by Duncan More
John Smoltz was immediately cast aside as the background check revealed he was on the Megan’s Watch list. While there were no children in the bank, Dillon wouldn’t even take a chance, although Tillie thought he still was a possible employee. Finally there was Keith Gower. He had attended Marywood University, also majoring in accounting, but according to his data, he was a vet, single, 25 maybe now 26. He was currently working at a Dunkin’ Donuts shop, saving enough money to complete his degree. His background was clean. Dillon hesitated between the left and right piles until he finally decided to have an interview. Depending on his knowledge, he might be worth a shot. He could always take night courses to finish his degree.
Dillon reexamined his choices and decided on Peter Bonner, Leonard Cholewa, Walter Rush, and Keith Gower. Then, although Eugene should not be privy to background checks and he could always use Checkmate on-line and find the information, Dillon asked for his input. After all, he knew the area better.
Eugene questioned the elimination of Nicholas Hughes based on his lack of a college degree. “I don’t have one. The fact that Nicholas has applied seems to indicate a desire to learn about banking. I was trained and Nicholas could be too, without coming with preconceived notions about how to run the department, something Walter would have.”
Dillon liked his reasoning and so the list grew to five and possibly six if Owen Hughes was available.
“Now,” Dillon said, “ready to head upstairs for the night? In the immortal words of Boyd Hopkins, ‘This cum-sucking fairy needs you to plow your big fuckstick deep in my faggy ass and make me beg for you to shoot your fucking man-cream’.”
“Never thought you’d ask,” Eugene said as he wrapped his arms around Dillon’s shoulders and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Quickly the downstairs lights were extinguished and the sound of their footsteps receded up the staircase.
Chapter Sixteen
“Interesting assortment of applicants,” Dillon said as he returned the folders to Tillie on Wednesday morning. “I’m curious why you included John Smoltz in the list, him being a child molester.”
“Because he’s not, really. He’s my neighbor. He came to work one morning and was told he was being downsized – just to take his lunch sack and head back home. He quickly found that getting a new job was difficult and sank into a depression. Started going to a small neighborhood pub in the morning and getting blitzed, heading home and passing out. One day he had to go to the bathroom on the way home. He was relieving himself in public just as a school bus was unloading some elementary students. Don’t even know if any of the students saw anything. The bus driver had to report the incident and an overzealous cop arrested him. Trying to make a name for himself, the cop did not charge him with drunk and disorderly or even public lewdness. He went for the biggie. Ruined John’s life. The cop was fired shortly thereafter and moved on to God-knows-where. As far as I know, he’s got a part-time job at a hoagie shop in Scranton at minimum wage.”
“So you think we should interview him?”
“I’d at least like to give him a chance. Of course, I’d have to take the background seat at that interview.”
“Well, I’ll defer to you in this case. Set him up for an interview with these other five. Unfortunately, if he is not the successful applicant, you’ll have to break the bad news to him. And I may have one more. At Mr. Frederick’s suggestion, there was a guy I went to college with. Should just be graduating. I’m going to try and contact him now. Want to set up the interviews for Monday and Tuesday? I’ll make sure my schedule is free.”
Dillon stopped by Mavis’s desk and asked her to clear his schedule for the interviews for Boyd’s replacement instead of loan applicants, closed the door to his office and called his alma mater. He reminded the secretary of the college placement office who he was.”
“Dillon? Oh yes, Dillon Evans. How are things in Baltimore?”
“Don’t know. I didn’t take the job. I got a job in a small bank in Pennsylvania as head of their mortgage and loan department. That’s the reason I’m calling. I have an opening I need to fill and I need to contact Owen Hughes if he’s about to graduate and in need of a possible position. I see. Well, that’s good news for me. Could you be so kind as to contact him and have him get in contact with me as soon as possible? The number of my cell is 570-393-2297. Thank you so much. I am most appreciative. You have a good day, too.”
Less than an hour later he had his phone call. “Hey, Buddy. Mrs. Moody in placement said you wanted to talk to me. What’s up?”
