Page 20 of Saving Her Heart
"I've been in contact with Sarah," I tell the board. "She's driving down from Jacksonville tonight. She had no idea her aunt's condition had deteriorated. She thought the assisted living community was checking on her."
"They were supposed to be," Dr. Williams says, frowning. "We have a contract with Sunset Services."
"A contract Valerie's husband owns a majority stake in," Jax says quietly.
The room goes very still.
"That's... that's irrelevant," Valerie stutters.
"Is it?" Jax pulls out more papers. "Sunset Services was supposed to check on Mrs. Parsons daily. They've been billing for it. But they haven't actually visited in six weeks. Around the same time Valerie started her campaign to remove Ms. Greene."
"You're suggesting?—"
"I'm suggesting that Ms. Greene has been doing Sunset Services' job on top of her own, for free, out of compassion. And instead of thanking her, you're trying to fire her."
The murmur that runs through the crowd is decidedly hostile toward Valerie.
"None of this excuses the goat!" Valerie shouts, desperation creeping into her voice.
"No, but it explains it," Dr. Williams says. "Ms. Greene, how many times have you checked on Mrs. Parsons in the last month?"
I think back. "Daily, usually. Sometimes twice if she seemed particularly confused."
"And did you report the lack of services from Sunset?"
"I mentioned it to Valerie last month. She said she'd handle it."
All eyes turn to Valerie, whose face has gone pale.
"I... there must have been a miscommunication..."
"Seems like there's been a lot of that," Mr. Yamamoto observes. "These forty-three signatures—how many of them are from actual residents versus people who owe you favors?"
"How dare?—"
"Because I recognize at least ten names of people who don't live in any of the properties Ms. Greene manages," Mrs. Martinez adds.
The crowd's murmur grows louder. I hear "fraud" and "setup" and various other unflattering descriptions of Valerie's character.
"Order!" Dr. Williams bangs his gavel. Who knew you needed a gavel to run a condo board? "Mrs. Thornfield, I think you should recuse yourself from this vote."
"You can't?—"
"I can and I am. All in favor of tabling this discussion until we can investigate the situation with Sunset Services?"
Three hands rise immediately. Valerie sits frozen, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.
"Motion carried. Ms. Greene, you retain your position pending further review. Meeting adjourned."
The gavel comes down with finality.
William Thornfield sits in the back row, his expression unreadable. While Valerie rages at the front, he watches with the detached interest of someone observing chess pieces. When the vote goes against Valerie, I catch him smiling—not at her defeat, but at something else entirely. He leaves before anyone else, already on his phone, his voice too low to hear but his tone unmistakably satisfied.
The room erupts. People surge forward to pat my back, offer support, voice their outrage about Valerie's scheme. Mrs. Parsons gets swept up in the crowd, looking delighted by all the attention.
"My Gertie is famous," she tells anyone who'll listen. "She's a therapy goat, you know."
Through the chaos, I find Jax watching me from across the room. He gives me a small smile and a nod, then makes his way through the crowd toward me.
