by Jackie Wang
I wanted to roll over and laugh. “Apologize? No, Maggie, I’m not here to fucking apologize. I’m here to demand some answers from you.”
“About what? I already told you everything yesterday.”
“You better come with me.”
“And if I don’t?”
“If you don’t, I will get the police involved.”
Maggie took a step back. “You’d throw my grandma under the bus just to get to me?”
“No, this isn’t about Rita’s pot. It’s about you. I placed a camera in the office, Maggie. I know everything.”
The color drained from Maggie’s face. I’d never seen someone look so scared. The look didn’t suit her. Fraud didn’t suit her either, but she’d been wearing it underneath all along, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
She murmured something to Rita before following me back to the hotel. We were silent for a long time. I wanted to hurl my volley of predetermined insults and accusations at her, but seeing her so frightened gave me pause. I was so angry, so bitter, so unbelievably frustrated with this woman, yet I couldn’t bring myself to say a single hurtful thing to her. She was guilty; I could see it written all over her face. Was there really a point in rubbing it in?
“Does anyone else know?” Maggie eked out.
“Not yet. But they will.”
“Roman, please, don’t do this. I know I was wrong but, I’ll put it all back. Every penny.” Maggie’s cold fingers brushed against my wrist. I shook her off. I had absolutely zero tolerance for thieves and liars. Maggie was both. I just wish I’d learned the truth before I slept with her and met her charming sons.
“The damage is done, Maggie. How do you sleep at night, knowing that your actions are ruining your parents’ and the hotel staff’s lives?”
“I was going to pay back every penny, Roman, you need to believe me.” Maggie sobbed, her nose dripping. “Please.”
“How can I? After all the lies you’ve told me? How can anyone ever trust you again, Maggie?”
“It was one time…I-I was desperate. I wasn’t thinking. Carl needed the money…”
“So again, you’re putting yourself on the line for your no-good deserter of an ex-boyfriend?”
“He’s better now. So much better. And he has a daughter. He wants to be a good father to her.” Maggie scrubbed her hands across her face. She was barely coherent. “I fucked up, Roman. I’m sorry. I’ll put it all back right now. You don’t have to tell anyone.”
“How could I not? Here we are, trying to save the lodge from an early grave, and you’re going around digging a deeper hole!”
“Jesus, Roman, it was just three-hundred dollars. I’ll put it back, and add some. Happy now? You’ve shamed me enough, please don’t tell my parents. Please.” Maggie tried to stop me, but I kept shuffling forward. “If word gets around…I’ll never survive the gossip.”
“Three-hundred? Why are you still lying? I’ve done the math. It’s looking more like thirty-three thousand.”
Maggie shook her head and bit her lips so hard they turned purple. “No. No, that’s not true. I only took three-hundred to help Carl. You need to believe me.”
“The same Carl you swore you hated, right?” I snickered. “The man who stole from you and left you when Greg was still a baby?”
“We were both just kids back then. He panicked. It’s been ten years…” Maggie trailed off. “You said I should move on from the past. So I forgave him. I wanted to make amends. I wanted—”
“Save me the theatrics. We need to have a family meeting. Now.”
Twenty minutes later, the entire Summers family was gathered in the foyer, even Grandma Rita. I felt it was important that she be there to witness the unmasking of a thief. She betrayed her entire family. All for what?
“What’s going on?” Jesse asked, rolling up his sleeves. “We have a shit ton of stuff to prepare for tonight.”
“This will be quick, I hope.” I turned to Maggie, whose head hung so low her chin almost touched her collarbone. “Maggie, why don’t you tell everyone what this is all about?”
“Roman…” Maggie begged. “If what we had means anything—”
“It means nothing to me now,” I said, surprised by how cold I sounded. “Tell your family what you did.”
Maggie turned to her parents, grandmother, brother and Caitlyn. She looked like a fallen angel; all luster had faded from her, and she was just a sad and gray woman now. One who’d been caught red-handed. A criminal.
