Over the next four days, she marveled as Rosemont was transformed from its state of benign neglect to one of gleaming beauty. The lively conversations between the hardworking, cheerful girls brought a sense of vibrancy to the place that had long been missing. She swore she could feel the house smile. Eve, on the other hand, did not like the frequent running of vacuum cleaners and gave the crew a wide berth, preferring to glue herself to Maggie.
***
Maggie, now totally smitten with her new companion, was anxious to complete the necessary paperwork to secure the adoption. As late afternoon faded to dusk, the temperature dropped and the falling sleet froze to the ground, making the roads treacherous. She berated herself as she cautiously entered the parking lot of Forever Friends. I should have turned around and gone back home. I don’t know how to drive in this stuff. They wouldn’t have given Eve to someone else if I had waited until tomorrow to finalize things. And if I ran into any resistance, that nice Frank Haynes would have smoothed things over for me. Her trusty Uggs provided firm traction across the icy lot. She was standing at a tall counter, filling out forms when a vaguely familiar voice called her name. She turned to see a smiling Frank Haynes coming toward her.
“Mrs. Martin?” he asked, as he extended his hand.
“Maggie, please,” she replied as she shifted her pen to her left hand and they shook. “I’m getting Eve’s adoption finalized. Thank you for smoothing the way for me.”
“My pleasure. I heard from Dr. Allen that she checked out just fine. I hope you’re enjoying her.”
“Absolutely. She’s wonderful.”
“How are you finding Westbury? Quite a change from Southern California, isn’t it? Especially on a day like today. Most people want to move to California. We don’t have many that do it the other way around.”
“You’re right about the weather, for sure. But don’t sell Westbury short. It has a lot of charm. And the people are warm and friendly. Authentic. You’ve been so nice and helpful to me.” Haynes inwardly cursed himself. “And, of course, then there’s Rosemont.”
“Ah, yes. Rosemont. A big old beauty, to be sure. But sort of an albatross, I would think. What with all of the repair and constant maintenance. Seems like a lot for one woman to take on, if you don’t mind me saying.”
“Fortunately, I’ve found a wonderful handyman and we’re getting everything in shape. I’ve only been there a short time, but it’s home already. I suspect my moving here will strike people as odd. But it feels right to me.”
“Well, time will tell,” he said through a tight-lipped smile. “I’ll let you get back to your paperwork. We close in ten minutes.” And without waiting for further reply, Haynes turned and walked stiffly away.
***
While Rosemont was being cleaned and polished, Maggie responded to emails from clients, arranged for cable TV and Internet service, and added to her lists of things to accomplish both there and in California. Her clients knew she was on vacation this week, and she didn’t receive many messages from them. She was surprised, however, that she received only a few emails from her “friends” back home. Maggie always suspected that most of them had been centered on Paul or, more specifically, on what Paul could do for them. She felt betrayed by the people who turned away from her after the first few weeks of activity following his death. Truth be told, the funeral and reception afterward had been a social occasion, and one’s place in the local pecking order was determined by how much you did for the family of the deceased and how close you sat to them at the funeral. Maggie loathed the shallowness of it all. As the week wore on, she realized that it would be far easier to cut ties than she had first thought.
Maggie took photos of each room and made inventories of furniture, rugs, lamps, and accessories. She loved the Old World European style of Rosemont: generous, comfortable, inviting, and livable. She quickly realized that none of her contemporary furnishings in California would be suitable here and that she was ready for a complete change. It would be much simpler, anyway, to pack up her clothes and her family photos and heirlooms, and leave the rest. A lightness settled on her as she decided to let Mike and Susan take what they wanted, and to sell or donate the remainder.
Sam arrived every afternoon by three o’clock and worked his way through leaking plumbing, sagging hinges, and a host of other delayed maintenance items. He always let Maggie know he was there, but he wasn’t chatty and worked steadily and methodically through his tasks. Maggie was surprised to see him on Wednesday and assured him it was fine if he quit working early to get ready for the town meeting. “I know how important this is to you. Be sure to give that councilwoman my card. I may be able to refer someone who can help.”
