“How do you have this information, Kent?” a man shouted.
“I worked for Albert Shin, and that day I took a bag full of cash and handed it over to Buzz Harper, who was only starting out as a cop at the time, and he brought in Rick Reynolds to help invest that cash. They are involved in decades of illegal misconduct as it pertains to the people’s finances here in East End. I have evidence of all of it.”
Kent was so busy pointing to whichever journalist would get to speak next that he didn’t see Channing coming. He wasn’t the only one. We were all stunned when she sprinted across the street, shoved her way through the crowd, leaped up the steps, and tackled Kent to the ground.
“It was you, all this time. You fucking thief. You ruined my father’s life, you ruined mine. You stole money from everyone here,” she cried, and shook him by his lapels. “I’m going to kill you.”
He was laughing at her. “I think this qualifies as assault,” he smirked before people pulled her off him.
We were packing up a couple of days later when Paul sailed through the open doorway of his apartment holding a newspaper in his hands.
“It looks better in print than online,” he told us. Channing and I were preparing to leave East End. We would have departed sooner except for the Ahns’ inviting us over with apologies to spend time with Edison and Austin. And they finally gave Channing the money they owed her for her work.
I cleared the table as Paul unfurled the paper to the real estate section. He pointed to Ames’s byline, and Channing and I leaned in. The headlineread: “Ahead of Its Time: How Fractional Ownership Failed in a Seaside Town.” Ames provided a historical view of Maggie and Albert’s plans to grow East End by creating a plan for members of the local community to own development on the town’s coastline. By purchasing a “fraction” of the cost rather than full portions, more citizens of East End could invest. The requirement was that participants had to live in the town.
Ames offered quotes from her interview with Channing’s father along with other people who had drawn up the plans over two decades ago. She covered zoning and financing details, writing that it was a novel concept back then. Unlike a timeshare of vacation properties, fractional ownership came with deeds to the land itself. The resort and vacation homes that would be built would provide income to the owners steadily over time. Additionally, the zoning changes would come with more affordable housing development in the town itself, changing strictly commercial zones to mixed-use ones to allow for both commercial and residential properties in town.
The details were impressive—on the financial side and on the civic side. Channing’s mother had spearheaded an environmental study before her illness. Also, Ames included census data about the citizens in East End then and now and the benefit to the community the original plan would have brought. She mentioned the struggling economy in the downtown area today that studies showed would have been alleviated by bringing more tourism.
I skimmed down to find any mention of Kent. It came at the very end. An investigation was reopened by federal and state officials after Kent admitted to stealing money from a group of original investors, laundering the money across state lines with the assistance of two accomplices years ago who were now the current chief of police and the mayor of the town. They had both resigned in response to the investigation. Kent was negotiating a plea deal. The story was still unfolding as of the write-up of this piece.
Channing turned away first. She had crossed her arms and was rubbing her shoulders as if chilled. I closed the door Paul had left wide open though it was warm outside.
“It couldn’t be this easy, could it?” she said. “Why didn’t Reynolds and Buzz do more to help Kent so he would protect their secret?”
“I know. Plus, Kent’s friendship with the judge. They control so much in this town,” Paul agreed. “They could have stretched this all out.”
“I could be on trial right now,” Channing said. She had even darker circles under her eyes. She was on her computer late at night. I knew she was searching for messages from Minjae.
“Let’s not give any more of our time or attention to him or any of them,” I said. Paul was about to reply, so I picked up a couple of bags and added, “Can you help me get this stuff to the car?”
He took the bags and followed me to the landing and down the stairs. I carried two bags, too. They were all Channing’s computer gadgets. I didn’t understand how she’d transported all this on the bus when she’d arrived at the beginning of August.
We loaded my car. “My grandfather says Channing should sue the town at least,” Paul said. “Just think about it when you’ve had some time. What they did to her was wrong.”
“We have to get the money back, too,” I agreed. “We just have to have some time to recover, and losing our grandfather is still hard to accept—it’s all really too much right now.”
He apologized. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”
I put my hand on his arm. “No, you’re actually right—I’m sorry.” He looked at me. He had a tenderness in his eyes that melted me right on the spot. Ice cream in the sun, that was me.
“Want to get that?” Paul said.
“What?” I replied, and then realized my phone was ringing. I took it out of my back pocket and saw an unfamiliar number pop up.
Chapter 44
Dahee, are you still in East End?” It was Mai. I told her I was and motioned to Paul that I was going up to the apartment. She continued, “Is Channing with you?”
I started to wonder if Kent had planned some sort of revenge through his previous landlady. She had spoken so highly of him. “Why do you want to know?” I asked, quickening my pace on the stairs.
“Are you at Paul Yun’s apartment?” she continued hesitantly as if she was being coached.
“Maybe we’re not. Maybe we’ve left East End completely,” I said loudly as I entered the apartment.
Channing looked up from the floor where she was folding her clothes into a suitcase. She mouthed, “Who is it?”
“Stay there, one hour. Promise to stay there, please,” Mai said.
