The Reef

by Lois Kay

  “This could be a long story, but I don’t know all the details yet, so I’ll keep it brief,” Sam said. To Jody’s relief she put the pen down and leaned back in the chair. “My family bought this place a little over a year ago, and when we did, it was financially healthy. Lately, though, we’ve noticed the books aren’t the way they’re supposed to be. That was confirmed when we received an anonymous email from someone who works here.” Sam’s gaze caught Jody’s and she briefly paused. “We took the message seriously, of course, and I was sent down here to find out what’s going on.”

  It was hard not to squirm under Sam’s scrutinizing gaze and Jody let out a small, relieved breath when there was a knock on the door. “Room service.”

  Sam jumped up and walked to the door, waving in a young man dressed in a chef’s uniform. He wheeled in a small cart and sent Jody a warm smile.

  “Thank you, Carlos,” Jody said. She noticed how Sam’s eyes lit up at the sight of freshly baked sweet rolls and she bit her lip to hide a smile. Some things never changed.

  “Would you like some coffee?” Sam asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  “Milk, no sugar?”

  Jody’s breath caught. It seemed such an insignificant thing, but Sam remembered how she liked her coffee. She could only nod, knowing her voice would crack if she talked. It took her a moment to regain her composure, but then she cleared her throat. “Thank you,” she said when Sam put the cup in front of her. She silently studied Sam and her heart ached when she realized that what she had told Lucy was true; Sam had matured, but other than that she looked exactly as she had the last time she had seen her. So many things had happened. Jody felt like she should be furious and demand answers to the many questions she had. But all she could do was look at Sam, aware of the heaviness that had settled in her chest. All the pain and loss she had felt since the last time she had seen her had returned in full force. If she was honest with herself, she knew those feelings had never left. They had only been suppressed.

  “Why did you share this information with me?” Jody was curious and her voice was gentle. “If someone is cooking the books, I could easily be involved.”

  A pair of blue eyes stared at her intently and, after a brief silence, Sam laughed and shook her head. “No. Not you.”

  Jody’s heart rate increased. “Why not?”

  “I just know,” Sam said. “Actually, I think you’re the one you who sent that email.”

  Jody was caught off guard by the look of challenge in Sam’s eyes. The dull, pained look had disappeared and the blue eyes she remembered so well were shining with confidence.

  “You seem very sure of yourself,” Jody said. She picked up her cup and took a sip of coffee.

  “I am.”

  Jody stared at the cream-colored liquid in the cup. She needed to gather her thoughts before she could look up again and meet those painfully familiar eyes. “I…um…well, I did.” She finally glanced up and noticed an intrigued look on Sam’s face.

  “Why?”

  The intensity of Sam’s gaze was too much. Jody put down the coffee cup and stood up. She walked to the window and looked out over the expanse of the Pacific Ocean. It was still early, but some of The Reef’s guests were already outside, settling in for a relaxing day on the beach. She put her hands on the windowsill and pressed her forehead against the cool glass. “When I started to work for Alex Livingston, three years ago, this place was doing really well. I’d started out as a receptionist, but Alex wanted me to become his assistant-manager, so, after about six months I was promoted.” Jody paused to swallow. Her throat still felt constricted and dry. “A little over a year ago, Alex retired and he sold The Reef to…your family. A new manager was hired and as far as I know, things were supposed to stay the same, because business had been good.” Jody half-turned and leaned her hip against the windowsill. “And not much changed, at least, not in the beginning. A few months ago, though, I noticed some things were not making sense.” She now fully turned to face Sam, who was listening intently. “The accounts didn’t make any sense. I asked William about it, but he told me not to worry. He said it was a minor mistake and he would fix it.” Jody tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Last month I found out he hadn’t fixed anything. Things had gotten worse, actually.” Finally, Jody met Sam’s gaze. She tried to ignore the flutter in her chest and continued. “I’m not accusing anyone and I definitely don’t want to throw my supervisor under the bus, but I’m the one who usually does the initial accounting. William’s hardly ever here and when he is, nobody knows what he’s really doing. He comes and goes at random times and when I ask him where I can reach him, he usually tells me to call his cellphone. He says he’s at meetings in Brisbane. A few weeks ago, I really needed him for something. I left messages on his phone, but he never called me back. He had told me he’d be in Brisbane, so I called the conference center he said he would be. They told me he wasn’t there and they hadn’t seen him for months.” Jody bit her lip. “When he finally showed up he told me how interesting his meeting had been.” She took a deep breath and met Sam’s gaze. “Sam, I’m doing most of the work, so I know something’s wrong. And I don’t want to be the one held responsible. When I do the accounting, I know my numbers are accurate, but afterward, after a day or so, when I look at them, they have changed.”

