by Duncan More
“Definitely,” Tillie said. “Mr. Hughes.”
“Which one?” Dillon asked.
“What?” Mr. Fredericks said in amazement.
“There were two with the same with last name,” Tillie explained. “Owen and Nicholas. I was thinking of Owen.”
“Oh,” Dillon said immediately. “I would have thought Nicholas.”
“Why Nicholas?” Tillie asked.
“He struck me as a young man who had the personality that was outgoing. He’s a real people person. Just graduated from high school, and would come with no preconceived notions and he seemed eager to learn.”
“That’s why I thought of Owen. College graduate, has a CPA, so he would be very accurate when handling all the bank’s cash assets. I was surprised when Dillon didn’t pick him to replace Boyd. He was well-qualified.”
“He wouldn’t be handling all the assets. I had other thoughts about that. I’m just thinking teller,” Mr. Fredericks interjected, clarifying things. If this Owen guy was qualified for this department, how would it be if we switched this new guy, Mr. Gower is it, over and brought in this Owen Hughes? I don’t want to override your hiring decision, Dillon. You still have the final say on this.”
“I guess that could work.”
“One problem,” Tillie said. “He’s probably already back in Maine and I’ve already sent the “we’re-sorry” letter.”
“No, he’s still in town, actually. He met me for a quick drink on Tuesday after the interview and he made a new friend he’s staying with until Friday. Unfortunately, he told me then that he was removing his name from consideration. I can call him and see if he might reconsider that decision if you’d like.”
“Make that call. Let me know where everything stands. Either there is a new Mr. Hughes starting in accounting or behind one of the teller cages. Now, Dillon, will you call extension #2 and have Marge, my secretary, ask Eugene to come down here?”
Dutifully summoned, Eugene quickly appeared. He was a little shocked to see Tillie there. People only saw her when they were being hired or fired and she’d be there with all the paperwork and a final paycheck. He couldn’t see why he would be fired. His work was always impeccable, but nevertheless, sweat broke out on his forehead and his armpits were quickly drenched.
“Please, pull up a chair,” Mr. Fredericks said. “Eugene, how long have you been employed here? Is it five or six years?”
“Five, sir. Six in the middle of October.”
“Uh huh. Other than that trouble with Mike Bonavena, has there ever been any other difficulty with your work or your life?”
“No, sir.” He couldn’t help but notice the trembling in his voice. He had no idea where this questioning was going.
“What about your closing drawers?”
“A few times I was off, which I found on recounting before giving them to Mrs. Crawford for her clearance.”
“That’s what I thought. Speaking of Mrs. Crawford, you are aware she’s pregnant.”
“Yes, sir. That’s all she talks about. The latest ultrasound, the inability to stand for long periods of time, but she is so excited about having a second child.”
“Well, it’s not going so well for her this time around. Her doctor wants her off her feet as much as possible for the duration. Bottom line is she gave me notice that next Friday had to be her last. Do you feel up to taking her place as head teller? I don’t make this offer lightly. There are other tellers who have been here longer and there may be some hard feelings, but I think you would be the best suited for the position. It would mean a substantial pay raise. I know this is brief notice and you’ll need some time to think it over, but I would like your answer before tomorrow afternoon’s board meeting. That would also give her a week to train you for the extra responsibilities. Tillie, Dillon, I would also like to have whichever Hughes guy you choose here to meet the Board and Mr. Gower as well. As always, thank you for your time and prompt decisions. Have a good day.”
“You too, sir,” Eugene said.
“Let me know as soon as you talk to Owen Hughes. And Eugene, congratulations.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“I’ll leave you two alone to celebrate the good news. I’m going to lunch. Be back in an hour.”
“HOLY FUCKIN’ WOW!!!!” Eugene shrieked almost as soon as she closed the door behind her. “I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!!”
At the sound of the raised but muffled voice, Mavis hurried from her cubicle. “Is anything wrong? I heard shouting. Not like you two.”
“I don’t know if it’s for public knowledge yet, but Mr. Fredericks just named me as the next head teller when Mrs. Crawford leaves on maternity next Friday!” Excitement still filled his voice and spirit.
“Congratulations,” she said. “I think he made a wise choice. Glad nothing is wrong between you.” On her way back to her cubicle, she stopped and informed Greg of Eugene’s new appointment.
“Going to take Keith for a quick lunch at Marty’s Diner. Care to come along?” he said. Just think I should applaud Eugene first. He’ll do a good job there.”
“Fine with me,” she said. “I’ll get my purse and join you.”
He knocked on the office door and stuck his head in. “Eugene, just heard the good news. Bravo! Dillon, I’m taking Keith for lunch at Marty’s. He’s a fast learner, I must say.” He smiled and closed the door. Quickly he reopened it. “You know, my son told me one riddle: How can you spot the head teller in a bank?”
“The one with the dirty knees,” Dillon and Eugene replied almost in unison.
“I guess that one has been around for ages. Again, congrats, Eugene.” And he was gone.
