Ripoff

by St. James, Morgan

  I shook my head and waggled my finger at her. “You’re too much. One minute you complain and the next you’re willing to spend more than you can afford for another pair.” I picked up a lined pad from my cocktail table and said, “Okay, let’s figure out where we go from here. I know we talked about it quite a bit in the car, but it always seems to help to get it down on paper.

  “You’re right. We have to have a plan. Here’s what I think. Kimberly, during the party maybe you and Kate should make sure Julia, Bruce and Matt are occupied, while I snoop around. Everyone thinks I’m a bit ditzy, so if I get stopped I can act confused and say I was looking for a bathroom. They’ll believe me unless they catch me doing something suspicious. We shouldn’t all be skulking around at the same time.”

  I made a note. “Maybe we should switch off, so none of us are gone for too long. Lord knows what we’ll find. The bathroom excuse is good—something each of us could say.”

  “Look you two, I don’t think we should do anything more than look around during the party. We can’t risk really getting into trouble. Sure, you can open a few drawers and stuff like that, but be careful. If you do see anything, we’ll have to figure out how to get back in.”

  They were excited about this, and I was trying to keep the lid on.

  Kate, always thinking three moves ahead, said, “Sounds reasonable. By the way, anyone know what we’re looking for?”

  I took a moment to picture the scene with Cami upstairs. “Maybe you should check the master bedroom. With those Size 20 frocks Julia wears, if the closets are filled with her clothes it’s a pretty sure bet she’s actually living there.”

  “If that’s the case, she probably has a home office. Maybe that’s where she keeps things she doesn’t want anyone to see. She could even have another computer—one with the records and documents we’re trying to find.”

  We threw around ideas until past midnight when we wrapped it up, but by that time we had filled several sheets with the semblance of a plan. I couldn’t resist saying, “We’re kinda like Charlie’s Angels and we’re definitely on the job.”

  Kate said, “I don’t know. It feels more like the First Wives Club plotting their revenge.”

  Cami insisted we were more like Nine to Five, out to trap the boss.

  The truth was, with the final revenge yet to be determined, we were probably a combination of all three!

  ~21~

  We agreed it shouldn’t be obvious that the three of us spent Thursday night together, so around 10:00 the next morning, I dropped Kate and Cameron off at the Westin Hotel and continued to my office. The slick Pacific Place shopping mall is walking distance from the hotel, so they could eat breakfast and shop to their heart’s delight until check-in time. Matt arranged for a coach service to take our sales staff from the Westin to the mansion around 4:00 that afternoon.

  I’d gotten settled at my desk with a fresh mug of coffee when Matt popped his head in. “Hi, gorgeous. Well this is the big day. Excited?”

  “I don’t know, Matt. I still have some serious doubts about this. What if the Inspector General digs into some of the costs and discovers how government money was spent? A big party? At a mansion? I know Bruce and Julia feel this is the key to adding more product lines, and in turn more business. And I get the part about building better relations with our manufacturing partners as well as some of the main contracting officers, but it still feels a bit weird to me. After all, I’m the one on the line for our finances.”

  “Chill, Sweetie. Don’t be so uptight. Like Julia said, the costs are pretty well buried in the sales meeting budget. No one is going to question it and it’s a good chance for you to meet quite a few of the important names that just exist on paper for you right now.”

  Ah, here was the opening. I pretended to be thinking about it before I said, “You might have a point there. When I ran the statements, I noticed that we have a new manufacturing partner, or at least it’s a name I hadn’t noticed before. You’re the one who worked with the guest list. Will someone from Alaric Fabricators be there?”

  Matt’s eye twitched. He seemed nervous, which was an unusual thing for him. “Um, Alaric? Oh yeah, that’s the company we sometimes use for pass-throughs.”

  “Pass-throughs?”

