Understanding Alice Du-Kane

by Riley Walker

  Zoe laughs at me. “Today? You really are serious. Of course I’ll be there.”

  “Ok, I’ll see you soon. I need to shower and pack.” I give her a kissy noise before hanging up the phone. I snatch up my purse and keys before heading back to my apartment to pack a bag.

  Three hours later I am sitting at the airport, a tall coffee in one hand and a pad of paper in the other. I’m making a list of all the things I need to take care of once I get back home from visiting Zoe. First thing on the list is packing up my clothes and taking them to Dad’s. It makes more sense to move back to the house. All of his personal and business things are there and going back and forth everyday is not an option. The house is also closer to the office. I don’t want to sell my apartment, but I hate the thought of leaving it empty. For now, I decide to just hire a cleaning service to come in once a week to keep it fresh and deal with that later.

  I need to deal with Uncle Richie. I still can’t get over what the Michaelson brothers said. He offered to sell the company? I make a note to visit the accountant as well. I need to see all the financial reports for each company. If the Grow-Op is losing money, how are we doing with the rest?

  The last thing I need to take care of is school. I need to let my professors know my intentions for the next year. Taking a year off from law school is not the same as it would be for an undergrad. I don’t want to stop, but at this moment, Du-Kane, Inc. needs me more than I need to finish my last year.

  I hear my flight being called. I gather my things and pitch my empty coffee cup on the way to the plane’s door. I easily find my seat in first class, place my bag in the overhead, sit down, and close my eyes. I only have an hour flight, but I’m still tired from last night. I doze off before the plane taxis off the runway.

  “Al!” I hear her long before I see her. As soon as I get close, she grabs me in a hug. “I’ve missed you girl.”

  “It’s only been three days, Zoe.”

  “Life is boring up here in the mountains. There’s nothing for me to do but play with my plants.”

  I laugh as I hip check her. Plants are the only thing Zoe ever wants to play with. I can’t remember the last time she talked to me about going out on a date.

  “So,” she turns to me once we get in her car, “you have some explaining to do about that crazy message you left me last night.”

  I throw my head back on the seatrest and close my eyes. That probably wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done. I open my eyes and look over to her. “I met with the Michaelson brothers yesterday. They told me Uncle Richie offered to sell Dad’s company right after he died. They also told me that the business is having financial problems. I don’t know what to do, Zoe.”

  Zoe puts her hand over mine and squeezes. “We’ll figure this out. You said something about making a labradoodle pot? What the hell does that even mean?”

  “Oh! I watched a show last night about puppy sales starting to dwindle. The breeders started cross-mixing breeds and coming up with new ones, like the labradoodle. I thought, if we put our heads together, we could come up with a new and better plant. Kind of like a pot crossbreeding. A designer plant.”

  She says nothing for the rest of the drive back to her house. We pull up in the driveway of her small log cabin, and Zoe finally looks over at me. “If you’re serious about this, it’s going to take a lot of time and hard work. This isn’t something I can do overnight. I’m going to need seeds from all your different plants and a greenhouse. We are talking a state of the art greenhouse.”

  “I know, Zoe. I realize I’m asking a lot from you, but this could open up new doors for Du-Kane, Inc. I feel it in my gut, this could put us back on top.”

  Zoe steps out of her car and I do the same, grabbing my bag and follow her up to the front door. I keep following her into her tiny kitchen and watch while she turns on her coffeemaker. The silence is killing me, but I know Zoe. She may seem crazy, but she doesn’t make decisions without thinking them through completely.

  She makes herself a cup of coffee, then turns and looks me dead in the eye. “I’ll do it.”

  “Really?”

  She nods her head. “It’ll take me a few weeks to pack up everything and move down to Memphis, but yes. I’ll do it with you.”

  I can’t contain the squeal when I hop up and run over to her. I grab her in a hug and we both start hopping up and down, laughing like little girls.

