Page 21 of Little Shattered Dreams

Or maybe she just preferred managing less people.

“Talk to me about the staff members,” I said. “How many staff do you employ, and what are their positions?”

“Before I say anything more, I should say, I have a hard time believing anyone from my staff is responsible for what happened to Quinn. Each person I hire is subjected to a full background check.”

“No matter what you think of them, if you want me to work this case, I’ll need to speak to each staff member. I’ll need to speak to the guests too, and before you say anything, I’m aware this place values privacy.”

Grace crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair, thinking. “I don’t know. Is there any way around it?”

I shook my head. “Not if what you’re saying is true. If no one came or went, it means someone here is responsible for what happened to Quinn. I can’t do my job without speaking to everyone.”

“I suppose you’re right. Can we meet in the middle somewhere?”

I thought of a way the “middle” could be met.

I didn’t come up with anything.

“What do you have in mind?” I asked.

“I’d like to gather my staff together first to let them know what’s happening and why. Any tips on what I should say?”

“Stay a little vague for now, as Foley suggested. Let them know we’ll be asking general questions. I want them to be clear I’m not accusing anyone. I’m trying to rule people out.”

“All right.”

“You still haven’t told me how many employees you have and the positions they hold,” I said.

“I employ seven staff members, excluding myself. Calvin is security, like I just told you. Then there’s Clara, whom you already know, and Abby. They’re responsible for housekeeping and guest services.”

“What about the guests?”

“We host twelve guests each week. Upon arrival, they’re divided up depending on where their accommodations are located. Clara oversees half of the guests, and Abby oversees the other half.”

A small part of me considered asking if I could swap Clara for Abby.

I didn’t.

“I’ve talked with Karl a couple of times,” I said. “Well, hetriedto get me to talk during our sessions, anyway. And I met the chef last night.”

“Aren’t Tyler’s creations fabulous? I hired him straight out of culinary school, and he’s exceeded all expectations.”

Fabulouswas a stretch for a person like me who preferred adult-size food portions. I gave him a ten for presentation, but the meal itself was a solid 6.5.

“We’ve talked about five members of your staff. Who are the other two?” I asked.

“Rebecca and Kelly. They manage the spa.” Grace drummed her fingernails on top of the desk. “So, now that we’ve talked, what do you think? Will you help me get past what’s happened here?”

“I need to speak to my coworkers to make sure they’re on board before we move forward. It shouldn’t take long. I’ll get back to you today.”

“All right, I look forward to hearing back from you.”

“One more question,” I said. “Who oversees sending out flyers for this place?”

“What do you mean?”

“This morning, Faith told me her mother had received a flyer about the retreat.”

“Impossible. We don’t send out flyers. It’s like I told you. Almost all our business is word of mouth.”

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