Chapter 2 - THE PRICE OF A PERFECT WEDDING
Conrad arrived at my office twenty minutes later carrying a thick binder and a laptop. He had removed his tie. His face looked gray.
The first page showed a wedding estimate for $186,000. The event included a ballroom reception, private dining room, two luxury suites, floral arrangements, a string quartet, a custom cake, and transportation for the bridal party.
The second page showed another $74,500 in additional charges.
Private security. Imported champagne. A designer floral installation. A custom stage. A second reception after midnight.
“Who approved these?” I asked.
“I approved some initial changes. The rest were submitted through the events office using a digital authorization that appeared to come from me.”
“Did you check it?”
“I should have.”
“Did you?”
He lowered his eyes. “No.”
I turned another page. Several vendors had submitted invoices for deposits that had already been paid. The same service appeared twice under different company names.
“Have you met these vendors?”
“Some of them.”
“Which ones?”
He hesitated.
I closed the binder. “Conrad, I need the truth. Not the version you think will protect your job.”
He explained that Blythe had promised her family would reimburse the hotel after the wedding. She claimed her father was arranging a sponsorship agreement with an investment group. No contract had ever appeared.
“Did you ask for one?”
“Twice. She said the paperwork was being finalized.”
“And you allowed the charges anyway?”
He nodded. “I wanted her to be happy.”
“That is not a business reason.”
He showed me an email from Blythe. It included the sentence: “Conrad has full discretion. Nina never checks the small things.”
I read it twice.
“Did she write this before or after you told her I was the owner?”
“She knew.”
“Then why did she tell the lobby I was nobody?”
“I don't know.”
I called Evelyn Park, our finance director. She arrived with a report showing more than $230,000 in complimentary services recorded under an internal code called C-17. Most were room upgrades, meals, and waived meeting fees.
“Who authorized C-17?” I asked.
“Conrad's office.”
Conrad shook his head. “I approved it for a handful of corporate clients.”
Evelyn tapped the report. “Your approval code appears on all of them.”
“Someone may have used it.”
I ordered Evelyn to freeze new payments and preserve every email, purchase order, and approval log. Then I placed Conrad on administrative leave pending an investigation.
He left his access card on my desk.
At the door, he turned. “Blythe isn't who you think she is.”
“Then tell me who she is.”
“I need to check something first.”
After he left, I called Rosa.
“Has Blythe been doing this for a while?”
Rosa hesitated. “She tells people her fiancé owns the hotel. She asks for things, and if they say no, she threatens to get them fired.”
“How long?”
“Since the engagement announcement.”
I thanked her and asked her to write down everything she remembered.
That night, I carried my ruined coat home in a garment bag. I examined the stain near the pocket and touched the tiny blue star my mother had sewn into the lining.
May you like
She used to say that a loose thread was often where the damage began.
I had a feeling we had only just found the first one.