  I pull back and look at her, putting my serious face on. “This won’t be easy. I’m asking you to give up everything here. Are you positive that this is what you want to do?”

  “There is nothing I would rather be doing. Me and you, Al. We can do this and put your company back on top. You know what this means?”

  I groan. “Please don’t make me do it.”

  “Oh, we have to do it.”

  I smile at my best friend. “Fine. Let’s get it over with.”

  We both spit in our right hand, clasping them together, yelling at the same time, “Sisters foreva’!”

  Eight

  Little Discrepancies

  The next day Zoe and I work out all the details on what she’ll need once she moves to Memphis. I knew there was a lot, but my list just keeps growing. A greenhouse, special soil, food, irrigation system, planters, lamps, and of course seeds from all the plants we currently grow. We have a guest house in the back, a little ways from the pool. We decide that this will be the best place for us to set up her lab and growhouse. Growing and selling is legal, but there’s certain stipulations to do it. Since we are trying to grow and develop new strains of the plant, we have to do this without anyone knowing. Yep, we’re going back to the illegal ways.

  My list in hand, I hug Zoe goodbye at the airport. This was a fast, one night trip, but we needed to discuss all of the details in person. Plus, after everything that has been going on, I just needed to see my best friend.

  I arrive back in Memphis too late in the night to do anything, so I head back to my apartment. Tomorrow I’ll call some movers to help with moving my things to the house. I hadn’t planned on taking my furniture, but I do want my bedroom suite and all my clothes. I have a bed at the house, but it’s from my teenage years, and I want to bring a piece of me there. Besides, I have a therapeutic mattress. I’ve gotten spoiled by it and can’t sleep well on the old mattress at Dad’s. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s actually my house now.

  The next morning I get up and get to it. First stop, Du-Kane, Inc. I have an accountant to pay a surprise visit to. It doesn’t take me long to reach our offices and I soon find myself outside the door of Mr. Earl Naylor. He’s been Dad’s CPA for many years. Hopefully he can help me, or at least direct me in the way I need to go. I knock on his door and let myself in.

  Mr. Naylor looks up from his desk with a confused look on his face. “Miss Du-Kane, it’s a pleasure to see you.” He gets up and offers me his hand. “I was very sorry to hear about the passing of your father.”

  “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Naylor. Thank you for your condolences, and please, call me Alice.” I smile gratefully at him as I take a seat in front of his desk.

  “Is there something I can help you with, Alice?”

  “Actually, there is. I received some disturbing news the other day and I was hoping you could shed some light on it for me.” I sit up a little straighter and put a mask on my face. One thing Dad taught me was to never show your emotions. “I understand that Du-Kane, Inc. is having financial problems. Is this true, Mr. Naylor?”

  I watch as he shifts in his chair. A bead of sweat forms on his forehead and upper lip. “Alice, you have to understand, when marijuana became legal, a lot of the Grow-Ops began to lose money. It became a world where anyone could begin to grow plants and sell them. All you need is a place to grow it and a simple storefront. People no longer have to buy it on street corners or in alleys. It hurt our bottom line. The rental and sanitation departments are doing fine. But to answer your question, yes, the Grow-Op department is g
oing into the red.”

  I fall back into my chair. I had a feeling about this, but Dad was a smart businessman. He would have changed with the times and made the necessary adjustments to keep that part going strong. It doesn’t make sense.

  “Mr. Naylor, could I please have a copy of all the year-end financials for the last three years?”

  “Of course. It will take me a few moments to print everything out. Shall I have them couriered over to you once I am done?”

  I stand up and offer him my hand. “Thank you, Mr. Naylor. If you could just send them up to Dad’s office. I have a few things I need to do here before I leave.”