  Sam bit the inside of her lip. Jody knew it was something she did when something was bothering her. “What you’re saying is very serious, you realize that, don’t you?”

  Jody nodded. “I know. And I wouldn’t say anything like this if I didn’t have any proof.”

  “How much proof do you have?”

  Jody almost smiled at the eagerness in Sam’s voice. “I made a habit of saving the files I worked on to a flash drive. I also saved the files after William worked on them. The discrepancies are pretty obvious.”

  “Do you think it’s just a matter of stealing money?”

  Jody shook her head and sat back down. She took the cup off the table and took another sip of coffee. “I’m afraid not. Last week, I found out he’s been paying people who are not on the payroll. My guess is they’re undocumented immigrants.”

  Sam shot upright in her chair. “How did you discover that?”

  “I talked to one,” Jody said. “I ran into a groundskeeper I didn’t know. I introduced myself and started a conversation. He became nervous and blurted out he was sorry and please not to report him to the police, because he had two children and his wife is pregnant. He said his cousin had told him William was looking for some extra hands and would pay him cash.”

  Sam muttered something under her breath. She brought up a hand and rubbed her forehead. “We could get into so much trouble for that.” She looked up. “What is he paying them?”

  “Barely half of the normal wages.”

  “Bastard,” Sam said. She looked up and caught Jody’s gaze. “Did you?”

  “Did I do what?”

  “Report him to the authorities?”

  Jody’s first reaction was to cast down her gaze, but she didn’t. She met Sam’s with confidence and shook her head. “No, I didn’t. The man was petrified. Besides, he ran. I didn’t even get a name.”

  A small smile tugged on the corner of Sam’s mouth. She quickly brought her coffee cup to her mouth, but Jody had seen it and it made her feel less tense.

  “Why did you go through the trouble to visit the library, create an email account and sent us an anonymous message?”

  Jody had expected that question, but the answer was still difficult. She didn’t immediately reply, but when she finally did, her voice was strained. “I didn’t want your family to know that I work here. I hoped they would send someone down to investigate and I honestly expected one of the accountants. Not the daughter of the boss. I…I didn’t ...want… to rake up the past.” Jody’s stomach was in knots.

  There was an uncomfortable silence. “Is there nothing left to ‘rake up’?” Sam’s voice was barely audible and hel
d an undertone of deep sadness.

  Jody looked up. The tone of Sam’s voice and the words hit her hard. Her stomach dropped and she swallowed hard to keep away a sudden feeling of nausea. Only the sound of the ocean waves filled the room, like a distant whisper.

  * * *

  Eight years ago.

  “I told you once already, young lady. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

  David McDonnell was furious. He paced the room, clenching his fists, his lips pursed and his blue eyes two chips of fire.

  Jody could feel her whole body shake with anxiety, but she didn’t want to give in. Not this time. “Dad, please listen to me. I’m an adult, I can look after myself. I’ve had a good education and the only thing I want is to find a suitable job. It’s only few hours North.”

  “I did not raise my daughter to work at such an…immoral place. For the love of God, Jody, people run around half naked over there. I’m not going to expose you to something like that.”

  “You don’t have to, Dad,” Jody replied. Suddenly, she felt very calm. “I made up my mind. It’s my decision.”

