Tax Cut (19 page)

“And the other four?”

“Last names are Black, Herra, Chino, and Gallo.”

Those names belonged to the planning board members that had appeared on the tax refund resolution.

“I know them,” I said to Nero.

“Are you going to fill me in?”

“I had you look into the mortgage company because I noticed that all those people overpaid their taxes twice in a row. I had suspected it wasn’t a mistake, after the second time.
I thought it was strange that all of them worked for the village. I also thought it was strange that all of them had the same mortgage company,” I explained.

“I’m not sure I follow,” Nero said.

“Bonnie and I saw Marc in Atlantic City. We saw Gino Righetti, who is a known mobster, by the way, handing him an envelope full of cash. Then we saw Marc trade it in for chips, then trade the chips in right away. Bonnie said Marc was probably laundering the money. I guess I thought there was a possibility that Gino found other creative ways to pay off people—like paying their taxes. Some of those houses have large quarterly taxes. That’s a lot of money adding up.”

“So, the mortgage company
, that’s not really a company, is possibly this guy Gino that’s threatening Marc?”

“The mortgage company is owned by a guy who is friends with Gino.
” I gave Nero an explanation of all the players.

“So, if I’m following you…Gino
gave money to Drake to deposit at the so-called mortgage company. Then Drake cut a check to the government for the taxes. Meanwhile those ‘clients’ I found had already paid their taxes. So, they got a refund,” Nero said.

“Exactly.”

“So, they are getting paid off by getting free taxes. Clever way to clean the cash. But what are they being paid off for?”

“Votes and to push Gino’s own agenda forward.
Gino is a developer and he is planning a big project.”

“Where’s the project?”

“All along the area that burnt down.”

“
Oy vey
!”

“I know.”

“So, how are you going to get this information to the police?” Nero asked.

“I’m not sure.
Bonnie has a contact I might be able to use.”

“There’s one more piece of business we have to discuss.”

“Oh?”

“Dinner.”

“I thought we agreed to coffee.”

“You owe me more than coffee.”

“Fine, Nero. Dinner. Call me and we’ll work out a day and time.”

I truly did not want to have dinner with Nero, but finding a way out of that wasn’t top on my list of priorities at the moment.
I headed over to my parents’ house to pick up my daughter. I had been out gallivanting for too long already.

Chapter 1
9

The sun rose over the lagoon.
The decorative pebbles, which replaced the grass in my backyard, shimmered yellow in its rays. I awoke to Mandy’s voice calling, “Mommy, Mommy.” I went to her crib. I knew I’d have to convert it to a toddler bed soon—she was starting to try to climb out. As I looked at her precious face, I thought,
What am I doing? What am I thinking? Why am I trying to chase down criminals?

Everything I nee
ded in the whole world was staring back at me. I didn’t need the job. I didn’t need the hassles. I didn’t need to get involved with these criminals. I decided I was done. Finished.
Finito
. I was putting my life at risk. I was putting my baby’s life at risk. I was realizing how stupid I was. I should have run far away when I suspected something was awry. I should have minded my own business. I did not like what I had learned over the past month. I decided I was going to put in my notice at work. Heck, I didn’t even have to give notice. I could leave the job completely off my résumé. I didn’t care if I didn’t leave in good standing. I had nothing to lose. I think I understood why that poor girl, Joni, quit working for Coral Beach unexpectedly. She must have found out what I found out. Maybe they were onto her. The way she ran away from us, frightened for her life. She knew it wasn’t really my bosses causing the trouble. She told me it was the mob. I knew I had to quit while I was ahead, before I was running scared, like Joni.

I dropped off Mandy, and drove to work early.
I called Bonnie on my way in to work and told her what I was up to. I suggested she do the same. Instead of questioning me about my decision to leave the job, Bonnie questioned me about Nero.

“You’re not really going to go out on a date with Nero
, are you?” she asked.

“I have an idea. What if I brought someone with me?”

“No, thank you.”

“Not you.
Someone that he might be interested in, someone who might actually like him back. Like a blind date. Can you think of any candidates?”

“Sure, I have an idea.”

“Really?” I said, excited that my idea might actually work.

“How about a blow
-up doll?”

“C’mon
, be serious.”

“I don’t know
; my nanny has some young, single friends. Let me ask her.”

