Seated in her wing chair in the parlor, Ruth did her best to quell her annoyance and maintain an air of calm. The inspector had been here for hours and was still poking around in her attic. It had been years since she’d ventured into that space. She could barely remember what items she had stored up there.
What rankled her most about the situation, however, was the fact that someone had phoned in a complaint to the city about them. It had to be Mr. Simmons from across the street, since Ruth couldn’t imagine anyone else having a concern about their home. He had made his displeasure known as soon as he’d read the article in the newspaper.
“Should we delay dinner until the inspector’s gone?” Olivia entered the room, her question breaking into Ruth’s musings.
Ruth looked at her watch. “I believe that’s wise, unless the man’s bent on staying the entire evening.” She shook her head. “I simply don’t understand why anyone would have called in a complaint. It doesn’t make sense.”
Olivia took a seat on the sofa. “Mr. Cameron mentioned the plumbing issue,” she said slowly. “Yet no one knew about the leak except the residents, the staff, and . . .” A frown wrinkled her brow.
Ruth sighed. “Mr. Reed. He was here at the time, wasn’t he?” She hated to think the pleasant young man could be behind this setback. Still, a charming exterior sometimes hid a devious heart. And he did work for the loathsome Mr. Walcott.
“But Darius seemed so kind.” Olivia leaned forward, her eyes troubled. “He jumped in to contain the leak and then helped me hang up the wet towels.”
“Darius, is it?” Ruth gave her a long look.
Patches of red appeared in Olivia’s cheeks. “Why would Mr. Reed go to all that trouble and then turn around and report us to the city?”
“I can think of one reason. Vincent Walcott.”
“But what would his boss gain from another inspection?”
Ruth rose and smoothed her skirt. “Mr. Walcott will go to any length to get what he wants. He likely hopes that the building will fail the exam, and the inspector will force a closure of the home. Mr. Walcott probably imagines that I would then be disheartened enough to sell him my house.” She squared her shoulders. “That will never happen. I’d sell to anyone but him if I had to.”
A throat cleared behind them. “Mrs. Bennington?”
Ruth turned to see the inspector in the doorway, cap in his hand. “Yes, Mr. Cameron. Have you finished?”
“For now. I will have to return tomorrow with a longer ladder to reach the highest point on the roof.”
Ruth gave him her best imperious stare. “The next time you plan a surprise inspection, Mr. Cameron, I suggest you come more prepared.”
The man literally squirmed under her disapproval. “If I’d known what I was getting into, I would have,” he muttered.
Ruth chose to ignore his comment. “What happens when you’re finished?” she asked. “Will I be privy to what you report back to the city?”
“Yes, ma’am. I will discuss my findings with you when I’m done. I’ll let you know any issues I discovered and the steps needed to pass the next inspection.”
Ruth expelled a loud breath. “Very well, Mr. Cameron. I suppose that’s fair, though I don’t appreciate how this all came about. You must know that we just had an inspection before our home opened.”
He shrugged. “That may be true, but if a complaint is made, we have no choice but to follow up.”
“I think I should be allowed to know the person responsible for this. Was it Mr. Simmons across the road?”
The man’s expression became guarded. “Even if I knew, I’m not at liberty to say.”
Olivia appeared at her elbow. “What happens if we fail the inspection, Mr. Cameron?”
He lifted one shoulder. “Unless it’s something insurmountable that necessitates the immediate closure of the house, you’ll be given the opportunity to make the necessary changes in order to pass another inspection.”
“How extensive do you think that might be?” Olivia blinked at him with wide eyes.
The man’s face became flushed under Olivia’s keen attention. “Well, Miss Rosetti, I’m not supposed to divulge anything until the report is complete, but so far the issues I’ve found appear quite minor. As long as the roof is in decent shape, you should have no problem making the repairs.”
Olivia smiled. “That’s a relief. Thank you, Mr. Cameron.” She gave Ruth a subtle wink.
It seemed the old saying was true. You could catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar. Perhaps Ruth could take a lesson from her petite partner.
14
Olivia strained her neck to look up at the skyscraper in front of her. Though she’d seen many tall buildings downtown before, she’d never actually been in one. But today she intended to confront Mr. Reed at his office and find out exactly what he was up to.
Had his interest in learning more about the home and his gallantry helping with the leak all been a ruse? Or had it been his boss’s underhanded tactics to call in a complaint without telling him?
On the way up in the elevator, Olivia gave herself a stern talking-to. No matter how handsome she found Mr. Reed, no matter how kind or sincere he seemed, she knew better than to let herself be swayed. The residents at the home were her priority, and she would make sure that Walcott Industries knew that she and Ruth would not be trifled with.
The elevator doors opened, and she stepped out into a modern-looking reception area.
“Hello,” she greeted a well-groomed receptionist. “I’d like to speak with Mr. Reed, please.”
The woman smiled. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No. But I’m sure if you tell him Miss Rosetti is here, he’ll see me.”
“One moment, miss.” The woman headed down the hall.
Seconds
