22. IntimidateImpress

22

INTIMIDATE OR IMPRESS

" C an I help you?"

"I'm Van Harlowe," he said. "I'd like to speak with the manager if I could."

"Can I ask what this is about?" the woman said.

He looked at her name tag. He'd told no one he was coming to the hotel today but Kyle. It was a last-minute decision and when he caught the ferry back to Amore Island, he'd meet with his business partner to go over what he discovered.

"Taylor, I own half of the hotel. Barry Elson was my grandfather."

"Oh," Taylor said. "I mean we all knew Barry, but I wasn't aware he had a grandson."

He could tell by the look on her face that she might not believe him. "If you want to verify with Kyle first, please call him. He'll be expecting your call."

"It should be fine," Taylor said.

He didn't care for that answer. He would have preferred she verified who he was, but then told himself he wasn't getting anywhere other than talking to a manager. Ryan Greene was the manager of the hotel. He should be on the premises and Van couldn't wait to see what happened when the two were introduced.

"I'll just wait over here while you get Ryan," he said.

Taylor moved away from the counter and exited through a door. She returned five minutes later with an older man behind her.

"I'm Ryan Greene. Taylor tells me you're Barry's grandson. I hope I don't insult you, but I just called Kyle to verify. This is all news to me."

He shook the man's hand. "Not a problem. I'm happy to hear you did that. If you've got some time, I was hoping you could show me around. It's nothing more than that. I thought I'd pick your brain while I was at it."

"Absolutely," Ryan said. "I want to say how sorry I am for your loss. Barry was a great guy."

"Thanks," he said. There wasn't much more he could say without airing out dirty laundry.

"I just find it funny that Christian didn't tell me that you'd be coming in. Does he know?" Ryan asked.

"No," he said. "I did meet with Christian a week ago. Kyle too. It was the three of us. I'm trying to get a feel for things and have some questions. Christian did answer them all, but I wanted to check out some things for myself."

"Of course," Ryan said. "Ask away."

He wanted to put the man at ease who was eager to please. Nothing like Christian.

He did have to admit he found it odd that Christian hadn't shared the news about him with some of the other management but would file that away for another day.

"I've got a background in law enforcement," he said. "I'm a retired detective. Early retirement."

"I don't blame you with your grandfather's inheritance. I think your background will come in handy here with security. It seems we've had some hiccups lately. I'm sure the other hotels will tell you the same. But we are the biggest and it feels as if it's more of a problem here."

"What issues?" he asked. "The response times?"

"Yes," Ryan said. "I've brought it up several times to Christian. I know we are short-staffed, but I've passed on applications to him and nothing is being done."

"You're not doing the hiring for those positions?" he asked. He wasn't sure but would have figured that the manager would. Kyle had said it was taken care of at the hotels themselves.

"I wish," Ryan said. "I'd get it done faster, but Christian wanted to do it and he's not around much. I know he's overseeing all the hotels, but still. I'm glad things are slowing down, but this summer had multiple issues later at night and those working were less than competent."

"How so?" he asked.

"Let's walk the grounds," Ryan said. "Sometimes it's easier to talk that way and no one will notice. They might think you're a guest."

Van had dressed like he did every day. He didn't need to come in in a suit to intimidate or impress.

"Explain the less-than-competent comment."

"It's just that I feel they aren't trained well or not qualified. Most end up being people that Christian knows personally. During the day there aren't issues for the most part. Maybe because I'm here and I run a tighter ship than my night or weekend manager. Not that they don't know their jobs, because they do, but it's a different management style."

"Understood," he said.

"I have no problem going to Christian with my concerns, but it feels as if they fall on deaf ears at times. He says he'll take care of it and he talks to people and I see an improvement and then it happens again."

"For example?" he asked.

"One of the security guards at night is never around. I'm not sure what he is doing or where he is going. Maybe he's sleeping. No clue. Christian talked to him and it got better and then two months later the person slipped back."

"Have you talked to Kyle about this at all?" he asked.

"No. Barry always said that he ran these three hotels and Kyle was just a silent partner. Kyle has said the same for years. When Christian was hired, we understood why."

He found this odd that Kyle would step back this much. "If things weren't getting resolved though, you didn't want to try to reach out to Kyle?"

"I wanted to a few times, but Christian would tell us not to. Listen, I'm not trying to cause problems. Christian and Barry were close. Everyone knew it. Most of us just wanted to protect our jobs at the same time."

"How do you know Christian and my grandfather were close? Did it come from my grandfather or Christian?"

"A little bit of both. Mainly Christian. When he was hired, Barry let it be known a few times that he'd watched Christian grow up. Through bits and pieces of conversation, I gathered Barry was friends with Christian's grandfather."