Maggie dragged in a deep breath. “I…I panicked last night. Carl came back, and he needed money so…I stole from you. I…” Maggie couldn’t complete her confession without breaking down into a hot mess. “I…fuck, I can’t do this.”
I took over. “Some of you may not know this, but I’ve been conducting an investigation into some missing funds. It’s come to my attention that a fair amount of money has gone missing each month. This has been happening for almost five years, undetected. I set up cameras in the office in hopes of catching the culprit and…sure enough, I caught her. You have Maggie to thank for financially damaging your family business. What you do with this information is up to you.”
“Five years! Maggie, how could you!” Jesse cried, charging at her sister. Caitlyn restrained him by the elbow and shook her head. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jesse spat.
“After all we’ve done for you? Taken you in when Carl, then Thomas left you…” Mercy blubbered, her double chin wobbling. “This is how you repay us?” Mercy curled against her husband, whose entire body had gone rigid. “Oh, Maggie.”
“No!” Maggie cried, raking her nails through her messy hair. She had sunken to the floor and slouched against an armchair. The epitome of fallen woman. “It was one time. I did it once. Two days ago. It was just three-hundred dollars. I swear. You need to believe me.” Maggie’s racking sobs echoed through the lodge but were met with cold indifference. No one came to her side. No one consoled her.
She deserved this, I reminded myself.
“How can we trust you, when you’ve been caught on camera?” Langston said slowly, his head hung low. “Roman has proof.”
“I guarantee, the video will only show me tampering with the computer once. Two days ago. That was the first time I ever touched it. I swear.”
I turned to Caitlyn, who was biting her manicured nails. “What do you think, Caitlyn? If it’s not Maggie, who could it be?”
Caitlyn shrugged. “You were the one who set up spy cameras and watched the recordings. How am I supposed to know?”
“You’re in charge of payroll. Tina and Rhodes told me the other day that paychecks have been miscalculated and short. Everyone thinks it’s you. If it’s not Maggie, then clearly you’re the next suspect.” I wasn’t cut out for any of this. Investigating fraud was not my forte. I felt myself sinking into a quagmire of doubt.
“Of course, blame it on the bookkeeper,” Caitlyn said, rolling her eyes. “Typical. I have no motive, and you have no proof.”
“Actually, you do have several motives,” I pointed out. “You and Jesse want to move off the island and leave this place. You’re sick of how everyone treats you. You think you’re better than all of them. No one likes you here, so this would be the perfect form of revenge.”
Caitlyn’s pale face went red. “If I were you, I’d get some solid evidence before I started pointing fingers, Mr. Finnegan. You never know when a lawsuit might slap you in the face.”
“Sue me, then,” I said. “I’ve got some of the best lawyers in the world working for me. I’m not afraid to duke it out.”
“Now, cut it out, both of you,” Mercy said. She walked over to her crumpled daughter and pulled Maggie into her arms. “Maggie, why didn’t you come to us if you needed money? I’m disappointed in you, honey.”
Maggie sobbed into Mercy’s chest. “I was desperate, Mom. I knew how much you hated Carl. There was no way you’d lend me that money to help him. I’m so sorry. I know you’re ashamed of me.”
“Even so…” Mercy sighed. “I have to say, I’m shocked.”
“I was going to pay it all back as soon as my paycheck came,” Maggie said. “I prayed you wouldn’t even notice.”
“Spoken like a true thief,” I said.
Maggie looked up at each of her family members in turn. “I never meant to hurt anyone. It was just a big mistake, I know that now.”
Mercy smoothed out Maggie’s hair and kissed her forehead. “I believe you, sweetie. I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt us on purpose. It’s okay. We forgive you.”
“I don’t,” Jesse said. “I think what she did was disgusting. Real shady. I’m ashamed to call her my sister.”
“Jesse,” Langston warned. “We’re a family. Family forgives family.”