  “I don’t think we’ve had many since you’ve been working here, so maybe you hadn’t noticed them before. Alaric has been a supplier of ours for awhile. When we get a rush order for something we wouldn’t be able to deliver on time by making it in a prison factory, sometimes we actually order it from Alaric instead. You see, under certain circumstances the mandate that established the FACR program way back in the late thirties allows us to basically pass it through directly to a manufacturing partner and they drop ship to the customer. The cartons are still marked with the FACR logo, so we meet the schedule and don’t lose the customer. It’s very subjective. We can’t do many of those, because then it wouldn’t be an inmate rehab program, would it?”

  I didn’t answer and waited for him to go on. I’d heard somewhere that if you want to be the one who wins, let the other guy fill the silence. I kept my mouth shut even though I was itching to say something.

  After a minute or so with neither of us saying anything, he cleared his throat and said, “That isn’t really something I deal with, but Alaric is sort of an indirect supplier. I think they sell components to one of the manufacturing partners who then supplies them to us. The way I understand it, if we get into a bind, they can also manufacture furniture to custom specifications, so it’s no problem for them to copy the styles on the order and ship the finished product right to the customer. It’s all legit. Don’t worry.”

  My trust in Matt was giving way to darkness, not unlike the last remnants of a brilliant sunset. My gut feeling was right. I’d really have to be careful about what I said and did around him in the future. Why was he so nervous? Had I hit on something?

  Trying to look casual, I took a sip of my coffee. Yuk. It had turned cold and left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. I fixed Matt with a questioning expression. He mumbled something unintelligible, much like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar making excuses, then went back to his own office.

  Matt and I left early in the afternoon so we could arrive on the scene around 3:00, each in our own cars. I had to admit, he’d done a fantastic job of working with the caterers. Shaded by a large red umbrella, a valet service had set up a station in front of the gates. A few fellows in red jackets, white shirts and black pants were ready to whisk cars away as quickly as they arrived. Glittery letters on the back of the jackets advertised they were the Valerio Valet Service. As we walked up the drive, Matt said, “We didn’t want people to have to walk very far. These guys are bonded and insured.” As if he needed to explain to me.

  Three catering trucks stood in front of the entry to the mansion. Each was wrapped in one of those photographic skins that almost look real, showing images of elegant tables laden with mouth-watering dishes. Lettering strung across the back doors of the van closest to me read MONTOYA’S MOVEABLE FEAST, with a phone number and website address in bold black letters below. The uniformed catering staff rushed around putting finishing touches on everything.

  Confident and glib, Matt was back to himself. He put his arm around my shoulder. “So, my skeptical friend, what do you think?”

  The home looked beautiful from the outside, but the inside was even more impressive. A huge foyer featured inlaid marble floors and a sweeping circular staircase leading to the second floor. A massive chandelier dripping with crystals cascaded from the high ceiling above. Beyond the entry was an enormous living room with at least 20 feet of French doors that revealed the tented grounds and pool area. Multiple tables surrounded by chairs with festive slipcovers dotted the expansive lawn, catering stations ringed the patio, and there was even a little stage and portable dance floor where a band was finishing the setup of their instruments.

  This was ridiculous. Government money being spent on a part
y of this scope? It looked more like a society affair or one of those Hollywood parties you see in magazines.

  Not realizing I was there, Julia swept down the stairs, calling “Matt? Is that you?”

  I’ll hand it to her. She recovered quickly. Her eyes sparked with surprise when she saw me, but she said without a moment’s hesitation, “Kimberly, good—I’m glad you came early. I was just making sure that the doors to the upstairs rooms were closed. When we negotiated the contract for this place, it was on the condition that guests wouldn’t be wandering through the rooms on the second floor. With all the people that will be here, I certainly wouldn’t want to be responsible if something valuable were to disappear.”

  She gave Matt a hug and asked him to go into the kitchen with her, mumbling something about the caterers. Turning to me she said, “Bruce came in this morning. He’s really been looking forward to this, and now the day is finally here. He’s out in the back. Why don’t you go say hello to him?”

