The tax man cometh
Surprise! Your mother/a priest/an arch nemesis/the tax man/dinosaurs/your ex/a famous talk show host is at the door -- and at a most inopportune moment! Now what?!
"Oh come on, Daddy. I'm graduating in a few months! It would be the perfect gift!" Cordelia was in full whine mode, using every trick she'd learned in her short 18 years of life, but so far nothing was moving her father. This was unheard of. He always caved by now!
"Princess, you do not need a Porsche for a graduation present," he said, managing to sound both firm and distracted. He always sounded distracted lately. Cordelia hadn't asked why - it had never been her business, or her interest, what was going on in her father's life outside of their family.
"Well sure, I don't need one, but I want one! My car's, like, two years old now!"
Her father sighed, barely managed not to roll his eyes, and was about to lob back another refusal when the doorbell rang. Before he could move, Cordelia had bounced to her feet and was already halfway there.
"I bet it's Aura. SHE just got a Corvette for her birthday. We're going to go for a ride this afternoon."
Conrad Chase closed his eyes briefly and sat back in his chair. Her friend had just gotten a fancy sports car: now her sudden need for a Porsche made sense.
The housekeeper, Carmencita, was reaching for the door handle when Cordelia hurtled through the foyer like a force 5 tornado. Knowing it was best not to get in her path when she was like this, she stepped back and let her tackle the door. It wasn't one of her rich girlfriends on the other side, however, but an older man in a very nice, dark suit.
Cordelia frowned at the stranger. "Who are you?"
The man looked her over, in a way that might make other girls squirm, but she was used to it. She just stood there and waited for him to answer, at the end of her patience. If it wasn't Aura, she wanted to go back to harassing her father. She'd been sure he was about ready to cave in, and there was only a tiny window of time she could be away before he started building up his resolve again.
"I need to speak with your - " The man stopped himself and frowned slightly, not sure if this curvy young woman before him was Mr. Chase's daughter or trophy wife. "I'm looking for Conrad Chase."
"Oh." Cordelia sighed and let go of the door, taking a step back in disappointment. If this was some business thing, she wasn't going to have the chance to talk to her father again for hours. She turned and shouted loudly back towards his office. "Daddy! Some guy here for you!"
She waited, just in case it turned out to be a suit salesman or something, and she'd be able to get back to her Porsche pitch. When Cordelia wanted something, she was like a pit bull. It was almost impossible to make her let go. But when her father emerged into the foyer, something about the way his eyes shifted upon seeing the black-suited man at the front door told her she wouldn't be pitching for a while. Just perfect.
"Mr. Chase?" the man asked, taking a step into the room, as though afraid the door would be slammed in his face if he didn't get inside quickly. "I'm Agent Hawkins, with the Internal Revenue Service." A badge flashed, and for the first time in her life, she saw what looked like fear flicker through her father's eyes.
Carmencita, who had been standing silently by the front door in case she was needed, straightened up suddenly.
"Of course," Conrad said, clearly flustered. "Uh, why don't we go talk in my office. It's... just this way." He nodded behind him, and the two men crossed the large, marble foyer and disappeared through a doorway. She watched them go, then turned back to Carmencita.
"Is he here to audit us or something? What's going on?" As if her day wasn't already going badly enough. If they got audited today, her father definitely wouldn't be in any mood to buy her that Porsche!
"I don't know, mieja," the older woman said softly. "I should get them some drinks. Why don't you go wake your mother?"
Cordelia groaned. "Do I have to? She's having one of her episodes today."
"I know, but your father may need to talk to her." Carmencita refused to go near Sarah Chase during one of her "episodes" if she could help it. The last time she'd tried to wake her up during one of them, she'd been unceremoniously fired. Of course Mr. Chase had hired her back the next day, with profuse apologies and a nice bonus, but still. She'd rather not go through that again.
"Fine, I'll get her." She heaved another sigh and headed up the stairs. Her mother was going to be such a bitch.
