Author Anon

“We can move things around for now,” says John. “It will take some time to build a new facility that will accommodate our new ventures.”

“First, we should find enough space for expansion,” says Sylvia. “We’ll gradually add as we incorporate our different venues.”

“Yes,” says Paul. “We want to have all of these different subsidiaries near each other, so we should plan to have enough space for all of them.”

“We can build up if we need to,” says John. “But, I agree with the need for ground space. Why don’t you do some scouting around, Paul?”

“I’m right on it,” says Paul.

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“Maybe, if mom and dad have their own recording studio, I can finally make that record I’ve always wanted to do,” says Ashley.

“You plan to give up modeling?” asks Belle.

“Of course not,” says Ashley. “But I can do both.”

“I’d think the combination would be pretty stressful,” says Tara.

“Honey,” says Ashley. “Anything can be stressful. You just have to learn to deal with it.”

“Yes, but being in the limelight in two different fields would be quite overwhelming for me,” says Belle.

“That’s why you’re not in the limelight, my dear,” says Ashley.

“Why do you always talk like you’re so much older than us?” asks Tara.

“In many ways, honey, I am,” says Ashley.

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“Have you found out anything useful?” asks Robert.

“First of all, I think some of your employees have questionable backgrounds,” says Nicholas.

“Questionable in what ways?” asks Tom.

“Do you do background checks on any of them?” asks Nicholas.

“We check police records and do drug testing,” says Robert.

“Do you do fingerprinting?” asks Nicholas.

“We’ve never felt we needed to go to that extent,” says Tom.

“Even though you’re exposing your employees to very costly trinkets?” asks Nicholas.

“No one outside the family handles the jewels,” says Robert. “Except Rick Copperfield, and he’s a connection of sorts.”

“And you don’t think you might have a ‘break-in’, of sorts?” asks Nicholas.

“We have security,” says Tom.

“Yes, in the form of Floyd Dimmerling, who is a chronic alcoholic,” says Nicholas.

“There are others, as well,” says Robert. “And they are all sober at work.”

“I’m not too sure about that,” says Nicholas. “But moving on, there are others on the list whom I can’t find on police records, but I can’t seem to find them on any other records either.”

“Like who?” asks Tom.

“Like Carl Redd,” says Nicholas. “Who is he? And he seems to be watching me very carefully.”

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“Melanie, I appreciate everything you have been doing around here,” says William. “I was afraid that after Julia died, I’d be in a mess. But you keep things so well-organized that I don’t have to think about anything.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” says Melanie.

“It’s not just a compliment,” says William. “It’s the truth. I’d have been here sorting through this mess and getting hopelessly desperate and lonely for Julia if it hadn’t been for you. Now, I feel I can just move on with my life. I’m not stuck in one place.”

“I don’t think your wife would have wanted you to continue mourning her forever,” says Melanie.

“I’m not too sure about that,” says William. “She was always harping on the fact that I wouldn’t be here except for her. And she was right.”

“Yes, but I’m sure she would have wanted you to have someone else guide you, now that she’s gone,” says Melanie.

“I guess I’m one of those guys who do always need a good woman to guide me,” says William.

Filed under: All That Glitters