Chapter 3

My eyes lit up.

"Perfect. Call your cousin right now. Tell him I want the creepiest funeral display he can make, and I want it ready by tomorrow."

Yvette got on it right away.

Once everything was set, I messaged Francis back.

"Assistant Francis, the menu's confirmed. My team is working around the clock to get everything ready."

"I guarantee it'll blow you away."

Francis replied with a smug little emoji.

"Smart of you to know your place."

"But if you screw this up, I'll make sure you pay for it."

I stared at the chat window and smiled.

Francis, you're going to remember this event for the rest of your life.

Early the next morning, Francis's messages came flooding in right on schedule.

"Vanessa, a birthday gala has to have live entertainment."

"Get me the best orchestra in the city, with everyone dressed in tuxedos."

"The cost is included in the deposit. Figure it out yourself."

I looked at my phone and let out another short, humorless laugh.

One thousand dollars, and he wants a symphony orchestra?

I opened the business owners' group chat.

"Everyone, Assistant Francis wants a band for the gala."

"Anybody got a connection?"

Zachery jumped in right away.

"My great-uncle runs a small funeral band out in the country. They play at funerals and graveside services. They’ve got brass instruments, strings, and a portable organ.”

"They can even bring a little funeral choir to sing mournful hymns."

"Two hundred bucks, and they'll play all day."

I replied without a second's hesitation.

"Deal. Have your great-uncle bring the whole crew and make sure they're waiting when the guests arrive."

With the band sorted, Francis fired off another demand.

"The venue has to be a luxury estate, several thousand square feet."

"It needs a big lawn, a fountain, and plush carpets."

"And under no circumstances are you to embarrass Chairman Mortimer."

I forwarded the demand to the group.

Blake Finch sent a message.

"Ms. Armstrong, there's an old memorial property outside town that's available."

"It's got a huge overgrown lawn, easily several thousand square feet."

"There's even a filthy drainage pond right beside it. We can pass it off as a decorative fountain."

"The place looks like it hasn't been maintained in twenty years."

"Rent's $388 for the whole day."

I bit back a grin.

"Perfect. Lock it down right now."

"Send me the address."

With everything ready, I sent Francis a confirmation.

"Assistant Francis, the band and the venue are both secured."

"Everything meets your requirements."

Francis replied almost instantly.

"You'd better not be cutting corners on me, or you'll be sorry."

I casually pulled up his social media feed.

His latest post had just gone live.

"A $1 million luxury birthday gala for Chairman Mortimer. A hundred tables, a thousand guests. Everything is ready."

"A top-tier orchestra, Michelin-level cuisine, and a luxury estate venue"

"You get what you pay for. I hope you enjoy it, Chairman."

The attached photos were high-resolution shots he'd downloaded from the internet.

The comments were nothing but fawning praise.

"Assistant Francis is so capable."

"Chairman, having a right-hand man like this is a real blessing."

Mortimer himself even liked the post and commented, “Looking forward to it.”

I looked at the screen, barely suppressing a smile.

One million dollars?

Exactly how much he'd pocketed along the way didn't need to be spelled out.

I opened Francis's chat again.

"Assistant Francis, a deposit of just one-thousandth of the total is really too little. The team is under enormous pressure having to cover the costs up front."

"Could you pay half of the remaining balance upfront?"

Francis sent a message.

"Vanessa, you're out of your mind."

"Let me tell you, whether you get the balance at all depends entirely on my mood."

"I have a strict set of standards for signing off on the finished job."