Throw a Monkey Wrench (an Emma Cassidy Mystery Book 1)
Page 24
“Thanks, I’d really appreciate that.” Alvin ran his fingers through his thinning hair, and for the first time she noticed the bags under his eyes and the lines etched into his forehead. A sturdy, thickset man in his mid-forties, he had always been energetic and industrious, but he suddenly seemed to have aged ten years.
Perplexed, Emma couldn’t help touching his arm. “Alvin? Is something the matter?” For the past twenty years Alvin had been a fixture in Greenville. She’d visited his restaurant countless times, and now, as an event planner, he was quickly becoming her caterer of choice. She trusted him. She liked him. And she hated seeing him in distress. “Are you…in financial difficulties?”
He looked at her with heavy eyes for a few moments before pinching the bridge of his nose. “You could say that. I might have to fork out fifty thousand dollars.”
“Fifty thousand dollars!” Emma gasped. “You’re joking.”
“I wish I was.”
“What happened?”
He heaved a sigh. “About four months ago Faye Seymour tripped outside the restaurant and fell. She says she hurt her shoulder and it’s never been the same. Last week she told me she was thinking of suing me.”
Emma frowned. She’d seen Faye regularly over the past few months, and she’d never noticed anything wrong with her shoulder. But it could be one of those injuries that came and went.
“Wouldn’t your insurance cover that?” she asked. Alvin didn’t say anything, and disquiet wiggled in Emma’s stomach. “You do have insurance, don’t you?”
“Um, I do, but…” Alvin rubbed his jaw. “A while back the restaurant was going through a bad patch, and, well, I could only afford the compulsory insurance for my workers, not the business insurance. So I let the policy lapse. I renewed it as soon as I could, but that was after Faye’s accident.” His chin wobbled. “You won’t tell my wife, will you? Bettina was really worried when we had our downturn, and now that we’re on the way up I don’t want to burden her with more bad news.”
“I’m so sorry, Alvin.” Helpless frustration beat in Emma’s chest. “I’ll try my best to get your money as soon as possible.” Though that would hardly make a dent into fifty thousand dollars. “Have you tried talking to Faye?”
Alvin’s jowls quivered as he clamped his jaw tight. “I did,” he said stiffly. “And she told me I should count myself lucky she only wanted fifty thousand dollars.” A maroon hue rose in his cheeks. “You know what the worst thing is? She injured herself when she was snooping around the back of my restaurant and taking photos of some renovation work I had going then. She told me I was violating council regulations, and I should be glad she wasn’t reporting me to the authorities. Can you believe it? That—that interfering old biddy!” Alvin’s voice shook. Clearly he was struggling not to use stronger language. “I’m a peaceful man, Emma, but everyone has their limits, and by God she’s pushed me beyond mine. She’s walked over me for the last time!”
~ END OF PREVIEW ~
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