When Daisy's Fall

Chapter 7

The first thing I did when I sprung out of bed this morning was race up to the attic to

remove this bag. I didn't want the possibility of either parent or Benji to go digging

around up there and accidentally find it. I rather carry it round with me to reduce

suspicion. Of any kind.

As I walked down the stairs I saw my father standing in the kitchen, a cup of

homemade coffee in one hand and a washed out piece of paper in the other.

"Good morning." I said to him and he just gave a little nod "What you got there?"

"This is the Financial Records of the Regis Construction Company." he tossed the

paper back on the countertop then placed his cup aside. Then he perched his elbows up

on the counter and ran his hands through his lowly cut hair.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Yeah big trouble. If we are to continue the project we're currently working on then

Regis Construction will have to lay off a few men until we get paid from our previous

contract. Its either play it safe or have my men work with no pay for a month."

I never understood the Company business but I had enough common sense to align

the dots "How come you're still waiting on the income from the last house?"

"Well the person I was building it for died and he only paid half during the

construction, was supposed to pay the balance and the family has no legal right to own

the house yet. So I basically built a house for a dead man and the family doesn't know

who has rights to the land. So, in two weeks' time they will be reading his Will and I'll

be able to collect whatever's due." he shook his head still processing what he was telling

me "As If we weren't having money problems before." he mumbled under his breath.

I leaned up against the counter then picked up a sheet of paper with a list of names.

It was the list of employees he had, some were circled in red pen and others were crossed

out already. One of the names I recognized.

David Sullivan? Daisies stepfather? I didn't know he worked for my dad.

"Dad.. Why does David Sullivan have a red line through it?"

he looked over at me then took the paper scanning through, I could tell he had a

mask on making his face seem expressionless.

"I had to fire him a couple months ago, I must have picked up the wrong ledger

earlier."

"Why did you fire him?"

He leaned back a little, rocking on his heels. "He had.... Has an alcohol problem.

Showed up to work drunk, caused a debacle in front of some investors. I had to let him

go. It was bad enough his stepdaughter kept making excuses for him."

"His stepdaughter.."

"Yeah Raine. She goes to your school. Do you know her?"

Yet another thing she never told me. Fighting for her stepdad to keep his job. All this