“Before we start lunch, I need to call Owen.” He pulled out his cell and tapped in the numbers and waited for a pick-up. “Hey guy, I wanted to say how much we enjoyed the karaoke with you last night. Now I’m going to be nosey. Now that you’ve met Larry and spent the last several days together, I got to wondering. Would you like to change your decision about going back north and accept the job here at the bank instead? Oh, you wouldn’t. That Larry and you are parting company. Why? Oh, I see. He tried to pick up another guy last night. Well, that was because he thought you were leaving. I’m offering you a reason to stay in town. Oh, you’re already in Connecticut. I see. Well, drive carefully, and good luck.” He tapped in another phone number. A woman answered. “Hello. This is Dillon Evans at the bank. May I speak to Nicholas Hughes, please? Will you please have him call me as soon as possible? The number is 570-393-2297. We’d like to have him start work here. Thank you.” He turned to Eugene, “Sorry for that. Now for lunch, Mr. Head Teller.” He smiled proudly at him.
Mavis led a middle-aged lady into Dillon’s office shortly after one. “Mr. Evans, this is Edith Rowe. She currently has a loan with us for $45,000 on a $125,000 home. She is current on her payments – all of them made well in advance of due date. She needs to increase it by $5,000 dollars. That storm we had two weeks ago did some minor damage to her roof. Rather than use the insurance payment to repair the damaged shingles, she would prefer to have a new roof installed as soon as possible and not chance any water damage. I foresee no problem with that request.”
“Please to meet you, Ms. Rowe. Please have a seat.” He exchanged pleasantries, talking about all the tree branches that the storm downed, and the minor street flooding as he looked over the paperwork. He smiled at her. “Everything looks proper. The regular Board of Directors meeting is tomorrow. I’ll present this to them. With your payment history, there should be no problem. I can call you after the meeting and I’m sure I’ll give you the go-ahead to hire a contractor to get started a.s.a.p. Thank you for doing your banking with us.” He smiled, and it was not the gratuitous smile that one often gets, but a genuine smile.
Mavis had a slight smirk on her face as she announced that Dennis Michaels was waiting to see him. “I didn’t know if you wanted me to break the news to him or if you should. We both know we can’t approve this loan with t
he collateral offered.”
“I’ll play the heavy. Show him in.”
“Mr. Evans, so good to see you. I was wondering how soon we can finalize this loan. My partner is anxious to get started. Miss Tori Roberts, I’m sure, has given you the appraisal on the house.”
“Yes, she did. I’m sorry, but the value of the house is less than the amount that you are asking. We require that the value of the collateral be at least double the value of a personal loan. Less than that makes it too risky. Is there something else you could add? I see that you have a rather expensive car you could use, but you don’t have a clear title to that, so unfortunately that’s not an option for you to go that way. I’m afraid that under the present circumstances we cannot help you with your business endeavor at the current time. Perhaps further down the line.”
“So you won’t present my request to the Board of Directors?”
“I can’t in good conscience. It doesn’t meet established criteria established by the Board.”
“I think you should. I know several of them personally. That’s why I came here for the loan. They might think differently than you about this.”
“If you ask me to present your loan application, I have no option. But don’t hold your breath.”
“Don’t be too surprised. You’re new around here. You don’t know how this town works. Good day, Mr. Evans. Oh, tell your boyfriend that I enjoyed his show last week and watching you two dance. Also heard you sang rather well last night at a bar down in Scranton.”
Dillon was a little shocked at this revelation.
“You see,” Dennis Michaels said, “I know things about people. Private things. Secret things they don’t want others to know about. Like someone getting shit-faced drunk en route to a Baltimore interview. I also know how to keep my mouth shut about what I know. I’ll await your phone call after the board meeting. Have a nice day.”
Dillon was a little shaken. Was this an attempt at blackmail? Do what Dennis Michaels wants or face the consequences? Is this what Dennis meant when he said he knew several of the board members? Did he know them or know stuff about them? Secret stuff? Stuff that shouldn’t see the light of day? Is this how the town worked? He wondered. This was going to be a major conference with Eugene.
Dillon spent the remainder of the afternoon preparing for the board meeting the following day. He was disappointed that he hadn’t heard from Nicholas by three o’clock and called the house again before leaving the bank for the day. His mother, or whoever the female was who answered the phone again, was all apologetic, saying she had tried contacting Nicholas nearly every fifteen minutes but the phone kept going to voicemail. Said he had gone swimming at the lake and either shut off his phone or accidentally taken it into the water with him. She said she’d keep trying to relay the message and promised Dillon he would get a return phone call as soon as possible, that Nicholas had orders to be home by six for dinner, but it was the best she could do.
Chapter Twenty-One
They had just sat down to dinner when Dillon’s phone jingled and the identifying name of Hughes showed up on the screen at 5:45 according to the display. “Mr. Evans, this is Nick Hughes. My mother just told me that you called and I should call you immediately. Something about a job. I’m a bit confused. I got the letter this morning officially thanking me for applying but another was selected for the position.”
“You’re right. You weren’t quite right for that job. However, we have another opening for which I think you would be a perfect fit if you are interested.”