“I’ve already passed it on. Tonya said that a forensic accountant is exactly what we need and, if we can raise some money to hire one, she’ll call you. And to thank you very much.”
Maggie’s head snapped up. Of course these good people couldn’t afford to hire a consultant. She was the person they needed. Here she was in their midst, about to move into this glorious house she had been lucky enough to inherit. If this wasn’t the hand of fate telling her to give back, she didn’t know what it was. She checked her watch and decided to finish one more email before she got ready to attend the town meeting and do everything in her power to assist them.
Chapter 4
As she changed clothes for the meeting, Maggie recognized she would be making her Westbury debut and carefully attended to her hair and makeup. She dressed in the black St. John suit she always packed when she needed business attire away from home. Surveying herself in the mirror, she was pleased with the effect. Elegant, classy, and understated. Exactly the tone she wanted to set.
Maggie allowed more than enough time to locate the library and arrived thirty minutes early. A crowd had already assembled, and she got one of the last spots in the parking lot. She wove around clusters of people talking animatedly as she made her way to the entrance. I’m in for quite an interesting evening, Maggie thought. Heads turned in her direction as she passed and a curious buzz followed in her wake.
Maggie caught sight of Sam Torres just as he spotted her. He waved her over to where he and Joan were waiting for the doors to open. They greeted each other warmly. “ I can’t believe you’re here! Are you attending the meeting?” Joan asked.
“Of course I am,” Maggie assured her. “This is exactly the kind of thing I investigate in my business. I’m so sorry that I didn’t volunteer to help you right away,” she apologized. “This is a huge issue. And by the looks of this crowd, it’s vitally important to a lot of people. My experience might come in handy here.”
“That’s what we were just saying,” Joan agreed. “I was hoping you’d help us figure out what’s going on.”
Their conversation was cut short as the library doors swung open and people pushed forward to get out of the frigid evening and find a seat in the overheated main reading room. Maggie trailed closely behind Sam and Joan, and they managed to find three seats together in the second row. Chairs were closely spaced and the bulky winter coats that everyone held on their laps added to the cramped feeling. The nape of Maggie’s neck was growing damp and she felt a wee bit claustrophobic. She was wishing she hadn’t stuck her nose into this whole mess and was home in her pajamas with Eve when a hush fell on the room and a statuesque dark-haired woman in a tailored navy suit and pearls took the podium. Tonya Holmes had high cheekbones, mahogany skin, and a commanding presence. She waited until the room was absolutely still and all eyes were upon her before she spoke.
“My friends, thank you for coming out on this cold evening. We’re a bit crowded in here tonight. That’s a good thing. I’m encouraged that so many of you are interested in what’s going on. We’ve got some pretty distressing things to talk about, so make yourselves as comfortable as you can. We’ve got a water station in the back, so feel free to get up and stretch your legs or get a drink whenever you need to.”
She’s good, Maggie thou
ght.
Tonya continued in a steady tone, “I promise you that I’ll listen to what each of you has to say. And if we run out of time tonight, we’ll hold another town meeting. Everyone will be heard. And no matter what we uncover in our investigation, we’ll get through this together in a way that best serves all of us. Westbury has a long, proud heritage of selfless community action, and we’re going to continue that tradition. I grew up here, fourth generation. I’ve known all of the powers that be all of my life. And I am not scared of any of them. I’m staying right here until the job is done.”
At this, the crowd began to clap, at first tentatively in that space that was usually so quiet, then growing in enthusiasm. The energy in the room was palpable.
“Now,” Tonya said, “As you know, I have been calling for an independent audit of Westbury’s books. At first, I simply thought this was good practice. I never dreamed that something could be wrong. But the more I requested and pushed for one, the more the mayor and the other councilmembers balked and stalled and misdirected the conversation.
