by Hope Malory
“Since this landscape project boosted my finances, I want to hire someone to strip the wallpaper and paint. Do you know anyone?”
“I’ll work on it. Thanks. If we finish in three to four weeks, we can move in by the end of next month, and I won’t have to pay rent anymore.”
~ ~ ~
Early Monday morning, Beasley swung into Molly’s Diner for a large coffee to go before pulling into her office parking lot across the street. While sipping her liquid caffeine, she jotted down her priorities for the day. Talking to her accountant was at the top of the list.
Like clockwork, Millie arrived at her appointed time. “Did you find anything else after I left?” Beasley asked.
“No, but I put the delinquent bills in a folder on your desk. Did you see them?”
“Yes, thanks.” What luck to find such a dedicated assistant.
As soon as Rhoda walked in and turned on her computer, Beasley invited the accountant to come to her office and take a seat.
“Do you need something?”
“Yes. Over the weekend, I found discrepancies in the accounting records. Some overdue bills that confused me.” As she removed them from the folder, she studied Rhoda’s body language. “Can you explain these?”
There it was—the flash of fear, the fidgeting in her seat, the averting of her eyes, the hesitation.
“How did you, um, I, uh, in all my years, I have never been delinquent on a payment. I’m embarrassed to say I put them in the wrong file. When the second notice came, well, they were late, but I paid them.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to bother you with details. You were so busy with the King account, I thought you wanted me to handle any financial issues. Paying bills is my responsibility, so I took care of it. There’s nothing to worry about.”
She’s overselling. There is more here than she’s telling. “I pulled up the accounts on my laptop and didn’t find where you entered these. Can you show me?” Turning the computer screen to the side, she handed Rhoda the mouse. The color in Rhoda’s face rose, and her hand shook when she took over the mouse.
Rhoda scrolled to an invoice marked ‘paid.’ “Here it is.”
“This invoice is dated three months before payment.”
“I must have entered the wrong date.”
“It isn’t like you to make so many errors. Is there a problem?”
“No. I made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes.” Rhoda’s face paled, and she placed her trembling hand on the desk as if to steady it.
“Can you show me where these other two are?”
Rhoda scrolled through the accounts, stopped, and dropped her head. “I didn’t pay them.”
“So, you’re telling me you still haven’t paid them? Why?”
“I can’t give you an answer.”
Beasley’s voice rose along with her anxiety. “What’s going on? What are you not saying?”
Biting her lip, Rhoda shook her head and didn’t look up. After a long pause, she whispered, “There is no money in the account.”
Beasley stiffened, and a sudden coldness gripped her. “What do you mean? This shows a healthy balance. I don’t understand.”
“It’s wrong. All wrong,” Rhoda mumbled, wringing her hands.
“What the hell are you saying?” A vein pulsed in her temple, and a wave of nausea swept through her.
Rhoda looked up before she averted her eyes. She started to speak but said nothing. She teared up, sprang to her feet, and flew out of the office.
Adrenaline rushed through Beasley’s body as she shot up and followed her. “Stop!” The volume of her voice had boomed louder than she intended. Other employees gaped at her with questioning looks on their faces.
As she charged down the hall, Rhoda darted out the back door with her purse. Beasley stepped up her pace, but by the time she reached the door, Rhoda was in her car driving away.
“Kate, Millie, I need you two in my office.”
Beasley filled Kate in on the late bills Millie had discovered over the weekend. “I met with Rhoda, and it is worse than we thought.” She updated them on the conversation.
“Are you going to notify the police?”
“Not yet. Kate, on Saturday, we found a password-protected personal file on her computer. She didn’t use her usual password. Do you think your brother could get us in?”
“Yes. He can access almost any computer within minutes. I’ll call him.”
“Thanks. Let’s search the paper files.”
As Kate left, Millie and Beasley each took a few and sorted through them.
Kate soon returned to Beasley’s office. “Miles is across the street at Molly’s Diner having breakfast. He’s on his way over.”
No sooner than she finished the sentence, the front door opened. “Morning, ladies,” Miles said. “Where’s the computer you need me to hack into?”
“Follow me,” Beasley said. After turning on Rhoda’s desktop, she showed him the file.
He flopped down, and his fingers flew across the keyboard. In a matter of minutes, he was in. “Can I do anything else for you?”
“Let me check.” Switching places with Miles, she searched through the documents and clicked on an icon titled “Books.” When the company accounts appeared, she scrolled to the bottom, and the balance was indeed zero.
She inhaled a long breath to calm her rising panic and steady her voice. “This is all we need, Miles. Millie brought home-baked chocolate chip cookies. Please help yourself. They’re on the front counter. Thanks again for helping us.”
“For chocolate chip cookies, I’ll come any time. Goodbye, ladies.”
As soon as Miles left, Beasley released her clasped hands. Indentations remained where her nails had dug into her palms. To quell her mounting panic, she blew out a breath and tried to keep her voice even. “Kate, you are more experienced in accounting. Can you check and tell me what you find?”