  I walk out of his office and head upstairs to Dad’s, well, now my office. When I open the door I have to stop. Everywhere I look, I see him. I feel his presence everywhere. I walk over and run my hand over his antique desk. I remember when he found this at a market downtown. It was all beat up, but he bought it and he and I worked hard sanding it, and refinishing the old desk. I remember how proud he was when we finished it. Now, it sits in the middle of his office, a centerpiece where everything else in the room complements it.

  I take a seat in his chair and turn around, looking out over downtown Memphis. A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts and I look over to see Mr. Naylor’s secretary.

  “Please, come in.”

  She places a manila folder on the desk. “Here are all the documents you requested. If you need anything else, please let me know.”

  I thank her as she turns to walk out the door. I decide not to look over the papers here. I need to be back home, preferably with a glass of wine before I dig into all these numbers.

  I hear a throat clearing and look up to once again see the secretary. I raise my eyebrow in a questioning look.

  “I mean what I said, Miss Du-Kane. If there is anything, anything at all that you need or if you need something explained,” she eyes the folder in my hand, “please call me directly. I left my card in the folder for you.”

  This time I watch her leave. That was weird. I open the folder and sure enough, right there, attached to the top page is a business card for a Mrs. Cindy Grimes.

  I pack up my purse and folder and leave the offices for home. It feels strange to think of Dad’s house as home again. As soon as I walk in, I kick off my shoes and head straight for the kitchen. I grab a container of ice cream and a glass of wine before going into the living room. I curl up on the couch and open the file. I take a bite of my ice cream and flip through the pages. This doesn't make any sense. I see the bottom lines, but something seems off to me. I’m no accountant, but it just doesn't feel right. The numbers don’t seem to add up I reach for my cell phone and before I even realize what I’ve done, the phone is ringing.

  “Yo,” Cash answers.

  I look down at my screen to make sure I called the right person.

  “Anyone there? Hellooooo?”

  “Cash?”

  “Yes. Who is this?”

  “This is Alice Du-Kane.”

  “Alice? How did you get my number?”

  I roll my eyes. “You gave it to me when we met at your office the other day.”

  “Oh yeah. Hey Alice! What can I do for you?”

  Is this man seriously older than me? He sounds like a teenager. “I have a problem and I was hoping you could help me.”

  “Umm, I mean, didn’t you mean to call Oren or North?”

  Give me strength. “No, I meant to call you. You have a degree in accounting right? Well, I have an accounting problem.”

  Silence.

  “You sure you didn’t mean to call one of my brothers?”

  “Can you help me or not, Cash?”

  “Yeah, of course I can. Where do you want to meet?”

  “Can you come to my dad's house? I have everything here and I would prefer not to go anywhere public where we could be overheard.”

  “Sure. I can be there in thirty, if that's alright?”

  “Thank you, Cash. I’ll text you the address.” I smile as I hang up the phone.

  Twenty-five minutes later, there is a knock on the front door. I open it to see Cash and Ridge? Why is Ridge here?

  “He said I may need a bodyguard. You know, entering the competition’s compound, or some crap like that.” He answers my question without me having to voice it outloud. Both brothers shoulder past me and make their way to the kitchen. Alrighty then.

  When I walk into the kitchen, I see Ridge sitting at the island and the top half of Cash in my refrigerator.

  “Is there something I can help you with, Cash?”

  He pops his head out. “Nah, I was just looking for a snack. I haven’t had lunch yet.” He turns and sticks his head back in the fridge. These boys sure do make themselves at home.

  After Cash heats himself up a plate of leftover chicken spaghetti and grabs several pickles, he finally sits down at the island beside his brother.

  “So, what was it you wanted me to look at?” he asks with half a pickle sticking out of his mouth.

  I run my hand down my face and try not to groan in frustration. “I picked up the last three years of financial statements from the company and something doesn't seem right to me. I’m not an accountant, so I was hoping you would look at it and see if you could maybe find the problem. Any discrepancies, overspending, anything you can find.”

  Cash starts nodding his head as he answers, “Yeah, I can do that.”