"Got it," he said. He'd store that away for a bit. "Why don't you show me around and tell me any concerns you might have. Even if you've told Christian. I'm just trying to catch up and learn the ropes, nothing more."

"Sure," Ryan said.

Two hours later, he'd heard more than enough and was getting ready to leave when Christian came rushing in the front door.

"Van," Christian said. "I didn't know you were coming to check out the hotel. I would have shown you around."

"It was a last-minute decision," he said. "Ryan has been great. Looks to me as if everything is running smoothly here."

"Great," Christian said. "Do you want to go look at the other hotel? It's only about twenty minutes from here?"

"I'm good for now," he said. "I need to get back to the island and was just going to catch the ferry now."

"I'll walk out with you," Christian said.

It's not as if he'd tell the man no. "You didn't need to rush down here," he said.

"I'd planned on being here today," Christian said.

Not the way Van saw him briskly marching through the door and looking as if he was going to start a war. The minute Christian saw him talking to Ryan though, the resting bitch face turned to a forced welcoming smile.

"Then I won't take up any of your time that you had planned for something else," he said.

"Did you have any questions about what I sent over yesterday?" Christian asked.

He wouldn't throw Ryan under the bus for some of the explanations being different. But Kyle was right and Christian did get him the information and most of it made sense.

Christian also said that he'd change the hours so that there was more coverage later at night on the weekends. Ryan didn't seem to know any of that, but it was possible it hadn't been relayed yet.

He was banking on his impromptu visit resulting in Christian making sure the changes were done everywhere effective immediately.

"It all seemed pretty cut and dry," he said. "I just wanted to get a look at the grounds and Ryan was showing me around and explaining some of the day-to-day operations. Looks to be working like a well-oiled machine."

"I'm on top of it all," Christian said, smiling. "Glad that you noticed it."

He wasn't surprised Christian took that as a compliment to him.

"Keep it up," he said. "This is me." Van nodded at his truck and then climbed in and tried not to laugh at the stunned look on Christian's face over his mode of transportation.

He drove to the docks and boarded the ferry. Staying in his truck for the ride back to Amore Island, he wrote up some of the notes that he remembered.

When he got back to the island he drove right to Kyle's office.

"Well?" Kyle asked. "Learn anything interesting?"

"Since most of it is new to me, it's all interesting," he said. He filled Kyle in on what Ryan had said about Christian and most of the security staff being friends of his and that it felt like things were only taken care of for a short period of time.

"I hadn't been aware of that," Kyle said. "I wish I knew."

"No offense, but Ryan seems to be of the opinion that he can't come to you for anything. That Christian is running it and you're just a silent partner."

Kyle sighed. "Years ago that was the arrangement. When Christian was hired, we directed everything towards him so there was no confusion, but that didn't mean staff couldn't come to me. I'll have to figure out a way for them to do that."

"I think it's more about Christian drilling into their heads they can't. Did you know my grandfather and Christian were close?"

"I wouldn't consider them that close. They worked together," Kyle said.

He wasn't holding anything back. "Ryan said Christian always made comments about Barry and him being close and even Barry would say how he'd known Christian since he was in diapers."

Kyle frowned. "No. I think that is Christian exaggerating. Barry was friends with Christian's grandfather. Barry gave Christian a shot at this job when he moved back home. Maybe they got closer while Christian was employed. And yes, Barry might have known him since he was in diapers, but that doesn't mean he knew him well. Your grandfather was closer with my kids than Christian, and even then, it's not as if he confided in them."

"Kelsey remembers things about Barry," he said.

"She saw one side of him most times. A funny side that joked around, but she didn't see him much. The rest she knew through me or overhearing things." Kyle stopped and tilted his head. "Do you want to know about your grandfather?"

"I'm getting there," he said. "I opened the envelope."

"Which one?" Kyle asked, grinning.

"You know what he did? Those numbered envelopes?"

"I do," Kyle said. "Barry was concerned you were going to be resistant to things. He felt information in smaller doses was better. Considering it took you months to come to me, I think your grandfather called that one right."

"It seems it," he said.

"How many have you opened so far?" Kyle asked.

"Do you know what is in the envelopes?"

"Some things," Kyle said. "And we'll leave it at that. When you get to the end you'll know more and why I asked this."

He nodded. "He has pictures of me from birth until my graduation from the academy. Pictures of my mother from before I was born until a few years before she died."

"And you want to know how he got those pictures?" Kyle asked.

"Do you know?"

"The ones before you were born, Lauren lived here. The ones after you were born and Lauren had moved away, he's had people over the years look into you and your mother to make sure things were fine. That is where most of the pictures came from."

"My mother had no idea?" he asked.

