beaumonts would not let this go easily. I would need to find some way to appease them if this choker was not found. I wondered what Tristan would suggest; I would need to speak with him first before I made a decision about anything.
“Have you spoken to them?” Alani asked. “Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont?”
“I’ve spoken to both,” I nodded.
“And?” she asked, sounding nervous to even ask the question. “What are they saying?”
“They’re convinced that you’re the one that stole this necklace,” I told her honestly.
“Both of them?”
I frowned. “Yes.”
Alani looked down, and I noticed she was wringing her hands together as though she were guilty of something. I started to feel a little uneasy and wondered if perhaps she was not telling me the whole story.
“I didn’t do it,” she said again.
“Unfortunately, we need to offer the Beaumonts proof that you didn’t do it,” I said. “Which we can do—we have extensive camera footage. Tristan was diligent about making sure to cover all his bases. But first, I need to get your story.”
“My story?” she repeated.
“Mrs. Beaumont claimed that she found you in their suite numerous times,” I informed Alani. “She said you always looked too comfortable there, like you knew your way around.”
“I know my way around all the rooms in this resort,” Alani said. “It’s my job to be familiar with the spaces so that I can show the guests around.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you were in the Beaumonts’ room,” I said. “Unless she was just flat out lying?”
“She wasn’t lying,” Alani said, after a long moment. “But I wasn’t in there for no reason; I wasn’t snooping. I went because Mr. Beaumont requested items for the room, and he requested me to bring them up for him. I was just doing my job—being the manager and making the guest happy. It’s what we’ve been trained to do.”
I frowned. “What did Mr. Beaumont ask you to bring?” I asked. “All the rooms and suites come fully equipped, and the mini bars are restocked every other day.”
“He wanted some books brought up to his room from the library.”
“And, he couldn’t go himself?”
“I didn’t ask why he didn’t go himself,” she replied. “It wasn’t my place.”
I looked at Alani carefully, and my suspicions became certainty as I realized she was hiding something. I leaned in a little and put my hand on hers.
“Alani,” I said softly. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Yes,” she replied. “We are friends. But we’re not just friends anymore, are we? You’re my boss now, and I’m your subordinate.”
“Which means what, exactly?” I asked. “We’re not really friends anymore?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“It’s what you implied.”
I saw tears prick at the corner of her eyes, and she gave a desperate sigh that told me she felt trapped and vulnerable. “I’m sorry,” she said. “We are friends, it’s just—”
“Do you trust me, Alani?” I asked. “Because I trust you. I think I know the kind of person you are, and I believe in my heart that you would never steal—even if you needed to, even if you had the opportunity to. That’s just my gut feeling.”
“I appreciate you saying that,” she said gratefully. “And I do trust you.”
“Good, then tell me the whole truth,” I said. “There’s something you’re not telling me because for some reason you’re scared, but I promise that if you come clean with me, I will do my best to protect you.”
Alani looked nervous, but I could tell she was going to tell me the truth. I gave her the space she needed and waited till she was ready to talk. After a moment, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she looked resolute.
“I do have the choker,” she said.
My eyes went wide, despite my effort to keep my expression calm. “What?”
“It’s not what you think,” she said. “Mr. Beaumont gave me the choker…as a gift.”
I understood almost instantly. “He was hitting on you, wasn’t he?” I said, remembering the incident a few weeks ago with Mr. Beaumont and Nakoma.
“It started out as an innocent flirtation,” Alani said. “It was never when his wife was around, but that was to be expected. I flirted back a little, too, but I never meant for him to go so far.”
“How far did he go?”
“He kept calling me up for the slightest little thing at first,” Alani explained. “It was always when his wife had gone down to the beach or to the spa. I would do my best to whatever he required of me, he would flirt a little, I would flirt back, and then I would excuse myself and get back to my job. But then, one day…he grabbed me.”
“What?”
“We were alone in the suite; he had called me up for some stupid trivial reason. I was about to leave when he pulled me towards him and kissed me.”
“That bastard,” I exclaimed, horrified.
“I tried to stop it; I tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t stop. I was really starting to panic when we heard someone at the door. He pushed me away just before his wife walked into the suite. I was freaking out, but I was also so grateful for the interruption. I was so scared he was going to… He was going to...”
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said gently, stopping Alani from having to complete the sentence. “It didn’t happen.”
“After that, I ignored Mr. Beaumont any time he summoned me. I was polite, but I ignored him,” Alani explained. “He was persistent, though. He approached me one day at one of the indoor pools. We were alone, and he managed to corner me.”
“Did he try to hurt you…or come
on to you again?”
“He said he was trying to apologize,” Alani replied. “That was when he gave me the choker.”
I sighed. “He was trying to bribe you into sleeping with him.”
“I think he thought that if he gave me jewelry, then I would turn to putty in his hands and he could have his way with me.”
“What did you do?”
“I refused to accept the choker,” she said. “I told him point blank that I wasn’t interested in him and I could lose my job if I was found to be having a relationship with a guest. I also pointed out that if I got involved with him, we would be committing adultery. Not that he cared very much about either point, though.”
“What did he say when you refused the choker?”
“He insisted I take it,” she replied. “I refused again and walked away from him.”
I frowned. “Wait, if you refused to accept it then why did you tell me the choker was with you?”
Fresh tears slipped from Alani’s eyes. “After the accusation was made and Ben informed me of what the Beaumonts were saying I did, I went back to my room and… Oh, Molly, I found the choker in one of my drawers.”
“You mean—”
“I think he’s trying to frame me,” she sobbed. “He’s trying to get back at me for rejecting him.”
“Fuck,” I said, using the word I knew Tristan would have used in my place.
“You do believe me, don’t you?” Alani asked desperately. “I was so scared to tell anybody—especially one of my superiors. No one ever believes the staff. And, why would anyone believe me once the choker is found in my possession?”
“Is it still with you?”
“I wanted to get rid of it this morning—”
“Don’t,” I said. “I think I have a way to prove that you’re innocent.”
“How?” she cried. “The choker—”
“Was found in one of your drawers,” I said. “And if you didn’t put it there, that means someone did. And we’re going to find out who that is.”
“But—”
“Remember when I told you to trust me?” I said. “Now would be the time to start.”