The Dead Don't Speak (23 page)

The Board never liked meeting off schedule like this and left all other matters for the usual day and time. Today was about filling the empty Director of Entertainment seat. They hemmed and hawed as was their wont, until finally it was Daphne's turn to speak. She stood at the front of the room in her William Fioravanti, a suit she wore only for occasions where she absolutely had to have her way.

"Board members, you see that I’ve brought a young boy with me today. I want to tell you his story. Parts of the story you may be familiar with, other parts, perhaps not. First off, his name is Zach Hepson. Second, he currently has a contract to perform two shows weekly at Versailles.

"Zach was brought in by the man whose job is in question today, Mr. Dylan Tovak. Zach has some legitimate concerns. Chief among them is whether his contract will be honored now that Tovak has left us in disgrace? That is, of course, for you to decide. But since you asked me to speak today I'll give you my two cents."

"You will have the opportunity to get to know Zach over the next few months. I hope each of you takes the opportunity because you are going to find yourself face to face with a most remarkable boy. He's brilliant, funny, and has an old soul. You will find him to be a peer rather than a child."

"Let's talk dollars and cents for a moment. We're here to make money, after all, not babysit my new friend. As CFO I am well aware of our financial situation and this recent humiliation is only going to hurt. It was about two months ago, lying on the couch of my office upstairs, popping TUMS like they were SweetTarts that I tried a very desperate move. I contacted Simon Simmons about coming to Versailles from Camelot. It was an enormous error in judgment and I am ashamed to call it mine."

"Don't make a similar mistake with Zach. I know we're here to discuss Tovak's vacant position and I will get to that. This is all connected so please bear with me a little longer."

"We're all people of wealth at this table, so let's talk investments. Everyone knows about gold. Gold is a safe bet, possibly the safest bet. Is there anyone in this room who does not have some money in gold at this very moment because it holds its value so well?"

Zach's hand rose slowly. The members of the Board chuckled.

"Thank you, Zach," Daphne said. She continued, "When the markets are down, gold goes up. We move our money to gold when things aren't looking great. When the market turns around we liquidate some of our gold holdings and allow the money to grow elsewhere. In the tightrope act of investing, gold is the safety net. It is to be used when necessary, though not as a crutch, but it is never discarded entirely. Its value is beyond question."

"I am telling you today that Zach Hepson is gold. Invest your money in him now, when things are turning bleak, and see what happens when we come out the other side. He is dependable. You know what happened with his family, and yet here he is concerned about his job. The boy has a gift that cannot be taken away."

"What about value?" Daphne asked the room. No one said anything. They knew it was rhetorical.

She turned and looked at Zach, "What's your value?"

Zach gave her a big, palms up, shrug.

"That's a legitimate question. We've never seen Zach on a stage. What if he's awful? What if, once he gets big, and mark my words he will; what if he starts partying too hard and ends up another burnt-out child star? Where's our money gone to then? Is there any guarantee that Zach's value will go unquestioned like gold's?"

Again there were no concerned looks or murmurs in the room. The Board knew damn well Daphne was putting on a show. The members were leaning forward, eager for her to continue, to finish selling them Zach Hepson.

"Me," Daphne said. "I am your guarantee to Zach's value."

Now there was murmuring, though only a little.

"I am going to step down as CFO of Versailles to the position of Director of Entertainment. Let's be honest with ourselves; good things happen when you're honest. I wasn't the best CFO Versailles could have had. We need someone from the sales world to take that position. I come from the entertainment side of the casino world and that's where I belong."

"I recommend to the Board to allow me to step down to the position where I am of the most value. Promote Vince Ourmon, our head of Sales, to CFO. He will jump at the chance. Do this for me. Invest in a healthier bottom line, not immediately but six months from now, and you will not be disappointed."

The board asked Daphne and Zach to give them the room. The two sat in the hall outside, on the same bench Dylan Tovak had a few weeks earlier. The two looked like soldiers sent to the rear for a break from the action. They sat with elbows on their knees, knowing they'd done their duty and hoping the battle would swing in their favor.

"I could learn a lot from you," Zach said.

"You can and you will."

After only a very few minutes in the hallway, the Chairman of the Board, a man named Peter Callahan, came out to see them.

