“That makes sense. Um, has Zeke ever mentioned anything unusual?”
Pilar grinned. “Is this about the ghost again?”
“What? Oh, no.” Jenna tried for a casual laugh. “I was just curious. You know, they charge a lot, but according to my records they have cameras all over the place, and Whispering Bay sure is safe from crime, so, go We Gotcha!” She ended this bit with a fist pump.
Mimi and Pilar looked at her strangely.
Okay, so maybe her cheerleader bit was overkill.
Her phone pinged. She glanced at the screen. Yes! This was just the phone call to take her mind off that horrible videotape. “It’s my friend who’s doing the audit.” She put the call on speakerphone. “Hey, Daisy, FYI, I have the mayor and the city’s attorney here with me in the office and we’re all anxious to hear what you’ve found so I have you on speaker.”
“Not a problem,” said Daisy. “I’ve gone over the spreadsheets and all the expense reports and you’ll be happy to know that every dime is accounted for. Right down to the last penny.” She laughed at her own little joke.
“You’re kidding,” Jenna said. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. You sound disappointed. Most people are thrilled to find out their accounts are A-okay.”
“Hi, Daisy, this is Pilar Diaz-Rothman, so you’re saying there’s no evidence of any skimming or embezzlement or anything else?”
“Absolutely not. Other than the funds allocated for this new rec center project which looks as if it went over budget, everything else looks good. The last city manager really did a bang-up job keeping things under control.”
This was so not what Jenna wanted to hear.
“Thanks, Daisy,” she said.
“Sure! Any time. Oh, and Jenna? This audit took more time than I originally thought, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to charge for this. I’ll send the city my bill. Talk to you soon!”
To say there was a pregnant pause was putting it mildly.
“There goes that theory,” said Mimi once Daisy had hung up the phone.
Pilar looked at Jenna thoughtfully. “Did you really think that Doug was stealing from the city?”
“It was a hunch and I’m usually never wrong, but obviously in this case, I am. I’m so sorry, I mean, I really didn’t think she’d charge us. I just…was so sure something here was off.”
“It’s all right,” Mimi said with a dejected sigh. “We had to be sure. And now we are.”
Pilar screwed up her nose like she’d just come across something foul-smelling. “I don’t blame you for suspecting Doug. Personally, I never liked him.”
“He totally had me fooled,” Mimi said. “Until he showed his true colors.”
“Okay, I’ve made up my mind.” Jenna stood and picked up her handbag. “I’m going to visit Doug Wentworth in jail.”
“What?” Pilar and Mimi both said.
“I know this sounds a little obsessive of me, but I still think something here isn’t right and the only way I’m going to know for sure is if I look him in the eye. I’m going to tell him we’re doing a forensic audit and see what he says.”
“So you’re going to lie to him?” Pilar said. “You’re not going to tell him that it’s come back clean? That’s so sneaky. So devious. I love it. I only wish I could be there with you.”
Before Mimi could add her two cents’ worth, Darlene knocked on the already open door. “Sorry to interrupt, Jenna, but there’s a delivery for you. Your new desk and chair are here.”
“Ooh, new furniture,” Mimi said.
“Drats. I was just on my way out the door, too.”
“You go on,” Pilar said. “We’ll take care of the delivery.”
“What should we do with your old desk?” Darlene asked. “The movers will need to get it out of here before they put the new desk in.”