  David McDonnell stepped closer and waved a finger in front of Jody’s face. “You are staying here, until you meet a decent man and get married. Not a day sooner.” The rage contorted his face and Jody had never seen him this angry. She cast a look at her mother, who was seated at the kitchen table, folding laundry. She twisted around one of the cotton shirts she was folding and Jody saw her hands were trembling. She intercepted her daughter’s look and for a second Jody held her gaze. It was filled with fear. Then she looked away and Jody realized she was on her own. Knowing it was now or never. “I’m sorry, Dad, but I will take the job I’m offered. I was hoping that...I’ll be leaving next week.”

  David McDonnell turned around and slammed his fist against the wall. His wife jumped and let out a strangled cry, but Jody sat very still. She was sorting through all the good memories she and Sam had made and tried to hold on to the feelings of love and friendship Sam had so abundantly provided her with. She made it her anchor, trying to help her get through the terrible confrontation with her father.

  David McDonnell was unrelenting. “It’s Sam, isn’t it?” The words were laced with venom. “She’s filled your head with all these nonsense, turning you away from your own family. But I’ll tell you one thing, she’ll never set foot in this house ever again. You’ll never see her again, if it’s the last thing I do.”

  Jody felt tears sting the back of her eyes. “Sam has nothing to do with this, Dad. It’s my decision, I told you that.”

  “Like hell she does. Ever since you’ve met her, you’ve started to change. All those sleepovers. All those letters you write each other all the time. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re in love with her.”

  Jody cast down her gaze and concentrated on her breathing. She felt warmth spread from her neck, across her face. Her breathing had increased and it was as if her heart was trying to pound its way out of her chest. When she glanced up she saw an astonished look on David McDonnell’s face. His surprise quickly turned into disgust. “You are.” His voice was deceptively soft. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you’re not in love with her.”

  Jody looked down. She was too scared to look up and face the rejection she knew she would find.

  “Look at me,” David McDonnell repeated. “LOOK AT ME!”

  Jody flinched but obeyed. Slowly her gaze traveled up until she met her father’s. The expression on his face was a mixture of anger and disgust. “Tell me,” he demanded.

  “I can’t.” Jody’s voice was nothing more than a whisper.

  David McDonnell’s face lost all color and for a moment he looked like he was going to be sick. “No child of mine is like…that.” He clenched his fists. “I’m telling you, you’re staying right here, in this house. If you dare set one foot outside that door, you’ll no longer have a family and I’ll make sure you’ll curse the day you were born.” He left the room and slammed the door behind him.

  * * *

  The night following the confrontation with her father, Jody was silently packing. Her room was almost completely dark. The last thing she wanted was for her father to find out what she was doing. She was stuffing clothes in a big duffel back, when a barely audible knock on the door almost made her jump. A wave of relief crashed over her when she saw Lucy’s dark head.

  “Hey, Pea, you’re packing. Good.” Lucy whispered.

  “Do you really think so?” Jody wiped away tears that had been falling so easily that evening. “I’m about to run away from home, Luce and by doing so, I’ll be disowned by my own family.”

  Lucy wrapped an arm around Jody’s shoulder and gave her a hug. “Not by me, sis. Listen, you can’t leave tonight, or did you plan to leave on foot? He’ll have you back before you’re down the hill and you know it. You’d better wait ‘till the morning.”

  Jody rubbed her forehead. Her eyes were burning and she felt the pressure of a massive headache build behind her eyes. She looked up at Lucy, who seemed very relaxed. “What’s happening in the morning? Is there something you know that I don’t?”

  Lucy smiled and looked very pleased with herself. “Dad will be out in the morning. I heard him tell Mom he is going to Father Jamison, probably to talk about a cure for you.” She let out a humorless laugh. “I arranged a ride for you. Sam will pick you up as soon as she sees Dad drive past the gas station. She’ll drive up to the house, pick you up and will keep going, so you won’t be able to run into Dad. Just in case he comes back up the road before we expect him.”

  Jody could no longer hold back her sobs. She reached out and pulled Lucy into a tight hug. “How did you manage to do that?”

