“He has?”
Joseph laughed as his eyes darted to Leandro. “Modest indeed,” he said as he lifted his eyebrows in delight. Looking back over me, Joseph slowly released my hand. “Let’s head into the conference room to discuss your findings.”
Leandro put his arm around my back and led me to follow Joseph across the room. We passed by the balcony area where the doors were propped open, and I could hear the city below. Then we passed the bar and the woman making a Bloody Mary gave us all a smile. Finally, we came to one of two doors on the opposite side of the room. Joseph opened one and allowed Leandro and me to walk through before him. Once we were inside, Joseph pulled the door shut.
Setting out a small wooden table were three other men. One of them got up and adjusted his belt around his large belly as he looked Leandro dead in the eye. “Leandro, I can’t wait to see what you’ve found.”
Leandro went over and shook the man’s hand immediately. “Mr Fritz, I’m glad you could attend. Joseph wasn’t sure if you could make it.”
“Ah, yes,” Joseph sighed. He went over to the table and pulled out a chair, then he sat down and crossed his hands before him. “Stephan here didn’t want to believe that he could be wrong.”
Stephan went over to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup. “Now now, Joseph. We both agreed on the investigation.”
Joseph nodded along. Stephan continued talking to Joseph for a moment as Leandro led me to a chair at his side. We were sitting opposite the four men, two of whom seemed to be writing everything down that was being said. There were papers organized across the table, and one of the two men that I hadn’t been introduced to yet, took a pile and began reviewing numbers.
After everyone was seated, Leandro began to set out his own papers and explain the discrepancies between the accounts. When it came time for me to speak, something came over me and all the butterflies floated away. I didn’t know if it was because I was used to paperwork and financial statements, or just that I was comfortable there next to Leandro, but every time he looked at me to help him explain, I felt confident that I could do exactly what he wanted to help him save the next event.
“As funny as it seems, this is actually a common occurrence in the realm of record keeping. I’ve seen it happen more than you might believe, and it causes a lot of difficulties in tracking down expenses.” I had just presented the last piece of evidence to prove that the money was indeed still in an account, and that it did not go to specific people as Fritz and Franklin first believed.
“Very well put.” Franklin leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. He glanced over to Stephan who was sitting there with his lips tight together. I didn’t truly believe that Stephan was out to get Leandro or cause him trouble, but it was clear that Stephan was not the type of person who liked to be told he was wrong.
“I think this is enough to dismiss the investigation altogether,” said Stephan, and my thoughts were confirmed.
The room fell silent as the two additional men continued jotting down quick notes and looking up at us for new reactions. I didn’t understand why they didn’t just record the whole meeting, but then again, they might have been recording the whole time. This part of business was new to me.
Stephan leaned back just enough to make his chair creak, then he looked directly at Leandro for a beat. I was starting to wonder if Stephan and Joseph weren’t true partners, and that Stephan might have held more capital in the company than Joseph. Finally, Stephan let out a sigh and shook his head. “I think you’re right, Joseph.”
Leandro leaned forward to speak directly to Joseph. His hands were folded together in front of him, and I could tell he was holding on tight as he spoke. “And the funding for next month’s event?”
Joseph lifted his brow and started to smile. This time he didn't look over at Stephan to get an okay. “I believe that won’t be a problem at all.”
Leandro sat back with a sigh of relief, and we all smiled and laughed.
Once the papers were cleaned up and everyone was ready to head out, Joseph paused to speak to Leandro and me privately. “Listen, now that we’ve decided on the investments and the investigation can be concluded, let’s not worry about the evening meeting. Everything will need to be legally resolved before we sign any new documents anyway.” Leandro nodded along to Joseph’s words. “How about you and Jourdanne accompany me and my wife out on the lake. I have a new vessel I can’t wait to break in.” Joseph concluded with a laugh, and Leandro was quick to take him up on his offer.