“Well, if this sobfest is over, I’d like to get back to work,” Jesse said. “Some of us have a party to prep.”
“You mentioned that Tina and Rhodes had shorted paychecks?” Caitlyn said, drumming her nails against her thigh. “Let me verify that.”
I nodded. “Go. Check.”
When Caitlyn approached me seven hours later, her entire figure was hunched with shame. “I’m the worst bookkeeper in the world.”
“Were they right?” I asked.
Caitlyn shook her head, her face pale. “They’re the ones who did it. They stole all the money.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’ve been shaving five to ten percent off everyone’s paychecks and adding it to their own,” Caitlyn said. “I was too busy with the restaurant finances to notice. What they did…they were professional frauds. Only pros could cover up their tracks that well. We need to find them. Asap.”
“Fucking hell,” I swore. “Let’s go. You find Rhodes, and I’ll get Tina.”
But of course, we scoured the entire hotel, and there wasn’t a single trace of them. They’d vanished. Along with over thirty-thousand of the Summers’ hard-earned money.
“We need to notify the police,” Mercy said later, clutching Langston’s arm for support. “We can’t let them get away with this.”
“I agree. But let’s wait until after the grand re-opening. And you’ll need to find someone to handle this discreetly. The money may not be recoverable. And even if it is, it’ll be a long time before you see any of it.”
Mercy burst out into tears. “Sweet Tina…I can’t…Rhodes must’ve put her up to this. I know they’ve had a thing for a while now and…I just can’t see Tina coming up with something like this. She was always a bit odd and didn’t do much work, but she was a nice girl…she wasn’t the scheming, manipulative type.”
“You think everyone’s nice,” Langston said. “That’s why they take advantage of your kindness.” The old man turned to me. “Thank you, Roman. At least we’ve found the financial leak and plugged it up.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through all of this,” I said. “I wish…”
“You did the best you could,” Langston said, patting my back. He looked like he’d aged ten years. “We couldn’t have asked for more, Roman. You’re a good man. We owe you everything.”
It was the first time Langston openly expressed gratitude toward me, and I accepted it. “Come on, we’ve got a party to host.”
Chapter 31
“How is your meal this evening?” I asked one of the diners in the restaurant.
“The Coq au Vin is phenomenal. I will definitely be back,” the older gentleman said, dabbing his salt and pepper mustache with a cloth napkin.
His wife nodded, her knife easily slicing through the succulent chicken. “Everything looks cleaner, newer…the food, there’s no comparison. Used to be slop, now it’s fine dining. I love it.”
“I’m happy to hear that. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas!”
The rest of the diners shared equally positive feedback. Crescent Hill’s re-opening was a success. Although the success was preceded by such dismal news, I tried not to let that ruin my evening. I checked the hotel logbook and noted with pleasure that most of the rooms were booked, and the wedding guests had left raving reviews on Crescent Hill Lodge’s brand new website. Now, not only did the hotel look updated, they now had an online presence as well, which Jesse promised to maintain.
As for the real thieves…Tina and Rhodes had looked me in the eye and sworn they were just checking up on their finances. I’d caught them, and let them walk right out the door. I was responsible for letting them get away. Me. That would rest heavy on my conscience for some time.
Later, I gave the detective on the case a thorough recap of what had happened, and he reprimanded me for not seeking professional help sooner.
As the evening began to wind down, I went upstairs and finished packing my suitcase. Just as I was double checking my flight itinerary, a knock came at the door.
I opened it and found Mercy and Langston at the door.
I smiled. “We succeeded. It was a great night.”
“All thanks to you,” Mercy said, dabbing the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. “We can’t thank you enough. Please, Roman, come back anytime. Crescent Hill Lodge will always welcome you.”
“Thank you, Mercy.”
Langston leaned forward and extended his hand. “Been a pleasure knowing you.”