"It took just enough time to run through Robert's Rules," he said with a smile on his face. "You got it all, Daphne. You will be DOE, Zach keeps his contract, and we're calling Vince Ourmon now for a meeting."

Daphne and Zach stood, "Glad to hear it," she said and shook Peter's hand.

"You could learn a lot from this lady," Peter said to Zach.

"I was just saying the same thing," Zach replied.

Daphne watched as Tim carefully flipped the burgers. He stood tall and solid on his prosthetic legs, having gotten used to them over the past year. The heat from the grill made him appear wavy.

"Can you believe what that joker from the Department of Labor said? 'Oh, we just need to make sure Zach isn't being over-worked and that Versailles is complying with all child labor legislation,'" Julian said in a mock-officious voice.

Daphne smiled. "He's just doing his job."

"I know, but it's frustrating. As if we'd ever do anything to hurt Zach."

Daphne shot Julian a glance, then moved her eyes toward Cayte and Zach lying in the pool on inflatable rafts. Julian's eyes followed his boss's. "We have a history at Versailles now. It'll take time to remove the damage Tovak did."

"Ugh," grunted Molly. "What a creep."

"It's funny," Julian mused. "If not for that creep, we wouldn't have met."

"I don't know. I think we still would have. Someday."

Molly hoisted herself from the patio chair to fetch herself another glass of lemonade. Julian shot to his feet, gently taking her wrist in his hand. He said, "Let me. The doctor said you need to stay off your feet." He bent forward, placed a kiss on her bulging abdomen, and guided her back into her seat.

Tim shouted, "Zach and Cayte, get out of the pool and come have some dinner."

"All right!" Zach shouted back from the pool.

Daphne asked Molly, "How much longer?"

"Any time now. At the last appointment the doctor said we should talk about inducing if the baby doesn't come on its own in the next few days."

A smile lit up Daphne's face, "Exciting time!"

"Some days I can't wait for it to be over," Molly said. Then she added, "Some days," and caressed her belly.

When everyone was seated around the table and their plates were properly loaded, Julian spoke.

"So, Cayte, are you excited to leave for Oberlin?"

Cayte had become enamored with the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio. In her year of living with the Carters, Cayte had discovered she held a passion for music in all its forms, not just vocals and guitar. She and Daphne would be flying to Ohio in a few days so she could visit the campus. She bobbed her head up and down.

"I can't wait," She said. Cayte glanced at Zach, her expression softening. "But if I get in I'm going to miss Zach."

Zach saw the look on her face and smiled. "You know where to find me."

"I sure do. At the library, at the casino, or right here." She ruffled his hair. She said quietly enough that only Zach could hear, "Boy Psychic."

Around a mouthful of food Molly asked, "How are the shows going? I heard people are really into it."

"I think they are," Zach replied. "It's a nice little space and the audience seems to feel at home there."

Tim chimed in, "It doesn't hurt that seven or eight people have had big wins after going to Zach's show. Word gets around."

The table buzzed with conversation. Everyone chatted happily with each other, small fits of laughter erupting every so often. Daphne watched the people around her table, all of them family to her now, and her heart seemed to swell within her chest. It sank for a moment, falling slightly at the memory of Sarah. Her sweet little girl, taken from the world much too early.

Daphne realized Zach was watching her. She smiled at him. His expression didn't change. He simply nodded at her. The single nod told Daphne that Zach knew her thoughts and that it was okay to sometimes dwell on the memory of her daughter. Her thoughts of Sarah were what kept her daughter's spirit alive.

Sarah would have loved Zach. She would have loved Cayte, Julian, and Molly, too. She would have loved seeing her parents fall back in love with each other after growing apart for so long.

She would be in college now probably studying Business. Daphne could have gotten her an internship at Versailles, let her work in the sales department for some good experience. Sarah had had such a bright future ahead of her.

When Daphne came out of her daze she saw Zach was still looking at her, his head tilted ever so slightly. Zach's face lit up in a radiant smile. Daphne knew he was telling her, "Sarah isn't gone. She's waiting."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kendall Bailey was born and raised in Northern Vermont. He now resides in Southwestern Minnesota with his wife and son. Kendall is an entrepreneur, blogger, and social media addict. The Dead Don’t Speak is his 2nd novel.

Connect with him on his website –
www.kendallbailey.net