  “After Dad’s scream-fest I asked Mom if we needed some oranges from the neighbors. She said we did, so I walked down, picked up oranges and asked sweet, old Frank if I could use his phone. I called Sam, told her what happened and we came up with this plan.”

  “If Dad finds out you’re going to be in so much trouble. I can’t let you do this, Luce, I—”

  Lucy pulled back out of the tight embrace so she could look Jody in the eye. “You have to, Jody. You must do it for you. For Sam. Do it for me.” Even though she was whispering, the urgency in her voice was evident. “I’ll be right behind you anyway. I won’t stay here a day longer than necessary. Dad’s losing it.” There were tears in her eye. “I won’t see you for a while, I guess, but I want you to be happy. And that’s what you are with Sam; happy.”

  “As soon as I’ve got my own place you can stay with me, Luce. What did Sam say?”

  Lucy loosened her grip and tilted her head to the side. There was a twinkle in her eyes.

  “She told me to tell you not to worry. To be ready on time and that she loves you. And you know what, Pea?” Lucy smiled. “I think she really does.”

  * * *

  “The past is a part of us, Jody.” Sam’s tired voice interrupted Jody’s musings. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t block it out. I’ve tried,” she added quietly.

  “As have I,” Jody said. She saw Sam wince. “But I can’t dwell on it.” She glanced at Sam, who was stirring her coffee with a stiff motion. Again, Jody was surprised by the conflicting emotions that ran through her. Part of her didn’t want to stir up all the bad memories and the pain she’d suffered, but another part wanted to get it out in the open. Talk about it to Sam, ask for an explanation.

  Lucy’s voice echoed in her mind. “I’m still convinced we’ve not heard the real story, Jo, you can’t convince me to believe otherwise. There are too many questions unanswered.”

  Sam looked up from her coffee and the expression on her face was so profoundly sad, Jody felt her throat tighten.

  “How’s your family, Jody? The question was unexpected and it caught Jody off-guard. “How are Lucy and little Fiona?”

  Jody cleared her throat. “Luce is doing great. She’s working at an attorney’s office and really likes it. Gerald is at Brisbane Un
iversity, studying Marine Biology.” Jody saw the smile on Sam’s face and she felt a little lighter. “Little Fiona is not that little anymore; she’s fourteen already. Michael’s sixteen and doing well in school. He says he wants to become a pediatrician.”

  “So, Bird is still hooked on nature?” Sam smiled. “I’m happy to hear that.”

  “It’s all he ever wanted to do, really,” Jody said.

  “How’s Matthew?”

  Jody could hear the catch in Sam’s voice and she frowned. Matthew and Sam had gotten along fine, but had never been particularly close. “Matt’s fine. He’s a carpenter and has his own business.”

  The last thing Jody expected was Sam staring at her as if she’d seen a ghost. It was as if she was in shock. The blood had drained from her face and she looked sickly pale, even her lips had lost their color. Jody stood up and took a tentative step toward Sam, who looked like she was about to pass out.

  “Sam? Are you alright? What is it?”

  Sam shook her head as if she was trying to clear it. Slowly, her color returned and Jody breathed in relief. “There’s nothing wrong with Matthew being a carpenter.” Sam’s voice was husky. “I’m just really surprised, because eight years ago, I was told the accident had severed his spinal cord and he’d become a paraplegic.”

  Jody shook her head. She didn’t understand. “Sam, no. He broke his leg. He was in a cast for a few weeks, but was back to normal soon after that.”

  “Are you telling me that for the last eight years of my life I’ve felt guilty for something that wasn’t even my fault to start with, asking myself repeatedly if things would be different had I —?”

  Jody had moved closer to Sam and crouched next to the chair. She had to steady herself when a wave of dizziness hit her. Suddenly, she realized with painful clarity what the truth was. And it was horrible.

  “Who told you? About Matthew?” Jody was surprised she could form words, because her lips felt cold and stiff.

  “Your dad, and Father Jamison.” Sam’s voice cracked and her eyes were dark with grief. “They came to visit me in the hospital. Great visit that was.”