Page 52 of Reckless Chance
“Let’s start by discussing the accidents that occurred before the night Mr. Brentwood died,” I say.
“What do you mean?” Ron asks.
“Come now. Are you saying that you were unaware that a dancer suffered burns from the fireworks, another dancer slipped on an oily patch onstage and hurt her shoulder, or thata group of performers sustained significant bruises when a wall fell?” Lowri asks.
“Those were minor mishaps. They were nothing out of the ordinary for a large stage production.”
Raising my voice a notch, I say, “Don’t mess with us, Ron. You and I both know that pyrotechnics misfiring and burning someone is uncommon and unacceptable. How did these incidents happen, and why wasn’t I informed about them?”
“Umm. You see, it ... Ah … Umm …”
Ron’s stammering and stalling is interrupted by the ringing of my office phone.
“Emily, what do you need?” I ask.
Her response is surprising. I hide my shock, calmly saying, “Really? That’s unusual.”
She offers to handle the situation for me, but I’ll take care of this myself.
“No, show them to a conference room and serve them something to drink. Ms. Upton and I will join them shortly,” I say.
Disconnecting the call, I turn back to Ron. “There’s an urgent matter that can’t wait, but this conversation is far from over. We’ll finish it later. By then, you better be ready to give us straight answers as to the cause of the accidents and what you’re doing to remedy the safety failures. Do you understand me?” I manage to say without exploding.
“Yes, sir.”
Ron leaves in a hurry, clearly glad for the reprieve. As the door clicks shut, I let out a sigh.
“What’s going on?” Lowri asks, staring at me questioningly.
“This day is not getting better. You’ll never guess who is waiting for us in a conference room.”
“Who?”
“Mr. Brentwood’s heir and his attorney.”
“What? They showed up without an appointment?”
“Yep. Anyone else arriving unannounced would be sent away. Given their loss, I won’t do that to them.”
“No, you can’t, but I wanted Ron’s answers before we had to meet with any heirs. My advice is to offer your sincere condolences and listen to what they say. It’s too soon to make any promises or decisions. We need time to investigate and figure out what happened.”
“Agreed,” I say, rubbing my stiff neck.
Lowri steps behind me and starts massaging the knots forming in my shoulders, whispering, “Close your eyes and relax. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
I’m not usually one to open up about feelings, but I decide to share anyway. “It’s crushing me that a man died at my show. It never should have happened.”
“I know. I’d be worried if you weren’t upset. Do you think the accident was Ron’s fault? Is that why you raised your voice to him?”
“I don’t know what to think. I keep wondering if my employees would be doing their jobs better if Dad were still in charge. He brought out the best in everyone. I’m not my dad.”
“You’re not supposed to be your dad. You’re doing a fantastic job, but don’t assume your employees aren’t doing their best for you too. Sometimes things go wrong, and it’s better to work on the solution than find someone to blame.”
“You’re right. I always knew responsibility for the Athena would fall on my shoulders, and I looked forward to managing it one day. That day came about twenty years sooner than expected, so many of the employees knew me as a young boy. That’s how they still see me. It’s hard to change that image.”
“I get it. It’s only been a couple of years, but you’ve already shown that the Athena is thriving under your leadership. I’m not saying you should never be angry with anyone, but showingyour frustration too often may undermine your desire for them to see you as Sean-the-man rather than the boy. Be patient with those who respected your dad. You’ll earn their respect too. Just a thought.”
“You’ve got a point, but I won’t lower my expectations.”
