Page 48 of Besties
Scrubbing a hand over his hair, Richie groaned. “But she’s always been one of our biggest supporters. I don’t understand any of this.”
It was obvious Richie was distraught. I wanted to hug him, but wasn’t sure how well that would go over in the office. When he turned and opened his arms, I had my answer. I squeezed him for all I was worth. When I found Allyssa beaming at us, I stopped worrying.
“It’s going to be okay.”
“I trust you.” He cupped the back of my head and brought our foreheads together. “Please, do whatever you have to. I don’t know what’s happening, but we can’t afford to have our reputation damaged, because it’ll come back on the kids.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
He gave me a peck on the lips, and I went to my temporary office. Once again, the realization that I would have to go back to Milwaukee at some point gnawed at my gut. How could we make a long-distance relationship work? Taking a deep breath, I threw my shoulders back. Thoughts about our relationship would have to take a backseat for a while. Right now, I needed to see what I could do to save the accounts and keep Richie’s business intact.
Opening the mail from Allyssa, I scanned the details for each company. As I read through the contracts, I noticed one thread that connected them all. Each had been handled by Dennis Kramer. After the conversation with Ms. Berry, I could see there was a pattern here. How many people hadn’t complained about Kramer? I picked up the phone and called Allyssa.
“Hey, thank you for the mails. I’m going to be making several trips today to see people. This isn’t something that should be handled by phone. I called Mrs. Berry when we got home on Saturday, so I’ll stop and see her first, then start with the more problematic ones. Anyway, I was hoping you could do me a favor.”
“If I can.”
“Pull every account Kramer had his hands on. It seems to me that there’s something going on here, and I won’t be satisfied until I talk to everyone on that list.”
“I’ll have it to you by the end of the day.”
Richie was right. She was worth her weight in gold. “I’m going to need to rent a car. Know any good places around here?”
Her chuckle was soft and smooth. “There’s been one in the garage waiting for you.”
That was news to me. “Oh?”
“Mr. Ryland asked me to have one ready, but told me to let you know only if you asked. He said…. Um. He said he preferred to drive you around.”
A flash of warmth rushed through me. “Don’t tell him I said so, but I like that too.”
Allyssa sent me the keys to the car, then told me where I could find it. Why I should be surprised there were several vehicles with the Teaching Time logo, I had no idea. They were all pristine white compact hybrids. I found the car the key tag said was mine to use and opened the door. A fresh, clean scent emanated when I got inside. It was obvious the cars were well maintained.
Plugging the address in for the first stop, I pulled out of the garage and into traffic. The streets confused me, and I wanted to kiss whoever came up with GPS, because without it, I would have been lost worse than I was. Fortunately the school wasn’t that far away, so I got there with a few minutes to spare. I entered the building and followed the green arrow that directed me to the office. As I entered, a blonde woman sitting behind the desk rose and approached me.
“Good morning, can I help you?”
“Yes, please. My name is Max Henry, and I’m here to see Ms. Berry.”
For a split second, I thought I saw her scowl, but just as quickly it was hidden behind a professional mask.
“Please have a seat. Ms. Berry will be with you shortly.”
I took a chair, crossed my legs, and waited. The lady behind the counter picked up the phone and tapped a few buttons. Whatever she said was too low for me to hear, but her gaze kept darting in my direction. I had a bad feeling about this.
A few moments later a door opened and an older black woman stepped through. She wore a gray business suit, with a crisp, white shirt, and panther medallion on a slender gold chain.
“Can I help you?”
I stood and approached, holding out my hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Berry. I’m Max Henry.”
She glared at my hand, then took the tips of my fingers in hers. “How can I help you, Mr. Henry?”
I wasn’t expecting this cold reception at all. “We had a meeting scheduled. If this is a bad time, I can call back.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I don’t think we’ll be doing business with Teaching Time in the future. Have a good day.”
She turned and started back for her office. I had no idea what had happened between last week and now, but I wasn’t about to just walk away. I followed her into the office and closed the door behind me.
