but it wasn’t well managed. We’ve gone through the books twice. The next step is to call a forensic accountant.” She pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “I feel like I’m on a crime show, only instead of dead bodies, it’s all about paperwork.”
Toshia shook her head. “None of this would’ve happened if you’d been fully on board. Your anal-retentive ass would’ve known how every penny was spent.”
Damn straight. “I’m not sure where the money went, but I know one thing.”
“You’re going to do whatever it takes to find the bastards and hang them by the balls?”
Lanelle smiled at her friend’s crassness. “What you said was better than I could’ve phrased it. I’m going to have to hold another fund-raiser. If I don’t, the money comes from my pocket.”
“You’ve already sunk how many millions into it?”
Lanelle had no issues with the money she’d invested to see the project completed. Technically, Eliana Lanelle Gill Astacio, the official name on her birth certificate, the only daughter and middle child of the Fortune 500 business tycoon who hailed from a lineage of Spanish royalty, had donated the money.
Having learned her older brother’s experiences, Lanelle’s parents had registered her in boarding school by her middle names. She’d become a Murphy when she got married and had kept the name when they divorced. Living a life outside the spotlight the Astacio name brought had suited her over the years.
When Lanelle had been asked to be on the board of the five-hundred-bed hospital two years ago, she’d noticed the NICU was inadequate. The tug on her heart to construct a larger, more modern unit pulled on her so hard she’d decided to spearhead the construction of one for the hospital.
The board had unanimously agreed to her proposal. After brainstorming, they’d designed a three-story structure. The top floor would consist of a hostel where parents could reside and still be near their babies.
The first floor would house the women who’d just delivered their premature or sick newborns. Lanelle had learned from experience that being on the same unit with happy mothers who got to take their adorable, gurgling children home with them in a couple of days added to mothers’ depression when they couldn’t do the same. Placing these women on their own floor while their child struggled to live would be a psychological boon. The second floor would consist of a state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit.
“Yeah. I’m sure Dad will shake his head in disappointment if I put in any more cash. And you know what Leonardo would say.”
“He’s an ass. Why does his opinion matter to you?”
“He’s my older brother. He’s gained a reputation as a cutthroat corporate lawyer, all without using my father’s influence. I have to respect that.”
“I’m not arguing with you about this again.”
“He can be a pain sometimes.”
Toshia arched an eyebrow. “Whenever I came to your house during school breaks, he’d torment me as much as he did you.”
“He’s misunderstood. I still say he’s a good guy, on the rare occasion.”
“How do you have the ability to see the good in everyone?” For once Toshia hadn’t asked the question as if it was a curse.
Getting them back on course, Lanelle said, “I’m pretty sure the hospital won’t infuse more money into the project, not when they’ve capped out what they’d anticipated giving. I haven’t run it past the board yet, but I’m thinking of having one last fund-raiser. If we don’t make enough, then I’ll offset the costs.” She upped the speed of the treadmill to help tame the distress storming through her. Over the past few years, it seemed like the universe had decided that, by any means necessary, she had to learn people couldn’t be trusted. Letting her compassionate heart rule her life had led to some major disappointments. Without fail, she’d always decided to help rather than hide. If she could only maintain a more cynical frame of mind in which, like Toshia, she anticipated that people would screw her over.
The NICU had to get built, and she’d do anything to make it happen, even stomp down the people trying to get in the way.
“If you want, I’ll donate my time to organize it.”
Lanelle stopped short of jumping off the treadmill to hug her friend. “I couldn’t thank you enough.” Toshia was one of the most renowned party planners in the business. She’d organized all of the other successful fund-raisers they’d had for the hospital. For Toshia to offer her services for free went beyond the call of friendship.
“I can’t let you be the only one doing your part to make the world a better place. When are you thinking of holding it?”
“In a month.”
Toshia sucked air in through her teeth. “You’re cutting it close.”
“Yes, but I have the best event planner on board. Even if I gave you two days, you’d turn out a fabulous party.”
“True.” Toshia blew on her nails and rubbed them on her sopping-wet tank top with a smirk. “I am that good. When are you meeting with the board?”
“We’re having an emergency meeting on Monday.”
Toshia increased the pace on the StairMaster. “Be honest—what do you think is going on with the money?”
“I don’t know. All of the paperwork looks good. And you know me.”
“You can’t think the worst about anybody until they show their true face.” Toshia shook her head. “Not one of the traits I admire, by the way.”
Lanelle grunted hard through her panting. She wouldn’t get into it again about their personality differences, but if she were more untrusting she could circumvent some of the problems she’d had in her life before they even happened. But then she’d miss some of the good in people. “Maybe we just did some bad financial calculations.”
“With you, Miss Graduated-with-Her-MBA-at-the-Top-of-Her-Class, as the head of the project, I doubt it. You’re a natural-born philanthropist. When you aren’t helping someone in need, you’re computing to make sure your projects get the most out of what you have to offer.”
“Other than setting the budget, the board doesn’t deal with the money aspect. We only oversee that the decisions we’ve made are going in the right direction. If I’d been around, I would’ve kept a closer eye on things.”
“Then you need to vet the hospital’s accounting department. Brad’s told me horror stories about what accountants have tried to do with his money.” Toshia loved to talk about her husband even more than parties or clothes. “But because my baby is too smart to get taken, he circumvented their efforts. I’m sure the money is disappearing somewhere it’s not supposed to.”
The same suspicions had plagued Lanelle. “I’ve been there and found nothing. Wherever the funds went, they made a clean getaway.” For now. No longer wanting to discuss her failure in keeping her project on course without a major glitch, Lanelle got lost in the music coming through her headphones.
Toshia knocked on the treadmill to