"I don't believe so," Kyle said. "The pictures of you though, those early ones. Your mother sent them to your grandfather."

"She did?" he asked. "But I thought he cut her off. At least that is what I was told."

"I can tell you what I know if you want," Kyle said.

"I think maybe I need to hear some of it."

"Your mother dropped out of college. Mind you, this was before I knew Barry. So what you're hearing is what I've been told."

"Understood," he said. This was going to be one of those things he'd have to weigh.

"Barry didn't care for your father."

He snorted. "Not a shocker there."

"Your mother was in love. They'd met at college and Adam was a little controlling."

"More than a little," he said quietly.

So far what he was hearing wasn't much of a shock and didn't feel as if it was bad information.

"Barry had said several times that he could have handled things differently than he did. He forbid your mother to continue to see Adam."

"She would have been pissed. She could be stubborn."

"That is my guess," Kyle said. "They had more than one falling out over it. Adam and Barry had words multiple times. No reason to go into them. Adam convinced your mother that she'd be better off with him and they left when Adam graduated. They moved back out West where he was from."

"My father's family was hours away though from where I grew up," he said.

"Barry knew where your mother ended up. As much as they fought, they still kept in contact a few times a year. Barry sent your mother money for the holidays. When he found out she was married, he was devastated that it'd been done without his knowledge."

"Do you think he would have accepted the marriage either way?" he asked.

"Probably not. He would have tried to talk her out of it."

"Without much success," Van said. "I was born seven months after my parents married. My guess is that is why they married."

"I don't know if Barry knew that part or not. He never said one way or another. I don't think it matters."

"I don't think any of those things matter at this point. They are both gone."

"But you need answers," Kyle said. "Your mother and grandfather did meet up once when you were around one. Behind your father's back."

"Not surprised," he said.

"Sounds like you know more than you are letting on," Kyle said.

"Not in terms of this, but that my mother would go behind my father's back. My father was one of those men that let the world see one thing and those in the house lived by a different set of rules. He controlled everything and made all the decisions."

"I believe Barry knew that. He'd said that your mother couldn't be swayed. Your grandmother had passed before Lauren started college. Barry believed that she latched onto Adam as part of her grieving. Your grandfather was devastated to lose your grandmother."

"It's the first I've even heard about her," he said.

"Eloise was her name," Kyle said. "Again, I didn't know her and only knew what Barry said, but he was in love. Until the day he died, he still talked about her. I know Eloise and Lauren were close. Maybe in their grief, they weren't there for each other and it was horrible timing your mother met Adam."

He shrugged. There was no reason to speculate. "So my mother meets with my grandfather when I'm young. Do you know what happened?"

"Your father found out and they moved shortly after. Lauren didn't reach out for years and that was when your grandfather hired someone to find out where she was. From that point on, it seemed to be their only communication until you were around ten. I think Barry was giving her time."

"What happened when I was ten?" he asked.

"Your grandfather had fallen on hard times. Adam always thought your grandfather held money over your mother and that he didn't have nearly what he said he did."

"What you're saying sounds to be about right," he said. "You just said he fell on hard times."

"He wasn't making the best investment decisions. He'd found Lauren and had the person he'd hired reach out to her. It was a woman. This way no one would suspect anything."

"My father would know if my mother was talking to a man," he said.

"There was some communication for years on and off through this woman, but I think your father figured it out and put a stop to it. Your mother had no idea I'd come into the picture and we were revamping things here."

He wondered how his father would feel if Adam knew the worth of Barry. If he would have let Barry back into Lauren's life or not.

"So Barry focused on that for years?" he asked.

"It felt like it was all he could do at the time. He never stopped trying. He'd get updates from this woman for years, but your mother wasn't even talking to her anymore. It was more like updates from a distance."

"Whoever this woman was must not have been around when my mother was sick. You said my grandfather had no idea."

"No. Barry stopped looking into things a few years prior. He said it just hurt too much. He did consider reaching out to you but didn't know what you knew about him or if you would believe what your father might say."

"I'm not sure how I would have reacted," he said.

"Just like you don't know what to think about what I'm saying now," Kyle said. "I know that. I'm only relaying what I know."

"Because you were told it," he said.

"I witnessed a lot of it too. You can't live a lie like that for years. I'd been around Barry when he'd gotten his updates. You have to be a pretty cunning person to plan it all out like that for twenty-five years to get to this point."

"True," he said.

"You'll get more answers when you're ready," Kyle said. "You asked about the pictures and why your mother and Barry didn't talk. That is what I told you. If you ask me other things, I'll answer as well as I can."

"You want me to figure it out on my own, don't you?" he asked.

"I think you need to do that for yourself more than anything," Kyle said.