It didn’t take Kate long to find deposits to an account at Azalea Valley Bank. “Don’t you do all your banking at Tennessee East Bank?” she asked.
“I do.” Beasley picked up her cell and found Azalea Valley Bank’s phone number. “This is Beasley McLemore. I need to speak to Gina in the accounting department, please.” She tapped her pencil on the desk until her friend answered. “Gina, I need a favor. Can you look up an account for Beasley’s Gardens?”
The clicking of keys on Gina’s computer sounded through the phone.
“Here it is. What do you want to know?”
“Who opened this and when?”
“I’ll check. Is there a problem?”
“Maybe.”
“The records show you opened it about eight months ago.”
“Well, that is an issue since I didn’t open an account. Can you send me all the statements and find out which bank employee handled it?”
“I’m on it. I’ll call you as soon as I find anything.”
About the time the email from Gina came through, Beasley’s cell rang.
“Hi, Beasley. I found out one of our newer employees, Annie, opened the account. Your accountant, Rhoda Cordasco, came to the bank and asked to speak to her. They attended the same cooking club. When Annie informed her you had to sign, Rhoda said you’d sent her to open one for the office. Assuring Annie that she handled all the finances for you, Rhoda handed her a sizable check to deposit. Rhoda said you were out of town and you would be upset if she didn’t handle it before you returned. Our employee didn’t follow policy and opened the account. I promise you we will deal with this on our end. I’m sorry if this caused you a problem. Call me if you need anything else.”
Her heart sank as Gina revealed what had transpired. “Your email came through. We’ll check it, but for now, I need you
to put a hold on the account so no further transactions occur until I review this.”
After opening the email, Beasley punched print. “Let’s compare amounts and dates with the books. I think we know what happened, but I want to confirm before calling my lawyer. Millie, please tell the employees I canceled this morning’s staff meeting. We need to work on this and find out what’s going on as soon as possible.”
Kate compared deposits in the Azalea Valley account with withdrawals from the Tennessee East account recorded in Rhoda’s private ledger. Kate handed the list to her.
They matched, but none of the withdrawals from Tennessee East showed up in the official records. “Can you find out who the payee was on the checks written from the Azalea Valley Bank account?” Beasley asked.
Kate located the information in under a minute. “Look at this. The amounts are to QC Transport.”
“Hmm, I’m not familiar with them.”
Millie walked into the office when she said it. “I am. It’s Rhoda’s son’s new company. QC stands for Quincy Cordasco. He opened it about a year ago.”
Both ladies stared at her.
Millie grinned. “I’m nosy. I asked about her family in the break room one day, and she told me.”
“So, she transferred money from Beasley’s Gardens to an account she set up and deposited funds into her son’s business account. Now it’s time to call my lawyer.”
She put her head in her hands. Millie and Kate slipped out of her office. This is a nightmare. How could Rhoda do this?
She straightened her shoulders, took a deep breath, and called her lawyer and longtime friend, Dianne Claymore. One of Dianne’s clients had canceled his appointment, so they agreed to meet at three o’clock. She calculated her losses. This is bad, but it shouldn’t put me out of business. To her credit, she didn’t keep all her money in the company account. Months ago, she had opened a savings account for an emergency fund Rhoda didn’t have access to.
After checking the accounts payable and receivable, she figured with the income from sales and current contracts, she should be able to pay debts and expenses but with little to nothing left over. No doubt, Rhoda’s theft was a huge setback. She gathered up all the related documents for her appointment with Dianne.
Beasley steered her vehicle north on Hatcher Highway, turned right on Claymore Street, named after Dianne’s family, and drove one block to Claymore and Associates Law Offices.
Dianne’s dad, the original Claymore in the firm, was now semiretired and handled a few cases a year. Dianne managed the small law practice with her younger sister and one other attorney.
The meeting took place in a well-appointed conference room adjoining Dianne’s plush office. As usual in a hurry, Dianne rushed in with her legal pad and pen. “Sorry I’m late. What can I do to ease the worry etched on your face?”
Beasley shared the findings with her lawyer, who took notes and reviewed the paperwork. “Because of her fiduciary relationship, they could charge her with accounting embezzlement. She manipulated your records and hid the theft. Since she had lawful access to the funds and converted them to personal use, her actions were intentional. It appears there is enough evidence to press charges.”
“What happens next?”
“Embezzlement is a premeditated white-collar crime. The first thing we will insist on is restitution. The judge may opt to put her on probation until she pays the entire amount, the best-case scenario for her, or he might sentence her to community service and require her to pay court fees. Jail time is also an option.”
“I don’t believe this. What do I need to do?”
“First, contact the bank and ask if any transactions occurred today. Tell them to accept transactions from you alone. Set new passwords on all accounts. Shut down her computer access to anything relating to Beasley’s Gardens.”
“I took care of those things.”
“Great. If she has keys to your office, replace your locks and change the code on the security system. I’ll handle it from here.”