“I grew up the oldest child in a large family,” she continued. “I’ve heard plenty of wild excuses and tall tales in my time. My mother always knew when one of us was lying, and I guess I’ve inherited her nose for nonsense.” At this, a chuckle rippled through the crowd. “I felt like I was back in my mother’s kitchen with my brothers when these guys were making excuses to avoid an audit,” she said. “So I decided to dig in my heels and find out about the town’s finances, one way or the other. And at last week’s town council meeting, I finally got my chance. Mayor Wheeler left the bank statement out on the council table in plain sight when we went to recess.” Tonya paused for dramatic effect. “So I spent the recess poring through it. Long story short, the general account is about half of what was recorded in the treasurer’s report and the pension fund was short by almost forty percent.” A gasp escaped from the crowd, and side conversations started up all over the room.
Tonya raised her hands and gestured for quiet. “At this point, I don’t have a good picture of where the money has gone. I confronted the mayor and council when we resumed after recess. They scolded me for looking at ‘confidential town information,’ as they called it, telling me that I didn’t understand what I was looking at. ‘Well, enlighten me,’ I said. Instead, they quickly adjourned the meeting. I’ve been calling the mayor and each of my fellow councilmembers ever since, and no one has been available to take my call. And they’re not coming to their offices, either.
“They’ve all gone to ground,” she continued. “And you hunters in the crowd know what that means. We have to drive them out of their hidey-holes. And this is where I desperately need your help. Each and every one of you.
“First, I need everyone in this room to contact the mayor and your councilmembers, demanding an immediate audit of the town’s financials. You can do this by phone, fax, letter, or email. I want them inundated with demands. They need to know that they cannot escape this issue. I’ve put a list of the contact information you’ll need on handouts for you to pick up on the way out.
“Second, we need to be able to quickly communicate with each other. I want to know what response you’re getting from them. I’d like to be the gathering point for information. The handout has all of my contact numbers. I’m going to send out email updates. If you’d like to receive them, put your email address on the sheet that’s being circulated.
“Lastly,” she added, “I need a small committee of volunteers to analyze the information that we receive and formulate a strategy to deal with whatever we uncover. That should be the town council’s job, but I don’t think we can rely on them. Former prosecutor Alex Scanlon has agreed to help us. I’d also like to have a CPA, a business owner, and one representative from the teacher’s union and one from the town workers’ union. So if you’re interested in serving, or know someone who would be good, please see me after.
“I know that this is all very upsetting, but as I said in the beginning, none of us are going anywhere, so we better figure this out and fix it together. Your coming here tonight has been very encouraging to me,” she said with a catch in her voice. “I love Westbury and am so proud to be on the town council. I look forward to continuing to serve you.”
The crowd began to clap. Sam was the first person on his feet and the rest of the room followed suit with a rousing ovation. Tonya flushed and discreetly dabbed at the corner of her eye with a tissue. She certainly has guts to stand up to the old boy network, Maggie thought with admiration.
When the applause died down and the crowd began to disburse, Maggie made her way to the podium. She introduced herself and told Tonya that she had just relocated to Westbury, was a forensic accountant, and would serve on the committee.
Tonya looked visibly relieved. “This is great news. Sam gave me your card. I was hoping we could get you to help. Since you’re just moving here, I didn’t think there was any way that you’d have the time or the interest. I don’t know what to say. I’m very grateful.”
Maggie dismissed her thanks with an embarrassed wave and told her that she would be in California next week, but would make herself available for conference calls with the committee and would be available via email around the clock, if that was what the situation required. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out,” she assured Tonya as she stepped aside to make way for the crowd gathering around the councilwoman.
“Why, hello, John,” Tonya greeted Dr. Allen warmly as he approached. “I thought I saw you in the crowd. Thank you for making the time to come.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it,” he assured her. “If you don’t have another business owner in mind for your committee, I’d be happy to help you. This issue affects all of us in many ways.”
