Rusty Simms. Last I heard, he picked up and moved to Hawaii.
Using our money?
It’s a stretch, but I know I contributed forty to fifty thousand, and it doesn’t look like much has been done with any of it. I can only hope he worked on the coffee shop interior before ditching this place.
I think so. Once the last payment went through, I didn’t hear anything from him.
I growl, trying to calm the anger flowing through me.
And you didn’t let me know?
Sorry, man. I got busy with work and haven’t made it down there. I’ll send that contact over now. Let me know what else you need, and I’ll get it for you.
I can’t be mad at him. He’s just as busy as I am and is trying to do what he can to save something he loves. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt that way about anything.
But I can see the appeal here. The beautiful water, the soft sand on the beach. The town of people wanting the best for their neighbors.
Once the contact card comes through, I click on it to call the woman.
“Maria Matthews.”
“Hi, my name is Max, and I’m representing Bauer Enterprise LLC. I was told you might have or might know where the keys are to the buildings the company owns.”
“I don’t hold keys for anyone,” she says with an edge.
Okay, I’ll have to find another way to ask, but it’s going to channel every ounce of patience I have. “I’m just trying to track them down. If there’s a way I can get information on who has the keys or who they were given to once the sale was completed, I’d appreciate it.”
“Again—”
“I’m sorry, Maria, is it?”
“Yes,” she says with hesitation.
“I know you’ve got a lot going on. If you don’t mind taking aquick second to look for any snippet of information I’m sure you took while working on this deal, I would sincerely appreciate it. You would be helping me save my job.”
“Is your company interested in buying more land and buildings here?” she asks. It’s obvious what she’s going for right now.
“I’m sure if they found the right property, they’d be willing to buy more.”
“Let me check and I’ll call you right back.”
The line goes silent, and I see she’s hung up.
I wait a few minutes, hoping I’ll get some good news about the keys. I decide it’s time to log into my personal email and check on a bunch of the documents. It takes a minute because I forgot my password, but I finally get into the main cloud folder and realize none of the stuff is in there.
I try another email that I must’ve set up for the business, frustrated that I have to go through the hoops of fixing the password, but I’m finally in.
There are several folders, each labeled with the property address, and I go through them the best I can on this phone. It would be easier to use my laptop, but for now, I’m not ready to go back to the B&B. In New York, I’m inside for all but an hour or two. I’m taking full advantage of the outdoor refreshment.
Many of the papers were signed by Maria Matthews. Aiden probably asked someone who he should use and went with her.
It’s possible he went in thinking we could buy one or two buildings, and she upped it to the four plus. I could see Aiden caving, but I wish he would’ve said something.
My phone rings, and it’s the number I called just ten minutes earlier.
“Hello,” Maria says.
“Hi. What did you find out?”