“Was wondering if you had a job lined up yet.”
“Sort of. I had an offer to work with Lowe and Lowe Accounting as a CPA back in my hometown, but I haven’t accepted it yet. Why?”
“I have an opening in the loan and mortgage department of the bank I’m working in. Love to have you come down to Pennsylvania and interview if you’d be interested.”
“Can you tell me a little more? What would it entail?”
“Mostly data entry on loan repayments, checking on delinquent accounts and getting them caught up. We’re transitioning to the Intellex system. Just getting it installed in one of the next few weeks. There’ll be a lot of data to transcribe. It’s a small department in a small neighborhood bank. Only four people in the department.”
“Any big cities nearby?”
“Local area has over a half million people. It’s about two and a half hours to New York or Philadelphia and three-plus hours to Baltimore. Why?”
“Because I don’t really want to go back home to Bumfuck, Maine.”
“Yeah, I gotcha. Area here is pretty laid back and easygoing. But they do party hearty.”
“Now you’re talking! Sign me up.”
“Will do. I’ll send you an e-mail with an application. Get it back to me with a résumé a.s.a.p.”
“Will do, buddy. It’s [email protected]. Have it back to you by 1:00. Great to hear from you. Look forward to seeing you.”
Dillon looked at the list of currently overdue loans that Greg had prepared. As the department was down a person temporarily, he helped to pick up the slack. He pulled up the standard letter the bank sent out to late customers and found it cold and impartial. He drafted one that was more a friendly reminder.
Dear ___________,
We couldn’t help but notice you have missed your due date for payment on Loan # ________ in the amount of $ . In order not to affect the standing of the loan or your credit rating, we would appreciate a payment as soon as possible. While there is a good chance this is just an oversight, if there is some major difficulty with payment at this time, please stop in and we’ll see what we can do to help you out financially.
Respectfully yours,
North Star Bank,
Your friendly bank
He had Greg, Victor, and Mavis come into his office, showed them a copy, and asked for their input. They agreed that as a recipient of such a letter, they would feel better about everything. It lacked the coldness of the original which had been crafted years earlier by Sam Waters’ predecessor. Then Victor had a suggestion that the letter be a third attempt at contact. He thought that two tries at phone contact would be better. Mavis suggested that the phone call should be personalized since they knew most of the customers on a personal level already. Within twenty minutes the four of them had scripted how such a call should go.
“Hi, John, this is Mavis at North Star. How is everything going? (listen to response) That’s good or That’s too bad. Sorry to hear about that. Anyway, the reason I am calling, we were going through some records today and I noticed we didn’t get this month’s loan payment. I’m sure it was an oversight or perhaps it got lost in the mail. That sometimes happens, you know. However, if it is something more serious, you could stop in and we’ll see what we can do to help. That is why we’re here for you. (Optional: You’ll get it right out. That’s great!) Thank you for your business. Hope to see you soon. Take care of yourself (and your family) in the meantime.”
&n
bsp; They agreed to try phone contact twice – once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Only when there was failure to connect should the letter be sent. Documentation of phone contact or attempted contact could be added to the file, something for which they already had a form and did when each letter was sent. Dillon only had to alter his opening, as he didn’t know the contacts personally yet, as Greg and Mavis did. He also realized phone calls were free, but envelopes and stamps cost money: two less letters saves the bank nearly a dollar. By noon and salad with Eugene, he had saved them ten dollars and made twenty new acquaintances.
At one, he checked his e-mail, printed out Owen’s application and résumé, looked them over and was quite satisfied. They had most of the same courses. He took the paperwork to Tillie who agreed on his qualifications. He returned, called Owen and scheduled an interview for anytime the following Tuesday afternoon, which gave Owen six-seven hours to drive down if he left at six a.m. Then Dillon left his office and moved to Boyd’s desk and began entering the data of the day into the computer so they didn’t fall behind on their workload.
