Page 79 of Canapés at the Beach House Hotel
I drove directly to the hotel anxious to thank Rhonda for a fantastic dinner and to tell her about Enrico.
When I walked into our office, Rhonda held a finger to her lips as she listened to someone talk on the phone.
“I see.Ann just walked into the office.Hang on, and I’ll tell you what we decide.”
She turned to me with a grin.“Vinnie is on the phone.The FBI has been interviewing Brock about his participation in the defacing of our property, and he’s wondering if we want to bring charges.Brock is the person who recruited someone to spray paint our building.”
“You know what I’d like?”I told her, and chuckling softly, Rhonda went back on the call.
“You’re on speaker phone now, Vinnie.”Rhonda glanced at me.“Ann and I don’t want to press charges.However, we’d like Brock to make a formal apology to us in your presence.Can you do that?”
“You bet.I’ve never met such an egotistical jackass.That’s a better punishment for sure.I’ll bring him around sometime this afternoon.”
“Call us first, so we’re ready,” said Rhonda.“And, Vinnie, from one neighborhood kid to another, thank you.”
She ended the call, and we gave each other a high five.How many times would it take for Brock to understand he couldn’t bully us or try to hurt our business without our fighting back?
###
We’d just finished lunch when Vinnie called to tell us that he and Brock were on their way to the hotel.
“I can’t wait to see and hear him grovel,” said Rhonda, rubbing her hands together enthusiastically.
“We can’t appear too smug,” I warned her.“It might backfire on us.”
“Aw, Annie, you take the fun out of it,” Rhonda complained.
“Brock is capable of anything.”I shuddered at the memory of how he’d accosted me on my one and only date with him when I was new to the area.
Rhonda sensed my worry.“Okay.I’ll be good.”
A knock sounded on our door and then Vinnie led Brock inside.
“’Afternoon,” said Vinnie.“Thank you for being so kind as to not file charges against Brock Goodwin.I’m sure he’d like to say a few words.”
Brock’s cheeks turned bright red.He shuffled his feet and looked down at the floor.
When he raised his head, I saw defiance, not defeat, and I felt my hands grow cold even as heat burned in my belly.
“I think it might be better if we filed charges after all,” I said, surprising Rhonda.
She looked from me to him.“I like that better too.It’s much easier than listening to this liar.”
Brock’s eyes widened.He took a step backward and turned to Vinnie.“They’re just saying that because I’m the president of the Neighborhood Association.They never want to listen to me.”
“Can’t say I blame them,” said Vinnie.“You arranged to have graffiti painted on their property.”
“Well, I … I had an investment to protect,” said Brock.
I shook my head.“We know how you made that investment by trading imported goods from your business for a percentage of the restaurant.”
Vinnie’s eyebrows lifted.“We haven’t discussed that, Brock.But I’m sure the tax people will want to.”
Brock’s shoulders slumped.“All right, all right.I’m sorry I did that.Satisfied?”
“I’m not,” said Vinnie.“You have to do a lot better than that.”
“Okay,” groaned Brock.“I won’t do anything like that again.I promise.”
