Chapter 10 - THE EIGHTY-THREE ENVELOPES
“Eighty-three people?”
Dante stared at the termination notice.
Nina handed him the paper.
The message was brief.
Vale Freight was suspending operations immediately.
Employees were instructed to return company property and contact payroll administration regarding outstanding compensation.
No explanation.
No meeting.
No consideration for the families who depended on those wages.
Dante looked toward the window.
“Where did these come from?”
Marisol answered.
“They arrived with the morning courier. The delivery instructions said they were to be collected by the company's personnel office.”
Nina examined another envelope.
“Some of these people have worked for Aaron for twenty years.”
Evelyn looked devastated.
“That was why I approved the original advance.”
Nobody spoke.
Then I remembered something my father used to say.
He had spent thirty years repairing commercial heating systems.
Whenever his employer made mistakes, ordinary workers paid first.
“Mr. Marchetti,” I said, “before you decide anything, can somebody speak to the employees?”
Dante turned toward me.
“What do you mean?”
“You know what Aaron did. They probably don't. Some may think they're being punished because of the investigation.”
Nina nodded.
“Lucy's right.”
Dante looked at the envelopes again.
Then he said, “Arrange a meeting at the Vale warehouse. This afternoon.”
By two o'clock, we stood inside a large freight depot overlooking the water.
The building smelled of salt, diesel fuel, and damp cardboard.
Men and women gathered beside parked forklifts.
Some looked angry.
Others looked frightened.
A gray-haired mechanic approached Dante.
“My name's Walter Briggs,” he said. “I've worked here twenty-three years.”
Dante shook his hand.
Walter held up his termination notice.
“My wife's retiring next spring. We're supposed to finish paying off our house this winter.”
His voice cracked.
“Can you tell me whether I'm getting paid?”
Dante didn't offer an easy promise.
“I'm reviewing the payroll obligations and the assets that remain available. I won't tell you something I can't guarantee.”
Walter looked disappointed.
But he nodded.
“At least that's a straight answer.”
Nina spent the next hour speaking with employees.
She discovered something important.
Vale Freight hadn't failed because the workers were incapable.
Its vehicles needed maintenance.
Several contracts had been neglected.
And Aaron had redirected operating money into speculative projects that never produced revenue.
A woman named Denise Carter, who supervised dispatch, showed Nina a scheduling board.
“We still have customers,” she explained. “We just don't have the credit or equipment to serve them.”
Nina studied the routes.
“Some of these contracts aren't tied to the disputed waterfront assets.”
Denise nodded.
“They're ordinary regional freight accounts.”
Dante joined them.
“Could a properly managed company operate those routes independently?”
“Maybe,” Denise said. “But we'd need insurance, working vehicles, and somebody trustworthy handling the money.”
I watched Nina's expression change.
She wasn't thinking about revenge anymore.
She was thinking about a solution.
That evening, Dante brought Helen Ward and an independent operations specialist to the warehouse.
They reviewed the available equipment, contracts, and payroll obligations.
The answer wasn't simple.
Vale Freight's assets were entangled in claims from several creditors.
Dante couldn't simply take over the company without risking further disputes.
But some of its employees and customer relationships might support a new operation.
Nina suggested a worker-participation plan.
Dante agreed to explore a properly financed company with independent management, transparent accounting, and employee representation.
Then Sabrina arrived.
She stood near the warehouse entrance wearing a plain gray coat.
No expensive jewelry.
No entourage.
She looked exhausted.
Walter recognized her.
“You're Aaron's sister.”
Sabrina nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then you know why we're losing our jobs.”
She lowered her eyes.
“Partly. And I should have spoken sooner.”
Walter shook his head.
“My son works here. He's got a baby coming.”
Sabrina swallowed.
“I know my apology doesn't pay his bills.”
She removed a small envelope from her handbag.
Inside was a list of personal assets she intended to sell to contribute toward unpaid wages, subject to the claims process.
“I can't fix everything,” she said. “But I'm going to stop pretending this has nothing to do with me.”
Dante watched her quietly.
He didn't approach.
And she didn't ask him to.
Later, when most employees had gone home, Nina returned from inspecting the loading docks.
Her face was pale.
“Dante, you need to see this.”
We followed her into a storage area.
A row of trucks stood behind a metal security fence.
Large orange notices had been attached to their windshields.
SEIZED PROPERTY — PENDING AUCTION.
Dante examined the serial numbers.
These were the company's most reliable vehicles.
Without them, the employees couldn't restart operations.
Nina held out the inventory.
“Every truck we need is on this list.”
Dante looked toward the empty warehouse.
“Then we have to find another way.”
But the next morning, when Helen reviewed the creditor notices, she discovered something worse.
May you like
The trucks weren't merely scheduled for auction.
The sale was set for six o'clock that evening.