On Friday afternoon, Eugene left work at two. He had to grab a nap before the show. They took so much energy and he needed to recharge. Dillon would pick up dinner at one of the take-out places and they’d eat and head to The Way Station so Gia could mingle pre-show. Dillon’s plans were changed when Gladys showed Dennis Michaels into his office with his file in hand. “We can do the loan now. My parents sold me the house for five bucks. They’ve been planning to permanently move into the Ormond Beach, Florida condo for several months now, and this gives them a reason to finally do it.”
“I see. Any idea what the current appraised value of the house is?”
“Not really. I know they paid $8000 for it twenty-some years ago and houses have increased greatly in value since then.”
“Well, before we can proceed, we’d need to get an appraiser to check it out. What is a good time to have her get in touch with you to set up an appointment? Her name is Tori Roberts.”
“Anytime between ten and two. That’s when I go to work at my shift in the Poconos. Six days a week from 3:00 to ten at night. Shows you what a hard worker I am,” he said with a grin.
“I’ll have her get in touch with you sometime next week. In the meantime, enjoy your new home.” He rose and shook Dennis’s hand and showed him out, chatting all the way to the front door. After all, North Star Bank was the ‘friendly’ bank and he had a part to play.
He stopped at Gladys’ desk and asked her for her opinion of Mr. Michaels. “I don’t like him. For some reason, I don’t trust him. Seems like a sneaky kind of guy. Can’t put my finger on anything specific. Just a feeling.” He was rather surprised at her response, for while she was an optimist, he had found her to be a good judge of character. “Why do you ask?”
“Because that was the sense I got of him. Nice, friendly, smooth-talking, but with an ulterior reason lurking below the surface, like he’d screw anyone to get ahead. More show than substance. Well, let’s close up. It’s quitting time. Run a credit and background check on him on Monday, will you?” He stopped at Porky’s Place and picked up eight barbecues: two each for now and two for when they got home from Gia’s show. If he got hungrier, he could always buy some fries at the bar.
Eugene made one last bathroom call before it was time to tuck and tape and fit into the gaffe. He finished his eye makeup, donned his mingling outfit and wig and was ready. His performance outfits were already zipped into the carry-on bag which Dillon customarily carried behind him with two wig hat boxes, and by 8:05 Gia was ready to mingle. He chatted briefly with regulars, giving them little pecks on the cheek, and introduced himself to people he didn’t know. It was good for tips later during the show.
Dillon grabbed a seat at the bar and waited for Larry to arrive. He always did – he was one of Gia’s posse. He left Gia mix – he wasn’t jealous at all. This was just part of the drill. He was seated chatting with people until after nine when he looked up to see Dennis Michaels walk in. Spotting Dillon at the bar, he headed directly toward him. “Mr. Evans, what a surprise to see you here. Didn’t take you for a connoisseur of this kind of entertainment.”
“Mr. Michaels, you’re a surprise to me, too. One of the performers works at the bank and I think it’s nice to support him.” He had quickly reverted to his all-business tone. “Besides, the drinks are good here, not to mention the food.” “Damn,” he thought to himself. With a potential loan customer, he had to project some air of propriety. “What brings you here?”
“I thought I’d get to know Flame a little better and get to entice him sometime down the road to come and do shows at my place. Quite frankly I know these performers love a stiff one up the ass and I could do that if it would seal a deal. I’ve been invited to a few rooms in the lodge in the Poconos, and when I left the room, be it man or woman, we were both satisfied, if you know what I mean.” He coarsely grabbed his crotch in case Dillon was completely dense.
“Well, you’d better go find Flame. They all usually disappear about this time to get ready to perform. Good luck. Now if you’ll excuse me. I see that my drinking buddy just came in and headed right to the back room, and I see the disco lights flashing, so I know the backroom bar is open. I’d like to get a table on the side to watch the show. Maybe get a dance or two in and have her join us at the table. You know what we used to say at college about dancing: It’s a vertical indication of a horizontal inclination.” It wasn’t exactly a lie – Larry had come in and headed to the back. Dillon hurried away from Dennis – there was just something he didn’t like about the guy, and to think he was here trying to poach a performer!