“Terrific. I now have three members of my committee. Have you met Maggie Martin?” Tonya asked. “She’s new in town and is a forensic accountant,” she said as she turned to Maggie.
Maggie and John smiled at each other and John said that they had just met, that Maggie’s dog was one of his patients. Tonya regarded them thoughtfully. “Great. We’re off to a good start.” At this point, Sam leaned in and offered to be the town worker’s union representative. He pointed to Maggie and said, “Didn’t I tell you? She’s going to help us, isn’t she? She’s exactly what we need.”
“Absolutely,” Tonya replied. “For a newcomer, you sure know a lot of people.” She turned to address a question from a young woman who had been patiently waiting her turn. Maggie, Sam, and John drifted over to the door where Joan was waiting.
“I’m returning to California on Sunday to make arrangements for my move here,” Maggie told them. “I don’t plan to be gone too long. I’m hoping to be back in a week. I’m used to working remotely, so I can do my part.”
John looked at her quizzically. He didn’t say anything but was thinking what a dynamo she must be if she could pack up her life and move across the country in one week’s time, all the while maintaining her business and helping on this committee. “Why don’t we get together as a group once before you leave?” he suggested. “Meet at Pete’s, my treat. I’ll get with Tonya and set something up.”
With this decided, they headed out into the night. Freezing rain made the parking lot treacherous, especially in the dress heels that Maggie wore. She slipped and caught herself on the side mirror of a parked car. John took her elbow and, ignoring her embarrassed protests, steered her steadily to her car.
“Thank you so much.” She blushed. “I guess I need to watch the weather before I pick out my shoes.”
“You don’t get freezing rain in Southern California too often, do you? You’ll get used to it. How’s Eve doing?” he asked. “No reaction to the shots?”
“None,” Maggie replied. “She doesn’t much like vacuum cleaners, but other than that, she’s very happy. I was going to call your office to board her with you while I’m in California.”
“We’ll take good care of her while you’re gone. No
worries,” he said.
Maggie heaved a sigh of relief. “I’ll feel better about leaving her with you. I’ll call in the morning,” she said as she got into her car. She watched him walk away as she pulled out of the lot.
Chapter 5
Frank Haynes was sitting at his desk early the next morning, studying the spreadsheet detailing the terms of his restaurant leases. He was pleased with what he saw; he had really been able to put it to those greedy-bastard landlords in this recession. He relaxed into his large leather chair as he swiveled to answer the phone.
“Frank, is that you?” the man asked in a throaty whisper.
Haynes’ congenial mood evaporated. “What?”
“I went to that meeting at the library last night, like you said. That Holmes bitch knows the accounts are short. She’s stirring up people to hound the council for an audit. She’s formed a committee to look into stuff.”
“Damn it. We knew this could happen. We’ve got contingency plans in place. And a bunch of local yokels aren’t going to be able to figure this out,” Haynes replied.
“They’re not all local yokels, Frank. They’ve got Scanlon on the committee. He may be a queer, but he was one tough mother when he was a prosecutor. And you can’t shake off that Holmes broad.”
“Who else do they have?”
“Not sure if this is everybody, but it looks like a worn-out teacher, that school janitor guy Torres who does handyman work, the vet (he’s smart), and some new broad. I think she must be the CPA they said they wanted.”
Haynes cocked one eyebrow. Was Maggie Martin sticking her nose in this? What a pain in the ass she was turning out to be.
“Frank? That’s all I found out. Expect to get calls from your constituents today.”
“You did good. Thank you.”
“Anything else you want me to do?”
“No—not yet.” Haynes slowly replaced the receiver.
Getting Martin out of Rosemont and headed back to California was looking more attractive all the time. What was it they said about keeping friends close and enemies closer? He’d have to keep an eye on her.
Coming to Rosemont Page 5