I thanked Bonnie, then hung up with her as I was pulling into the parking lot. I walked up the staircase to the main doors for the last time.
In my office, I boxed up my personal items, then typed up a resignation letter. In the letter, I blamed upcoming family obligations as the reason I could no longer work for the village. I apologized for the inconvenience and for not having the ability to give them notice. I thought about thanking them for having the opportunity to work at Coral Beach, but I decided there wasn’t much to be thankful for. I kept the letter short and sweet. I forwarded to final version to the five members of the board via email, then I picked up my box of belongings and headed back out to my car.

I started the engine, then pulled out of the parking lot.
I had been thinking that this was a new record for me—four weeks on a job before quitting. I was also thinking that I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain this to my family, after I told them everything was fine at work. Fudging the truth a little appeared to be in order. I thought for a few minutes about what my story would be, then I decided I would say that I learned that there was some illegal activity going on in the village and I thought it was best to make a hasty departure. It was the truth.

Klunk, klunk…klunk, klunk…klunk, klunk.

“Crap.” I pulled over into the shoulder of the road.
Just wonderful! A flat tire.
Mechanically inclined was not a way I would describe myself. I hauled out my cell phone and found the number for emergency road repairs that I had saved for such unfortunate events. While I waited on hold for operator assistance, Bryce passed by my disabled vehicle, then turned his car around and pulled up next to me.

“Need some help?” he asked.

“Do you know how to fix a flat?” I asked.

“Do you have a donut in the trunk?”

“I do, but I don’t want to trouble you. You’re all dressed up and headed into work. I don’t want you to get your clothes messed up.”

“And you are headed in the opposite direction of work.
Why?”

“It’s a long story,” I said.
Bryce pulled his car up and parked on the shoulder in front of my car.

“Well
, I’m all ears for your story while I change your tire,” he said as he went to the trunk of my car, asking me to open it for him. I popped open the trunk. Bryce rolled up his sleeves and pulled out the jack and the tire iron. I was trying my best to come up with a good lie to tell him. I didn’t want to tell him the real reason. Something in the back of my head told me I could trust him, but I didn’t want to take a chance of anything that I knew leaking out to anyone at Coral Beach, no matter how remote the chance was.

“I don’t like the way
Marc treats me, and I decided that I don’t need to put up with it anymore, so I quit today,” I said.

Bryce got down on his hands and knees and started working on the flat.
“I thought you said you could handle him.”

“It’s not just that
; it’s my stalker, Mike Nero, bothering me.”

“Why don’t you tell the police about that?” he asked.
He had me there—I couldn’t go to the police about Nero because we were now working together.

“Nero is the cousin of a friend of mine.
I don’t want to ruin my friendship.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” Bryce asked. I cringed, but I still wasn’t going to tell him.

“No, I’m just stressed about some stuff at home as well…personal things. I can’t talk about it.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Bryce finished up with my tire.

“I’m so sorry, Bryce. Your clothes are all dirty.”

“It’s really not a big deal.
I already called in late.”

“I don’t know how I can repay you!”

“Well, I was going to tell you that you had to bring me coffee for the next week…the good stuff too, not that junk we have at work…but I guess I can’t, now that you’ve quit.” He flashed me a smile with those cute dimples showing. I did a mental sigh. The one thing I would miss about Coral Beach was Bryce.

“I’m going to follow you over to the tire place.
Maybe they can give you a new tire while you wait.”

“You don’t have to follow me
. I’ll be okay,” I said.

“I have to go in that direction anyway
. I’m going to go home and change.”

“Well, okay
, then.”

I hopped in
to my car and drove to the tire shop, with Bryce following. I headed into the shop to find there was a three-hour wait. There were plenty of people ahead of me on the schedule for the day. I was thankful that Bryce had decided to follow me to the tire place. He offered to give me a lift back home. I graciously accepted. Staying in the lobby of a tire shop was not where I wanted to be. I very much preferred the comfort and coziness of my own home. I left my cell number for the receptionist to call me when my car was ready and I headed for home with Bryce.

“So, why didn’t you give notice?” Bryce asked.

“I figured I’d leave the job completely off my résumé, so I didn’t care if I didn’t leave in good standing,” I answered.

“Do you have another job to go to?”

“Nope,” I said.

“What are you going to do for money?”

“I have a little bit of money left from a settlement I received. It’ll be enough to hold me over until I find something new.”

“Settlement?
”

“Another long story.”

“I have time,” Bryce said as he pulled into my driveway.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m a procrastinator. You’re saving me from heading into work right away.”