Trying to remain calm, but wanting to scream, she said, “Thanks. This is all so bizarre. I can’t remember when I was this furious at anyone. My stomach feels like someone punched me.”
Beasley collected her papers, and Dianne escorted her to the door. “I’m so sorry, my friend. Go home, pour yourself a glass of wine, and try to relax. It’s a pain in the tush, but we’ll work through it together.”
Chapter 14
Beasley took Dianne’s advice. Tears pooled in her eyes as she poured a glass of wine. A combination of fear and anger roiled through her. Since Dianne had advised her not to talk to Rhoda, she resisted the temptation to confront her. Instead, she called Brenner and then Casey to pour out her frustrations. Casey didn’t mention Will this time, but Beasley’s thoughts veered to him. Although tempted, she decided against calling him.
Still jittery after choking down half of a turkey and cheese sandwich that served as dinner, she reconsidered calling Will and punched in his number on her cell.
“Will, I need a friend to vent to.”
“I’m ready to listen. What’s wrong?”
They talked for almost an hour. He was a voice of reason. His calm, reassuring tone enabled her to relax.
“I’m so glad you called. Let me know what happens and know you can call me anytime.”
“Yes, I will, and you can also call me.”
“I promise. Beasley, I miss you.”
Even through the distress, her spirits soared at his words. “I miss you too.”
~ ~ ~
Will had tried to forget about her, but memories kept creeping in at odd times. Soon after she had gone home, he admitted to himself he made a mistake—a huge one. Beasley is the best thing that happened to me in years. Why didn’t I try harder to make her understand we could have a promising future together? On several occasions since he called her about the triathlon, he almost picked up the phone to tell her that. Then, he would change his mind, thinking she wasn’t interested in reuniting and telling himself she would be better off without him.
It encouraged him that she turned to him when distressed. That’s the Beasley I know. Their conversation reminded him of the night they were alone at Casey’s cabin when they had curled up on the couch and stayed up late talking for hours. The memory of their kisses stirred something inside him.
The disappointment became less acute with time, but the physical and emotional distance between them caused him to feel empty. Lonely after she left, he’d even asked Madison out again. His sister liked her and wanted them to reunite. As a result, she had broadcast to her friends they were together again. But after two dates, he realized his mistake. They were not right for each other. If his relationship with Beasley didn’t succeed, how could he make it work with anyone else?
~ ~ ~
The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of action. Rumors about her accountant had circulated throughout the office and the town. Details emerged that caused her to question what else Rhoda did to sabotage her. Convinced Rhoda’s motives were more than to relieve her son’s financial burdens, Beasley dug deeper into the records and found other unpaid bills. Her lawyer helped her craft a letter of dismissal. A police officer arrested Rhoda, and she was now out on bond.
True to his word, Will called every few days to see how she was. Those calls brightened her mood. Not only did she want the connection with him, she needed it. At night, when she was alone, she ached for his kiss and his touch. Not seeing him was excruciating. At least when he called, she could talk to him and pretend they were together. During their phone call last night, she had told him they wrapped up Mr. King’s massive landscaping project, the renovations on the house were complete, and today was moving day.
The previous evening, she and Brenner loaded her furniture into the midsized U-Haul s
he rented. They both went to Brenner’s and packed her possessions. This morning, upon hauling herself out of the sleeping bag, Beasley moved like a snail, stiff from all the lifting and from sleeping on the floor last night. She drove the U-Haul to the house on the corner of West Jackson and Main Street. Puffy white clouds filled the sky, which was a favorable sign rain wouldn’t hamper their progress.
Her brother, Blake, had promised to help them move. The first to arrive, Beasley strolled through the house, noting how different everything looked after the renovations. We had a lot of happy times in this house. She remembered the noise and bustle of activity with six kids running around. Her eyes brightened as she ambled from room to room, thinking of each of her family members.
Standing in the living room, she recalled the fire burning in the fireplace while everyone gathered around the television watching the Atlanta Braves. Her brothers had played baseball, and all dreamed of playing for the Braves someday. She and Brenner pitched for a girls’ softball league in their younger years. Beasley still threw fast balls on a local ladies’ team and Brenner played first base.
Her eldest brother at twenty-nine, Bradley and his wife had two children: her beloved seven-year-old nephew, Tyler, and precious three-year-old niece, Emmie. Employed at Tennessee Valley Authority in Kingston, Bradley followed in the footsteps of their father. Benton McLemore was a well-known and esteemed tradesperson and helped his progeny secure the job at TVA.
Baxter, who was a year behind Bradley and married to his high school sweetheart, had an eighteen-month-old daughter, Kyley, who couldn’t yet pronounce her name. She shouted, “Belee” and ran to Beasley whenever she saw her. Baxter was a lifer in the Air Force. After a tour of duty in Germany, the Air Force stationed him at the Brandenburg base in California. Obsessed with cars, he learned to work on them at a young age. He later became a mechanic in the military and worked on jets.