Twenty minutes later the front bar was half-deserted and the backroom was crowded and Darcy was slinging drinks left and right. Kurt, the deejay, was giving a voiceover announcement telling folks how long until show time. And then the music stopped and a spotlight caught Jolene with her sparkling beard and hairy chest showing above over a leotard.
“Ladies and ladies, welcome to Friday night at Wayne’s Wild West Way Station. Tonight we are going to learn something different about our Gia – seems she wants to bed some chicks. At least she’s saying, ‘Tonight she feels like a natural woman’.” And the performance was on. Evidently, as she mingled, she had cleared it with various people that they wouldn’t be offended if she played up to them during the performance. A girl here, a girl there, she approached each and flirted. She ended up in the arms of Marty and her girlfriend, the member of the bank’s board of directors. She smiled and gave Marty a quick wink as she gathered her scattered tips from the floor and hurried off-stage to change into the Jacquie Kennedy outfit while Flame and Jolene performed. “You Ought to Get Married” was a hit again, a Gia in a long-flowing, gold lamé gown that trailed behind her performed “If There’s a Wrong Way to Do It.” It got the largest applause of the night. That was her last song, or so Dillon thought.
Kurt reminded people of the various events that the Wild West had scheduled for the coming pre-Labor Day weekends, and then Jolene came back on stage in what could only be described as fit for a solo concert in Carnegie Hall by a diva. He took center stage and then Gia, dressed only in black heels and a black leotard, came on stage dragging a chair which she mounted. She looked like one of those sign-language inserts on the television tube during new conferences. A full orchestra played the introduction and the dulcet tones of Ella Fitzgerald singing “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess filled the room. Gia hand gestured what appeared to be correct signing as Jolene mouthed the opening words, but by the second line, Fish are jumping and the cotton is high, Gia’s gestures were off the wall. She gestured swimming for fish and having sex for jumping and being stoned for high. And it got more off the wall as the song progressed. It ended with hush little baby, where her fingers were in the ssh motion in front of her lips and don’t you cry where she was silently bawling out massive tears from a soaked cloth in her hand. The number brought down the house. E
ven Dillon did not know Gia was taking a comic part in that number and was impressed with the creativity.
The dance floor was quickly packed with dancers, and people were complimenting the performers for one of the best shows they had seen in months. Dillon saw Gia even getting an embrace from Marty and her girlfriend before he hurried over to Larry and Dillon’s table. “I can’t believe it. They just slipped me another twenty. Loved the number so much, said they guessed you relayed the message. Said all the gay girls around them got a kick out of it, too. Be back in a flash. Got to get out of this gaffe and take a healthy piss.” Gia left the table and in ten minutes Eugene was joining them, with a cold beer in his hand.
Flame came over to talk to Eugene. He was livid. “I can’t believe that fuckin’ scum! Where does he get the idea that I’d love to be the headliner in his new club in return for a good healthy fuck now and then? Like I would ever betray Wayne and his wife! That Dennis Michaels certainly has balls, but evidently no ethics! And then he thinks I’d love to go to bed with him for a job!! What does he think??? – that I’d prostitute myself for the likes of him!! Good God – even if he had a beer can dick – no fuckin’ way!! Oh, look. Now he’s talking to Jolene! Watch your back, honey!”
“Calm down, girl. Calm down!” Eugene said, trying to soothe him. “You’ll blow that wig right off your head. Go get yourself a good cold beer and chill. Nobody’s worth your getting that upset.”
It was at that moment Dillon made up his mind there was no way North Valley Bank would ever approve a loan for the likes of Mr. Michaels. If he could talk his parents out of their house, what deceit was he capable of? Obviously, they knew him well, which is why they wouldn’t give or lend him the money or take the loan out in their name. Dillon could only surmise that they had enough for an enjoyable retirement in a condo in Ormond Beach, Florida. Dennis could mortgage the house if he wanted, and if he lost it, he lost it. It wouldn’t be their worry.