“Likewise. You started out stubborn as an ox, but I’m glad you two have taken my suggestions to heart. Keep working hard, and I’m sure things will turn around for you.”
“I’m sorry about all the family drama. I apologize on my children’s behalf,” Mercy said. “After Adam’s death…they were never quite the same anymore. We were all stuck in the past until you came and showed us what it meant to live in the present. We needed that.”
I tried to crack a genuine smile. “All water under the bridge now. I’ve accomplished what I set out to do, and for that, I’m happy. Couldn’t have asked for a better turnout. Just take all my lessons to heart, and this hotel will continue its legacy for decades to come. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a flight to catch.”
Mercy launched into my arms and squeezed me tight. “You take care of yourself, Roman. Thank you. Thanks for everything. Merry Christmas…God bless you.” She planted two wet kisses on each of my cheeks. “Have a safe flight.”
Langston gave me a pat on the shoulder. “Take care, son. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you too,” I said, pulling my suitcase off the bed. I pressed the keys into Mercy’s hands. “Let me know how things go in the new year.”
“We will.” Mercy nodded, still wiping her tears.
I prayed I wouldn’t see Maggie when I went downstairs. I didn’t want to see her tears. Her stricken face. Her crumpled body. I just wanted to make a clean break and get out of this place. I could feel another migraine coming on, and I was in no mood for more drama.
I needed to get home.
Home was where I could lick my wounds.
Home was where I could heal and move on in the wake of the catastrophic hurricane that was Magnolia Summers.
Despite her name, Maggie was neither summer breeze nor virginal flower. She was a cyclone of misery. A poisonous vine. A natural disaster that I didn’t see coming until it was too late.
But, there she was, sitting by the fireplace when I came downstairs. She was lost in thought as she studied the dancing flames. What was it that painted her face now? Regret? Guilt? Shame? When she heard my suitcase wheels roll over the hardwood, she stood up and made her way toward me.
My heart leaped into my throat as I watched her draw closer. Despite all the tears she’d shed, and the humiliation that crushed her between the shoulder blades, she looked radiant. Her eyes, those eyes that captivated me from day one, they studied me. Her lips, whose silky contours once made me rapturous with need, they opened, and then shut again.
Unspoken words floated in the air between us, mingling with dust motes and fading memories.
Despite her mistakes
, despite the hateful words I said to her, I just felt sadness now. Anger had dissipated into melancholy and heartache. My body shook with grief; it mourned what could have been between us, but never would be. I wanted to be her hero. But she was never mine to save. The harder I tried, the faster we crumbled. The faster we crumbled, the harder we tumbled. I couldn’t be her hero. And that just about destroyed me.
How did we come to this? How did we go from strangers to friends, to lovers, and back to strangers again?
“There’s a storm out there. Be careful,” she finally said.
“I will.” Was that the best I could come up with?
Maggie handed me a red and green envelope with messy handwriting on the front. “The boys made this for you. It’s not much, but I hope you like it.”
I opened the envelope and found a hand-drawn card inside. The words ‘Merry Christmas’ were written in neat handwriting. Below that stood four stick figures, joined hand in hand. I sighed and slipped the card into my carry-on briefcase. “Thank you. Merry Christmas, Maggie. Sorry, I couldn’t see the boys before I left.”
Maggie’s lower lip wobbled. “Roman, I’m so, so sorry. About everything. I didn’t mean—I—This was not how I pictured things ending between us.” Her voice was a broken instrument, no longer musical. No longer beautiful.
I tried to erase all emotion from my face.
“Me neither. But that’s how it played out, and I think it’s for the best.” I pulled Maggie in for a light hug. Her tropical scent washed over me like summer rain. Sentimentality caressed my heart for but a second before I cast it off for good. “Take care of yourself. And all the best with the boys. Goodbye, Magnolia Summers.”
“Goodbye, Roman Finnegan. Merry Christmas.”
Part II
Redemption
MAGGIE
Chapter 32
One Year Later