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Samson felt another sense of disconnect when he stepped into the office. The air conditioning was ice-cold, and the rich brown wood furniture spoke to funding that this complex clearly did not allot for the tenants.
It wasn’t that April had been stupid to trust the people here. It was that this office was a trap. He recognized it for what it was: The front to a scam, getting people to choose this location over other low-rent locations, and then bilking them out of what little money they had once they signed a contract.
Samson sucked in his cheeks, swallowed hard, and then put on a bright smile as he approached the young man at the desk. “Hello. My name is Samson Bennett, CEO of Bennett Industries United. I have a meeting with your property manager.”
“Oh! Good afternoon, sir. I’ll go see if she’s in.”
Samson flattened his lips and looked down at the young man. “She had better be in. As I said, we have a meeting, and I expect that my time will not be wasted.”
“I-I’ll just go see if she’s in.” The young man disappeared down the hallway.
“He knows,” April said quietly. “They’re just instructed to never let people back to her. Tenants tend to come in kind of pissed.”
“I bet they do.”
The property manager came out of her office dressed with the precision and care of a high-powered executive. That told him that she was probably paid either too much, or too little. Either way, she was probably already looking around for employment elsewhere.
Samson took her hand firmly. “You would be Erin Morris, yes?”
“Absolutely, Mr. Bennett. We cleared time just for you.”
“That seems strange to me, since your secretary seemed not to have any idea you had a meeting. It seems strange to me that you have two desks out here for secretaries, but your desk is out of sight.” Samson started moving toward her office, and she was compelled to motion for him to come in.
“Well, it?
?s really a matter of making sure that I can get the property business done without interruption.”
“I see.”
Erin looked to April. “And this would be?”
“I’m April Lucas. I used to live here.”
Erin’s demeanor changed on dime. Gone was the friendly, inviting business woman, and out came the stern property manager. So that was her reaction to a tenant.
Samson pulled the chairs in front of her desk closer and motioned for April to sit down. “April was sent an erroneously high bill charging her for fees that she should not have to pay. I would like to talk to you about that, as well as other matters that should be addressed around the complex.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Bennett, this is none of your business,” Erin said sharply.
“I think you’ll find that I am perfectly capable—”
“Who are you? Her boyfriend? She’s going to have to deal with this bill herself.”
“These charges—”
“No, no, no.” Erin shook her head repeatedly.
Samson stood and loomed over her as he put the bill on her desk.
“Sir, you’re going to have to sit down.”
“You are charging her for repairs that were the result of your poor security, in addition to fees you have no call to charge once her apartment was re-rented.”
“I cannot talk to you about this, Mr. Bennett.”
“It would be in your best interests for you to talk about this with me, Ms. Morris. These fees are not legal.”
“I cannot talk with you about—” she paused. “How do I know you weren’t staying in the apartment with her? How do we know you didn’t break down that door in a fight with her?”