What was the tax guy doing there, anyway? And why couldn't he have waited until AFTER she'd gotten her Porsche before showing up? He was going to ruin everything, she just knew it.
"Oh come on, Daddy. I'm graduating in a few months! It would be the perfect gift!" Cordelia was in full whine mode, using every trick she'd learned in her short 18 years of life, but so far nothing was moving her father. This was unheard of. He always caved by now!
"Princess, you do not need a Porsche for a graduation present," he said, managing to sound both firm and distracted. He always sounded distracted lately. Cordelia hadn't asked why - it had never been her business, or her interest, what was going on in her father's life outside of their family.
"Well sure, I don't need one, but I want one! My car's, like, two years old now!"
Her father sighed, barely managed not to roll his eyes, and was about to lob back another refusal when the doorbell rang. Before he could move, Cordelia had bounced to her feet and was already halfway there.
"I bet it's Aura. SHE just got a Corvette for her birthday. We're going to go for a ride this afternoon."
Conrad Chase closed his eyes briefly and sat back in his chair. Her friend had just gotten a fancy sports car: now her sudden need for a Porsche made sense.
The housekeeper, Carmencita, was reaching for the door handle when Cordelia hurtled through the foyer like a force 5 tornado. Knowing it was best not to get in her path when she was like this, she stepped back and let her tackle the door. It wasn't one of her rich girlfriends on the other side, however, but an older man in a very nice, dark suit.
Cordelia frowned at the stranger. "Who are you?"
The man looked her over, in a way that might make other girls squirm, but she was used to it. She just stood there and waited for him to answer, at the end of her patience. If it wasn't Aura, she wanted to go back to harassing her father. She'd been sure he was about ready to cave in, and there was only a tiny window of time she could be away before he started building up his resolve again.
"I need to speak with your - " The man stopped himself and frowned slightly, not sure if this curvy young woman before him was Mr. Chase's daughter or trophy wife. "I'm looking for Conrad Chase."
"Oh." Cordelia sighed and let go of the door, taking a step back in disappointment. If this was some business thing, she wasn't going to have the chance to talk to her father again for hours. She turned and shouted loudly back towards his office. "Daddy! Some guy here for you!"
She waited, just in case it turned out to be a suit salesman or something, and she'd be able to get back to her Porsche pitch. When Cordelia wanted something, she was like a pit bull. It was almost impossible to make her let go. But when her father emerged into the foyer, something about the way his eyes shifted upon seeing the black-suited man at the front door told her she wouldn't be pitching for a while. Just perfect.
"Mr. Chase?" the man asked, taking a step into the room, as though afraid the door would be slammed in his face if he didn't get inside quickly. "I'm Agent Hawkins, with the Internal Revenue Service." A badge flashed, and for the first time in her life, she saw what looked like fear flicker through her father's eyes.
Carmencita, who had been standing silently by the front door in case she was needed, straightened up suddenly.
"Of course," Conrad said, clearly flustered. "Uh, why don't we go talk in my office. It's... just this way." He nodded behind him, and the two men crossed the large, marble foyer and disappeared through a doorway. She watched them go, then turned back to Carmencita.
"Is he here to audit us or something? What's going on?" As if her day wasn't already going badly enough. If they got audited today, her father definitely wouldn't be in any mood to buy her that Porsche!
"I don't know, mieja," the older woman said softly. "I should get them some drinks. Why don't you go wake your mother?"
Cordelia groaned. "Do I have to? She's having one of her episodes today."
"I know, but your father may need to talk to her." Carmencita refused to go near Sarah Chase during one of her "episodes" if she could help it. The last time she'd tried to wake her up during one of them, she'd been unceremoniously fired. Of course Mr. Chase had hired her back the next day, with profuse apologies and a nice bonus, but still. She'd rather not go through that again.
"Fine, I'll get her." She heaved another sigh and headed up the stairs. Her mother was going to be such a bitch.
What was the tax guy doing there, anyway? And why couldn't he have waited until AFTER she'd gotten her Porsche before showing up? He was going to ruin everything, she just knew it.