  Once he is done eating he walks his plate over to the sink, rinses it off and sets it in the dishwasher. Is this guy for real? I look over to Ridge and see him concentrating on his phone. I tilt my head and I swear I hear something yelling. What is that? I walk over to him and look over his shoulder to see what he is so engrossed in. Are you serious?

  “Is that Angry Birds?”

  I must have startled him because he jumps up and then starts cursing. “You made me lose! I had that and you made me throw my blue bird away. What is wrong with you?”

  “What is wrong with me?” I just turn around and walk off toward the living room, muttering the whole way to myself, “Jesus, take the wheel.”

  Cash is already sitting on the couch with the folder in his lap. He is dividing the papers into different piles on the coffee table. He looks up and I give him a questioning look. He returns my look with a sheepish smile. “This pile here,” he points to the smallest one, “they seem legit. This one here, it doesn’t match up. It’s barely noticeable, but the dates and times are off. This last pile here, this one looks like it could possibly be dummy accounts. Of course I would need Oren to cross-reference those.”

  Well color me impressed. “How did you figure this out in a matter of minutes?”

  His cheeks turn pink and he clears his throat. “Well, the second pile here has time discrepancies. It’s like someone has erased some of the transactions. If you look at the first pile of papers, the times and dates are consistent. This pile over here has to have some missing transactions. As for this last pile over there, those all have a worm.”

  I am so confused. “Okay, a worm like bait to catch a fish, worm?”

  He chuckles under his breath. “No. I really don’t know how to explain it. Oren is better at this part, but it’s like someone is slowly draining your various accounts a few dollars at a time, and slipping them into these accounts. Then they are reinvesting them to make it look like a profit loss. In layman's terms it’s called embezzling.”

  I have no clue what to say. I assume this is Uncle Richie, but I’m going to need proof. “I may be able to get a hold of more information tomorrow. Do you think Oren would be willing to help me?”

  Ridge laughs to himself. I had forgotten he was here. “What’s so funny? You don’t think I should ask him for help?”

  He gives my a cocky grin saying, “Oh, he’ll help you all right. He hasn’t shut up about you since you visited our office.”

  Cash starts coughing. “Man, he is gonna get you for that one. Don’t be surprised if your twitter account gets h
acked again. That last time was epic!”

  Ridge rubs his hand over his face. “Alice, forget I said that last part. Okay?”

  I wink at him. “Sure thing, Ridge.” I can’t wait to use this as blackmail against him.

  Cash stands up and gets serious. “Ridge, let’s go. Alice, try to get more information if you can, and meet us at our house tomorrow night at six. We can order takeout and help you figure this out. I’m assuming you have the address in that little dossier your dad had on us?”

  I just nod and tell them I’ll see them tomorrow. They head home and I decide to get ready for bed. The first thing I need to do tomorrow is contact Mrs. Grimes and see if she has anymore information on our financial status. Her last words keep playing in my head. I’m sure she knows something more.

  Nine

  Vagina Tandoori Indian Cuisine

  I wake up with a new sense of purpose but, first things first. I need coffee. When I enter the kitchen, all my hopes are shattered. There is no coffee. I ransacked the pantry and every cabinet only to find a box of hot chocolate packets with tiny marshmallows. Who drinks this stuff? I guess I need to make a grocery store run. Sofia won’t be coming back to work till next week and I can’t live without coffee much less function like a normal human being.

  After I get dressed, I grab my purse and head to the store. On the way to Main Street Market I call Mrs. Grimes and she informs me that there is some crucial information missing from my packet. She is sending a flash drive by courier later today. I thank her for all her help and promise to keep her name out of this.

  The market is exactly as I remember. Willy is still standing at the door greeting the customers as they walk in, and the amazing aroma of fresh baked goods hits you immediately. I grab a cart for the coffee, food, and toiletries that I need. Last but not least, ice cream. Once I have enough supplies to get me through the next week, I checkout and load up my car.