“Well, the least I can do is make you a cup of coffee.”
I invited him inside. Snickers jumped up off the couch when we opened the door.

“Bad dog
. You know you’re not allowed on the couch,” I said. Snickers lowered his head, knowing he did something wrong.

“Aw, come here
, buddy,” Bryce said, kneeling down on the floor. Snickers jumped up and gave Bryce’s face a bath.

As the two of them played on the floor, I said, “You boys have fun
. I’m going to the kitchen to make that coffee.” I left the room and made a couple of cups of coffee. I took out an Entenmann’s Raspberry Danish Twist, a couple of plates, napkins, and a knife.

I set everything out on the breakfast bar.

“Coffee’s ready,” I said to Bryce.

We made ourselves comfortable in the counter-height chairs, sitting next to each other.
We sipped our coffee. I cut Bryce a piece of danish and slid it over to him, then cut a piece for myself.

“This is pretty good,” Bryce said.

“The danish or the coffee?”

“All of it,” he said with
a glimmer in his eye. I could have been wrong, but it seemed he might have been flirting, just a little.
No, it’s only my imagination. He’s just a friend.

“
What do you think is Marc’s deal?” Bryce asked.

“What do you mean?” I said.

“Why is he so obnoxious?”

“I don’t know,” I lied.

“Bonnie would say he needs to get laid,” Bryce said with a chuckle.

I blushed a little.
“I can see you already know Bonnie pretty well.” I giggled.

“So tell me about this settlement thing.”

I told Bryce my long but boring story about a madman who held me hostage at my former job, and how I sued the Town of Sunshine and won a settlement. I told him how I had been out of work, but decided to go back recently when I had heard of the job opening at Coral Beach.

“Big mistake, going back to work,” I said.

“No, it wasn’t,” Bryce said.

“No?
I’m quitting after four weeks on the job! How was that not a mistake?”

“If you hadn’t taken the job, then we never would have met.”
He stared into my eyes. My heart skipped a beat. A rush of nerves raced from my heart to my toes and back. I shook it off and said, “More cake? Coffee?”

“Nah, I have to be going,” he said.
“Some of us have to work.” He stood up, bumping into me as he did.

“Sorry about that,” he said as he playfully rubbed my knee where he bumped me.
I stood up from my chair, and Bryce turned back toward me.

“I am going to miss you at work,” he said.
Our eyes met again and we held the gaze. Before I could answer him, he leaned down and kissed me softy on the lips.

“Ok
ay, bye,” he said and he kissed me softly a second time.

“Bye,” I said, still staring into his eyes. He kissed me a third
time, letting his lips linger longer on mine than the last two kisses. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist and our tongues met, sending tingles throughout my entire body. I felt lost in his embrace for a moment before I stopped him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I said
, covering my face.
What did I just do?

“It’s okay, really,” he said as he headed toward the door.

“No, I mean, it’s just that I recently started seeing someone, and I…”

He interrupted me. “No need to explain.”

“No, please, I mean, I like you. It’s that there’s someone else.”

Bryce turned back and looked
at me sweetly in the eyes. “Chelsey, if things don’t work out with that guy, then call me.” He kissed me on the cheek, then left.

“Thanks for everything
, Bryce,” I called as he walked toward his car.

He waved, got in his car
, and drove away. Possibly for good. That might have been the last time I would ever see him. That thought made me sad.

I had to clear my head.
Why did Bryce have to kiss me?
The things swirling in my mind were too much for me to take.
With everything going on at work, and my love life now mirroring the craziness at work. Kris, Nero, and now Bryce! I like him! I don’t want to like him. I’m crazy about Kris.
I shouldn’t have been complaining about having three men vying for my attention. But I wasn’t the type of person who liked leading people on. But I liked them both!
How could this be happening? This never happens to me!
I thought.

I
put Snickers in his crate then walked to the park, which was near my house. I would normally take him with me, but I wasn’t in the mood for picking up the dog droppings today. I took the footpath along the park’s edge. I needed to clear my mind. I strolled along the water, trying not to think any longer. I watched the red-winged blackbirds that seemed to be making their migration back to the northeast after a long winter. I listened to the soft wind and the unique sounds of the birds. I looked at the branches of the trees, seeing the buds beginning to form. I felt the sunshine on my face as I looked toward the pale blue sky. I returned my gaze to the front, to see a figure approaching me. It couldn’t be. I trembled with fear. My face turned white. The world went black. I had just seen my first ghost.