“Of course I’m interested. I want to get to work immediately. Going swimming every day is already getting quite boring. Actually, today I went hiking on one of the nature trails at the lake with a buddy for a while and left my phone in his car. Then when we got back, we went right into the lake to get off the sweat from the sun and hiking and everything else. It was so freakin’ hot today. I know I should be doing something more productive with my time.”
“Well, are you available to come in tomorrow at one and fill out all the paperwork for the job and meet the boss and the Board of Directors? You would start training Monday morning at nine.”
“Training for what?”
“To be a teller. I could tell that you are a ‘people’ kind of person, and this, as I said, would be a good fit for us and for you.”
“What can I say? I’ll cancel my swimming date and be there promptly at one. What should I wear?”
“Suit, if you have one, white shirt, and tie. Polished shoes.”
“Thank you, sir. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.”
Nicholas was prompt and Dillon showed him to Tillie’s office where all the proper forms were filled out. Together the three of them, along with Keith Gower, met with Mr. Fredericks and then the board.
Under the category of new business, Mr. Fredericks announced Mrs. Crawford’s departure due to her pregnancy difficulties, and the board agreed with his proposal that, as a reward for her twelve years of service, the bank should continue paying for her participation in the health plan in case of difficulties. Next, he announced his decision to promote Eugene Newcomb to fill her position. Dillon informed the directors that Intellex personnel would be at the bank Monday to install the system on each computer in the building and then begin training each employee on Tuesday. Next, he began presenting the board with the data on who applied for loans and why.
“First is John Abbott with a 780-credit score for a newer car. He wants $25,000 for a new car valued at $32,000. He seems like a most reasonable risk. This would be a three-year loan at 3.5%.” The board approved it. Next is Charles Cooper with a 680-credit score. Only been late on a couple of credit card payments, usually right after college tuitions were due for his daughter. It’s for twelve grand for this year’s fall semester fees. She’s a senior. He didn’t want her getting loans on her own and saddling herself with debt before she even gets a degree. Feels it’s a parent’s job to provide the education.” The board approved it. The third loan was Martha Creighton’s which the board approved immediately, based on previous experience with her. Next he presented and recommended loans for home repairs for Matthew Field’s market for expansion of the produce section of his small grocery store and Edith Rowe for her roof repair.”
“The last request is from Dennis Michaels for a personal loan of $25,000 to go into partnership in a new bar in town.” He thought he saw several of the directors flinch when he said the name as if they knew him or knew of him. “To be quite honest, I cannot recommend this loan. He offered his home as collateral, but its appraised value is only $19,500. He currently owes $14,000 on his $35,000 car. Mavis checked his credit score which is exceptional but she can’t figure out where his money is coming from since expenditures far exceed income. It just seems suspicious to her. I turned him down, but he insisted that I present it to you for consideration. Said he knew several of you personally and was sure you would give him approval. I don’t know if he was aware that any loan applicant can direct a first-level denial to the board for consideration, as by law I must do if asked, but I got the impression that he was going to try and blackmail me with the fact that I’m in a relationship with another man if I didn’t present it to you. By law I am presenting the application to you for your decision, but I definitely do not recommend it. It is not in the bank’s best interest.”
“What were the details on the loan?” asked Mr. Hamilton, the one board member who never wore a suit or tie to these meetings.
“3.9% for five years.”
“I say we offer him the loan at 19.9% for two years and only a thirty-day grace period before it’s in default. You see, I know Mr. Michaels. As a matter of fact, I had a phone call from him last night. He was curious to know how many people were aware that I had a dui. arrest last year but escaped prosecution because I had a good lawyer who found fault with the arrest. Said it would be a shame if that arrest became general knowledge. So Dillon, he was trying to blackmail me as well. As you said
, giving him a regular loan is not in the bank’s best interest.”
Several others admitted they too had received phone calls the previous night without going into particular details. They liked offering a loan with ridiculous numbers that only an idiot would accept. Ellie Miller, Marty Creighton’s girlfriend, offered an additional stipulation that the bank also be listed as a second creditor on the car’s title. “I definitely don’t like getting phone calls at 10:30 at night.”
Following more discussion, the board voted to deny the initial loan request and terms, but was unanimous in allowing Dillon to offer a loan at the higher numbers. Following the conclusion of the meeting and while everyone else left, Dillon returned to his office and contacted each of the loan applicants and scheduled them to come in on Monday for the paperwork and the check. He had a most enormous grin on his face as he contacted Mr. Michaels. “Mr. Michaels, this is Dillon Evans at the bank. I just wanted to let you know the board of directors has unanimously approved giving you a loan for the twenty-five grand. I can see you Monday morning at eleven o’clock. We can do the paperwork then and set up the repayment schedule.” Dillon figured he’d let the man gloat all weekend and make his big plans and then drop the bomb on him. He was proud that the board members showed some resourcefulness and didn’t just rubberstamp everything. He was also pleased there was no discernable negative reaction when he admitted he was having sex with another guy.
Over dinner he reiterated the highlights of the meeting of the board with Eugene, including how they dealt with the Dennis Michaels application. He was rather surprised Saturday morning to receive an e-mail from Mr. Fredericks with the memo line saying “congratulations.” He opened the letter, written the night before, and read: