by J. D. Chase
The inspector swallowed. Isla attempted to ascertain whether the red patches on her neck had deepened or whether they just seemed darker because the woman’s complexion had paled significantly.
‘Again, Mr . . . what did you say your name was?’ she asked.
‘I didn’t.’
‘Again, I’d like to know what you’re implying.’ The inspector seemed to have shrunk into her seat. There was no conviction behind her words and Isla knew that Xander had her where he wanted her.
‘And again, Mrs Walker, I’ll tell you that I’m not implying anything. I asked you a question, that’s all.’
Oh my God. That stare. No wonder she’s sagging in her seat. Finish her off, Xander. Finish her off and I’ll fuck you wherever and however you want it tonight. A celebratory fucking of the first order.
‘Forgive me but from the line of your questioning, it seemed that you were implying that I had agreed to complete a fraudulent inspection in exchange for a cash bribe.’
Fuck. She’s not done yet.
‘I didn’t imply anything. I asked whether you were telling me that you hadn’t done exactly what you just said.’
‘You mentioned keeping information confidential and lawyers . . . you were implying wrongdoing and it was aimed at me.’
‘You can make of that what you will. If you’re telling me that you didn’t agree to perform a sham of an inspection for the purposes of obtaining money in exchange for an unfair grading, then you can leave and I shall pass any necessary information that I have to my legal team. That information may consist of photocopied notes and proof of a certain bank transfer into an account in your name. Either way, rest assured that my legal team will be in contact with your head office in order to make a formal complaint and to appeal your grading and the entire basis of this inspection. They will, of course, share any evidence that I give them with your employers who may wish to seek legal assistance of their own once the facts of the matter come to light. And, rest assured that we shall be appealing your derogatory two-star grading. I’m sure that when your employers receive the aforementioned evidence, they will only be too pleased to perform another inspection in the near future as well as withholding your allegedly honest findings.’
The inspector had continued to shrivel in her seat as Xander had spoken. Then her eyes darted around the room, making Isla suspect she was looking for a way to escape.
Xander continued. ‘Alternatively, you could award the hotel the minimum four-star grading that it truly deserves and have one less thing to worry about when your employers are contacted. Or, you could award a five-star grading and the aforementioned evidence will not make its way to your employers. In order for me to destroy it, you must give me a name. And you must not pass on any information whatsoever to that person.’
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she said, weakly.
‘I think you do. Remember, I have proof of a bank transfer.’
Mrs Walker sagged even further in her seat. ‘Mr Rodgers, your head barman I believe,’ she muttered, no longer able to meet Xander’s hostile stare.
Isla gasped. Dean?
Xander simply nodded. ‘Former head barman. Thank you. You have exactly thirty minutes to use this office to complete your paperwork awarding the hotel a five-star rating. I shall hold on to the evidence that I have until I’m sure that you do not pass on any information to Mr Rodgers. That may mean that I don’t destroy it for months. If word gets back to me, I shall pass the evidence to my legal team and they will be in contact with your employers. And rest assured that I will make damned sure that you don’t work in this industry again. Hell, you’ll be lucky to get a job waitressing when I’m finished. Do you understand?’
Staring at her shoes, she replied meekly, ‘I do.’
Isla and Xander left the office and gave strict instructions to the reception staff to call them immediately if Mrs Walker attempted to leave the building. Then they took stools at the bar and ordered themselves a gin and tonic. Before they could finish their drinks, Mrs Walker appeared and handed over her revised paperwork and had the nerve to congratulate them on their five-star grading.
‘Get out,’ whispered Isla, out of earshot of the other residents. ‘Women like you make me sick.’
Xander caught the inspector’s arm as she turned to leave. ‘Remember, Mrs Walker, one word and a whole shit storm of trouble is coming your way.’
She nodded once and then left.
‘Jesus,’ Isla sighed. ‘Thank you. I’d have been stuffed if you hadn’t come back when you did. I was seriously pissed at you for disappearing but I didn’t know what you were up to.’
‘I went to see Janine,’ he said simply. ‘I attempted to pre-empt the inspector’s judgement by getting Janine to call her off. It was a waste of time because she said she knew nothing about it. I logged on to our online banking and attempted to find the transaction that I suspected would be in there. I found nothing.’
Isla pulled a face. ‘Well, you wouldn’t, because it turned out that it wasn’t her. Oh my God. I can’t believe that Dean would do that. How did you know it was Dean?’
Shrugging, Xander replied, ‘I didn’t. I still assumed it was Janine behind it but that she’d either found some other way of getting money to the inspector or that she was going to pay her everything once she’d completed the sham inspection.’
Isla nodded. ‘How is she? And the baby?’
He laughed. It was a harsh, unpleasant sound. ‘She declared when I arrived that I wasn’t welcome. I told her that, according to her, my child was inside and that it was still my home on paper and I was the one paying the bills so she couldn’t refuse me. She announced that I wasn’t allowed to see the child, not after I’d doubted its paternity. I told her I had no interest in seeing it, that I knew it wasn’t my child. I told her about all the fertility tests that I’d had. She looked shocked but still insisted that she hadn’t slept with anyone else so he must be mine. She then proceeded to slag me off for deserting her at the hospital, for upsetting her when she’d just given birth and for abandoning my child and the family home and how all of that was going to go in her favour when we sit down to discuss the divorce settlement in court. She also said that she knew I’d got money in Rouge Passion. I denied it, of course, but she was very confident.’
Isla shook her head. ‘There’s no proof for her to find . . . unless she’s spoken to Gerald and he’s told her it was your money that enabled him to transfer the hotel into my name.’
He shrugged. ‘I doubt she can prove it but she’ll damned well try.’
Closing her eyes, Isla sighed. ‘It’s not going to be easy, is it? The next few months are going to be hell.’
Xander clasped her hand. ‘But we’re together now. We’ll get through it. Yes, I’ll fight her but not at your expense. Defeating Janine isn’t as important as keeping you happy.’
‘But it’s your inheritance from your grandparents that allowed you to buy your hotel . . . and this one, really. So why should the cheating bitch get her hands on them? No, Xander. You fight her all the way and I’ll be right by your side. Well, unless that complicates it and then I’ll be supporting you from the sidelines. You take on that bitch and you keep all that you can. Let the baby’s father support her and keep her accustomed to the lifestyle that she’s lived at your expense.’
‘That’s it,’ he said suddenly.
Isla frowned. ‘That’s what?’
‘A paternity test. That’ll prove I’m not the father conclusively. Far more conclusively than all my fertility test results. The judge can’t argue with that. And it will save me having to pay those fertility experts to stand up in court and defend those test results, because you know that’s what Janine’s legal team will try to do. They’ll try to cast doubt on their reliability et cetera. But there’s no arguing with a DNA paternity test. That’ll prove I’m not the father and will fuck up her attempts to get more than she deserves. It may even force her to agree to a quick divorce and acce
pt what I’m prepared to offer her. You’re a genius, Red.’
She laughed. ‘I didn’t think of it. It seems so obvious now that you mention it. Do you think she’ll agree to get one done?’
His face fell. ‘Fuck. I hadn’t thought of that. She knows I’m on to her for cheating. I’m willing to bet that she’ll refuse. I know I’m not the father, Red. Why would she be stupid enough to agree to have one done if she has a choice? It will prove in court that she’s a cheat and that she had another man’s child. She won’t want that coming out and risking her settlement. No, there’s no way she’ll agree to it. I’m sure I’d be able to force her to get one done but that would have to go through the courts and could take months.’
‘What if you could get a sample of the baby’s DNA without her knowing?’
He frowned. ‘I don’t know what I need. And how can I when she says that I’m not allowed to see him?’
They sat in silent contemplation for a few minutes.
‘I don’t know what you need either but, from TV programmes and books that I’ve read, I think it may be as simple as obtaining one of the baby’s hairs or by rubbing what looks like a cotton bud around his gums. Of course what I know may not be strictly true but surely, it’s worth investigating.’
When she finished speaking, Xander was staring at her. ‘Red, I don’t even want to see the child. There is no way I’m pulling hairs out of his head or messing inside his mouth.’
Isla nodded in acceptance. ‘Well then, you’re just going to have to ask her to get one done. Point out how bad it will look in court if she says no.’
‘I’ll think about it,’ he grunted. ‘But right now I’m going to look into the process and take legal advice. I can’t believe my legal team didn’t suggest getting a test done. I’ll bust their balls for this.’
He slipped off his stool and headed back towards the office leaving Isla wondering just how challenging the next few months would be. She ordered another drink, figuring that she’d earned it after dealing with the hotel inspector but before she’d finished it, Xander appeared and slammed a piece of paper on to the bar next to her before ordering a large gin and tonic from the barman.
Isla turned to him and raised an eyebrow.
He nudged the paper towards her and hissed, ‘Read it.’
She recognised what it was as soon as she picked it up. It was a copy of a birth certificate for a Jacob Xander Rhodes. Her eyes flew open when she saw that the box giving the father’s details had been filled in with Xander’s name.
‘This just arrived by courier. Apparently, because we’re married, I don’t have to agree to my name being given as the father. I don’t even have to be there when the birth is registered.’
He was so angry that his face was puce. Isla didn’t know what to say.
‘That’s it, Red. I’m getting a DNA test done, no matter what it takes. Even if I have to break in and pull hairs out of his head as he sleeps. I’m proving that I’m not the father once and for all. I’m going to see Janine and ask her.’
Isla nodded. ‘Okay. It can’t hurt to ask. When are you going to see her?’
‘I’m waiting for a courier to deliver a DNA paternity test kit. It should be here within the next thirty minutes and then I’m going to do my sample and take it to Janine to get his. You were right, you just rub a stick across your gums.’
Isla reached across and took his drink that had been placed on the bar. ‘Well, if you’re driving, you’re not drinking this. And I don’t know whether the alcohol would affect the test if you have to give a sample from your gums. You need to calm down and consider how you’re going to approach Janine. You can have a drink when you get back. Hell, you can have ten if you want them but you need to keep your head clear for now.’
He looked irritated but he didn’t overrule her. He just sat there, looking tense and impatient until Belinda brought a small package into the bar and handed it over.
‘Give me a hand with this?’ he asked as he slipped off his stool.
Isla nodded and then picked up his drink before following him back to the office.
The instructions were simple and within minutes, Xander had collected his sample on to a little stick and had placed it back in the tube provided. He completed the accompanying paperwork and put everything into the provided reply paid envelope.
‘Wish me luck,’ he muttered, before kissing Isla on the top of her head and disappearing through the door.
Isla finished her drink and tried not to think about him going back to see his ex for the second time that day. She knew he didn’t want Janine but she found herself not wanting him to spend any more time with her than necessary. To distract herself, she decided to put on a party at the end of the week to reward all staff, including the temporary staff from Xander’s other hotel, for their efforts during the hotel inspection.
Before she knew it, he was back. And he was looking extremely pleased with himself.
‘So, how’d it go?’ she asked.
He grinned. ‘At first, she outright refused. She wouldn’t let me inside the house and she once more declared that I would not be allowed to see the baby. However, once I explained that the judge would look unfavourably upon her decision and that I could force her to have the test done, she reluctantly agreed. I wanted her to do it there and then but when she said that the baby was asleep, that it had taken her ages to get him to nod off, and that she didn’t want to go in and risk waking him, I agreed to leave the test with her and let her do it when he woke. I’ve arranged for a courier to pick it up this evening. I don’t think she wants to do anything that will look bad in front of a judge. I paid for the urgent service so, once they receive it tomorrow morning, we should get the result within forty eight hours. I cannot wait to wipe the smile off her face. I even managed not to bollock her for putting my name on the birth certificate. Why bother, once I have incontrovertible proof that the child isn’t mine, I can get my name taken off easily enough. Anyway, enough of that. What have you been up to?’
He was looking at the notes that she’d made for the staff party. ‘I decided to have a staff celebration. I haven’t told any of them the results of the hotel inspection yet but I think they all need a pat on the back to celebrate the five-star grading that they helped us to achieve. So I’m arranging a staff party for this Friday night.’
Xander groaned. ‘Don’t tell me I have to go. I hate that type of thing. I was thinking more of an intimate celebration for two.’
Rolling her eyes, Isla haughtily informed him that his presence would be required and that he’d look as though he was enjoying himself . . . even if it killed him. Then she whispered that their own intimate celebration couldn’t wait until Friday; he’d be enjoying that pleasure later.
Chapter Fifteen
Since Isla had gathered the staff late on Wednesday afternoon, and had given them the good news about the hotel inspection and the celebratory party, there had been a feel-good atmosphere around the hotel. Everyone’s morale seemed to be boosted and all were looking forward to the party that would take place that night in the bar after residents’ meals service had been completed at 10:00 p.m. Isla had a slight panic when Belinda informed her that she’d managed to contact Dean and invite him but then she calmed down when she rationalised that he’d be unlikely to turn up. She’d managed to persuade Xander to let her deal with Dean. Xander insisted that he be dismissed instantly but Isla suspected that Dean’s actions were linked to her treatment of him. She wished fervently that she’d owned up to Xander about her drunken actions when she’d had him on the back foot in Kington. If Dean was capable of such malicious acts then Isla knew she needed to handle his dismissal carefully.
Like the rest of the staff, Xander’s mood had improved but she knew it was more likely to be because the paternity test results were due back at any moment than from excitement for the evening’s party. She hoped that the results came back on schedule, knowing that it would give them both something to celebrate.
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The restaurant had an unusually high number of covers that evening and everyone was busy right up until the time the party was due to begin. Some of the residents were seemingly in no hurry to retire to their rooms so Isla made the decision not to eject them. She hadn’t informed Xander that the hotel would be funding all the drinks at the bar yet and reasoned that a few residents wouldn’t make much difference to the total cost.
Isla kicked off the celebration by thanking all staff for their contribution to the excellent result of the inspection. She gave the hotel’s own staff a special mention for their part in improving the hotel over recent weeks and then did the same for Xander’s staff for their part in salvaging the inspection. Then she declared a free bar and instructed them all to forget that they were in their workplace and to party hard. The DJ got started, making Isla cringe in anticipation of the number of complaints they might receive in the morning from residents but she pushed it out of her head and went in search of Xander who had sloped off when she had been making her speech.
She found him in the office, sat at the desk and was about to berate him for disappearing and then drag him back to the party, when she noticed he had a large glass of Scotch in his hand and his head was bowed.
Oh God. What’s happened now? He only drinks Scotch when it’s something bad. And he’s brought the bottle in here. Crap.
She sidled up next to him and draped her arm around his shoulders. He didn’t seem to register her presence for a few minutes but then he spoke.