  Julia’s face glowed with an inner light. It never ceased to amaze me how sexy she could be for a big woman. I wondered if she and Bruce spent the night in the mansion.

  ~22~

  Bruce stood at the far end of the tented yard, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at several colorful Koi fish slicing through a kidney-shaped pond. Behind the pond, mosaic fish frolicked across stylistic blue and green waves on an elaborate mural. Must have cost a fortune.

  Our distinguished leader acknowledged me with a little finger waggle followed by what I’m sure he thought was a sexy wink. It came off looking more like he’d gotten something in his eye. “Nice to see you, Kimberly.” He pointed to the Koi in the pond. “Amazing to think those are actually goldfish isn’t it? I read somewhere that they pretty much grow to the size of their environment. Still, it’s crazy that some of them are worth a cool grand or more. When you come right down to it, they’re still just fish.”

  I focused on a showy black, gold and white one gliding through the clear water. “Yeah, and it’s not even like having a dog. At least you can play with one of those or pet a cat while it sits on your lap. I’ve heard it’s good relaxation therapy to watch fish, but I suspect it’s more likely that some people are willing to pay the price just for status symbols.”

  He chuckled. “You’re right. Give me a nice German Shepherd or Golden Retriever any day. Whoever owns this place has a pretty penny invested in these guys.”

  Something didn’t sound right. That was a strange comment coming from Bruce if he was part of the MULCT group. Maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe Julia had hooked up with some other money people, or maybe he was trying to make it seem as though he had no involvement. I wouldn’t have put that past him either. After all, he was a slippery character.

  As I contemplated who the other partners in MULCT might be, Bruce abandoned the fish talk. “So, Kimberly, how’s your love life? Pretty, single woman like you—“His arm snaked out and encircled my waist. A shiver of revulsion ran up my spine. The jerk was putting the moves on me.

  I took a step back, and looked him in the eye. “Why, Bruce, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were flirting with me. Of course that’s ridiculous. I mean, you’re the CEO and I’m your employee. I think there are regulations about that, aren’t there?”

  His face turned bright red, his arm dropped and he stepped back. Gathering his dignity, he said, “That’s a foolish thing to insinuate, Kimberly. Let’s go inside.” He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the beads of perspiration from his forehead. There was nothing he could do about the bulge in his pants.

  The charter bus hadn’t arrived yet, but people who had driven drifted into the mansion in singles, and some twos and threes. Julia and Matt waited at the door, graciously greeting new arrivals, then directing them inside.

  Servers decked out in black pants topped by emerald green waiter’s jackets carried artfully arranged hors d’ oeuvres on silver trays. The spicy fragrance of miniscule meatballs speared with those fancy fringed toothpicks, little crab puffs, and chicken satay sticks drifted by. I nibbled on a satay stick, keeping close watch on everything around me.

  Bartenders poured wine and mixed drinks from a portable bar in the family room. After polishing off the chicken, instead of taking the risk of stuffing my mouth with more food or guzzling a drink, I focused on the server’s and bartender’s uniforms prominently displaying the Montoya’s Moveable Feast emblem on the pocket. God I wanted one of those meatballs!

  The band began to play and music wafted through the doors that were now open to the tented yard area.

  An image of the Inspector General blasting into the party, eyes bulging as he clutched his chest flashed into my mind. This lavish affair was enough to give any government auditor a heart attack. If photos of our orientation meeting and dinner ever got out, what could they possibly say to explain what appeared to be a very lavish party, definitely very unlike a government meeting. Tabloids would have a field day with headlines like, GOVERNMENT PARTIES LIKE THE RICH AND FAMOUS. Hot dogs and beans or rubber chicken in some mid-range hotel or catering hall would have been more like it. At that point I wondered if my cell phone camera could capture the opulence.

  The guests included a mix of men and women, so at least my initial fear that Julia and Bruce were offering my team to a bunch of men was unfounded. I’d squeezed my eyes shut while taking a few deep breaths, then crashed back to earth just as the bus arrived.

