Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 252(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 252(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
By the time she wandered back to her office, Ivy was glad to have some time alone. She had interacted with more people than she’d talked to in two weeks. Checking her schedule, Ivy noted she didn’t have any requests for meetings. Probably because Mr. Harris booted me out of here.
Instead of diving into a sea of ill will toward her boss, Ivy continued working on her computer and checked her messages. The number that had accumulated astounded her. Two weeks’ worth of bank business stared at her from the inbox. Taking a fortified drink of her coffee-flavored milk, Ivy dived in.
An hour later, a knock on her door made her look up with a smile, expecting to see an employee needing assistance. To her surprise, three board members stood at her door. What is going on now?
“Gentlemen,” she greeted them as she stood. “I don’t think you’re here simply to welcome me back.”
“Welcome back,” one said warmly, and her level of concern lowered—a bit.
“Shall we go into the conference room?” Ivy suggested.
A few minutes later, they settled around a large table with coffee. Ivy took a sip herself to calm her nerves before asking, “Who would like to update me?”
“I’m here as the newly elected board president,” Erick Hamilton began. “Unfortunate circumstances have forced a lot of changes in a very short time. On behalf of the board, I would like to apologize for the circumstances that we believe caused you being targeted—twice.”
“Something other than Mr. Morton’s removal from the board?” she asked, leaning forward. “Shouldn’t Mr. Harris be here? He told me he was the interim president.”
“Mr. Harris is no longer a bank employee and never was a board member,” Erick Hamilton explained.
“I see.”
“Friday night, a group of motorcycle riders came to visit me. I believe you know them—The Shadowridge Guardians?” When she nodded, trying to contain her astonishment, he continued, “After asking if I was the board member who golfed with your doctor at the hospital, a man named Steele requested I join them on a ride.”
Ivy crossed her fingers under the table. What had they done? Her brain followed that thought immediately with, How did Steele know that Mr. Morton wasn’t the friend of the doctor? Immediately, she realized she should have figured that out. Mr. Morton wasn’t anyone’s friend. He must have heard Erick speaking about the doctor’s recommendations.
“You told Mr. Morton I’d be out for an extra week?” she guessed.
“I did. It was the least we could do.”
“And you went on a ride with the Guardians?”
“I’m not normally a motorcycle club member, but Steele stated they were on their way to see Mr. Harris and thought I would be interested in the conversation. Since Mr. Harris’s name appeared in reports several times while you were gone and he appeared to be trying to seize control of the board, I thought it was worth the gamble.”
“You rode with the Guardians?” she repeated. “On a motorcycle?”
“I did. It was quite invigorating. I may have to buy myself a bike now.”
He waved away that thought and continued. “Arriving at Mr. Harris’s house, the group parked legally on the street in front of his house and waited. I stayed in the background—in the shadows—so he wouldn’t recognize me. A few minutes later, he peeked out the door to tell everyone that he had called the police and that they were on the way.”
Mr. Hamilton looked at the other men and chuckled. “I would have called one of you for bail money. My wife would have left me there.”
The laughter broke the tension slightly, and Ivy had to smile.
“Steele addressed him politely and pointed out that they were gathered on the public street, which was perfectly legal. They would be glad to wait until Mr. Harris had time to talk to them. Mr. Harris decided to do that thirty minutes later when the police still hadn’t arrived and the neighbors were beginning to gather. It turns out the Guardians support Shadowridge in a variety of ways.”
“They certainly have helped me,” Ivy pointed out.
“And many other people as well. When Mr. Harris emerged, Steele spoke to him so everyone could hear. During their conversation, Mr. Harris revealed he lacked the professional and social skills needed in a man we choose to have as a bank president. I took the opportunity to videotape the encounter and showed that to my colleagues early this morning. They convened a board meeting and made the tough decisions we needed.”
“What did he do?” Ivy asked in shock.
“Quite literally, he behaved like a jerk and relied on victim shaming to explain his lack of action and leadership. Frothing at the mouth and waving a gun at the public does not encourage people to trust our bank and invest their hard-earned money here. His demeanor changed tremendously when I walked forward for him to recognize me while I continued to record.”