Page 51 of Fierce-Matt

He saw the listing go up yesterday. Just for the building, not the business. A smart move on their part.

“One day on the market. For the price, I’m not sure we’ll get hit this fast. There is a guy in my office who wanted to go in with me. He said he has contacts and can sell it faster.”

Matt laughed. “He wanted the commission.”

“Of course he did. Majority of commissions are split between two realtors. You know that. He thought he could bring someone in he knows before it hit the market and claim it all or something. I told him if he has someone interested, he can set up the tour or go in and look at any point.”

“Do you want that?” he asked.

They were walking the grounds and skirting people to get to the restaurant they were going to eat at. The urge to grab her hand and hold it was strong, as he tried to keep his food down. He’d rather sit and talk than grab some food on the go and sit on a bench.

She shrugged when he looked at her. “Anything to get it sold. It’s not as if I can stage it. Commercial buildings are new for me, but I have to be the one to do this for my parents. The stock is thinning fast.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“It is. They will keep marking it down until most of it is gone. Not everything will sell and I’m not sure what they will do with it.”

“One step at a time,” he said. “Selling out now gives them money to pay down any debts.”

“That’s the plan. There is a big sign up saying the store is closing and the hours are reduced. My father can’t be there all day. My mother either. I’ve been going over and helping when they ask.”

He cringed. “Did I take you away from it today?”

“No,” she said. “My parents are there all day. I’ll stop over after my closing and then before my shift at Fierce tomorrow. The business is closed on the weekends now. If someone wants a viewing, I’ve got to go in since there is inventory remaining.”

They reached the restaurant, got in line, and then a host seated them.

“I hope it sells fast,” he said.

The minute they were alone, she said, “My mother informed me you two disagreed a few days ago.”

The lawsuit was ready to be filed. It wasn’t just the money paid back that the Emersons were going for, but putative damages.

Amber wasn’t happy Matt was going down that road as hard as he was, but he had a reason for it and explained that.

“I asked her to trust me and she is. What about you?”

“I am,” she said. “I understand more of why you’re doing it. Everyone settles and you’re trying to at least get them what is owed. My mother isn’t a vengeful person and she’s struggling with this. Shelly doesn’t have millions of dollars.”

“No,” he said. “But you know what she did with the money she embezzled, correct?”

“Yeah,” she said. “What a joke.”

“You’ll get back what she took. And you’ll damn well at least get back what she earned on it. She won’t want jail time. I know her defense attorney, Anya. We are friendly. The guy doesn’t like to go to trial.”

“Then why would she hire him?” she asked.

“The DA loves him. He’s good at getting cases off the docket quickly and without fuss. They will come to terms.”

She snorted. “That doesn’t sound like she’ll be held accountable.”

“She will be,” he said, reaching for her hand. “I’ll make sure of it. Your parents are going to get more than they had stolen. They should get all the interest that Shelly made with the investments she set up with that money and then some.”

The police discovered the accounts Shelly had hidden. Elliot’s former employee had confessed that she worried she’d be out of a job when the business sold and set up her own retirement fund that had never been offered to her.

Shelly had convinced herself it was okay to steal for something she thought was owed to her.

“I don’t see how my parents are going to get that money,” she said.