  Thank heavens it wasn’t the same black prison bus that had taken us to Paradise Hills Prison. Matt must have arranged for a private charter so people in the ritzy neighborhood wouldn’t be traumatized. I could just imagine their reaction to a big black bus bearing the prison logo, filled with women behind barred windows, cruising down the elegant streets. At the very least it would have triggered hysterical calls to the local police or even to my friend from the other night—the security guard.

  “Hey, Kimberly—” Tucker gave me a big hug, snapping me out of my daze. “What a delight to see y’all. Isn’t this place somethin’? I can see whoever decorated it was top notch.” She pointed to the rug we were standing on. “Why, do you know this is a vintage silk Persian Heriz? I’d figure it at about $20,000.” She licked her lips and shrugged. “I remember when I was out shoppin’ for pretties like this for my clients. Now I just run around desks to keep the lechers at bay while I’m writin’ down orders.”

  Tucker could always make me laugh. “Um, yeah, Matt was lucky to find this place.”

  The less people knew about our suspicions, the better.

  “I know you’ve been in a lot of elegant homes, but it’s a real treat to see how the other half lives, isn’t it?” I made a face of mock despair. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be satisfied with my condo again.”

  The tinkle of her laugh followed the Southern Belle as she moved toward the bar.

  According to plan, Julia was to make her greeting speech as soon as all the guests arrived. Knowing how Bruce loved to hog the limelight, I couldn’t wait to see what he would do to upstage her.

  Kate and Cameron waved to me from the other side of the room, but I waited until I could get them off in a corner without attracting attention. I had to deal with the manufacturers, the contracting people and the other reps, all the while making sure Julia kept thinking I was a good employee focused on helping her host the party.

  After about twenty minutes most people had drinks in their hands. They stood in amiable groups, chatting about this and that. It was time to take my partners in crime aside.

  We huddled, trying not to look like conspirators. “Bruce and Julia will be giving their welcome speeches in a bit.” I pointed to a doorway that led to a hall. “There’s a bathroom at the end of that hall, and a utility room right next to it. While the two of them are busy impressing the guests, slip out and meet me in the utility room. We can close the door and figure out what to do next. I don’t think anyone will miss us for a few minutes. I’ve managed to scout around a little bit. Do
you both have your cell phones?”

  They nodded.

  “Well we have to be discreet about it, but we need pictures of this extravagance. I just hope the phone cameras can do an adequate job. I have a feeling they’ll come in handy. No one would believe it if we just described this. They’d probably think we were exaggerating.”

  Cameron wrinkled her nose, clearly upset. “Mama always said a picture was worth a thousand words. I’ll bet by the time the evening is over we’ll have used up all the memory in our phones. Wish I had thought to bring a real camera.”

  Kate reached into her purse and brought out one of the smallest cameras I’d ever seen. “Oh, we’ll get good photos alright. I came prepared.”

  ~23~

  Cameron slipped upstairs to poke around while the party was in full swing. I kept an eye on Julia and Bruce. We still had no idea how deeply Matt was involved and couldn’t afford to take any chances with him, either. If he started upstairs, Kate would call Cami’s cell immediately.

  Every minute seemed like an hour. The whole time she was gone, I hadn’t been able to think about anything other than what would happen if something went wrong. What if she got caught with her hand in a dresser drawer? Worse yet, what if she was caught going through papers or something? Even though she looked a bit pale, relief washed over me when our undercover agent glided down the stairs.

  Kate noticed her about the same time I did. A signal passed between us, and we all headed for the bathroom next to the utility room. Once inside, we locked the door.

  Cami babbled, “T-Tucker walked in on me. What if it had been one of them?”

  She couldn’t stop shaking.

  Kate placed her hands on Cami’s shoulders and said, “Get a grip on yourself. You’re safe, okay? Did you find anything?”

  “Well, I was just coming out of this huge closet when I heard a noise and didn’t know who it was. I’d found…”