Fool Me Twice

11

Jesse was sitting at his desk, sipping coffee, when Molly hollered, “Renzo Lazzeri on three.”

Renzo Lazzeri owned the largest nursery in Paradise, which was once a factory warehouse that he had purchased when the factory closed its doors. He converted the space into a massive greenhouse, a showcase for every kind of garden and plant life indigenous to the Northeast. He added a landscape design department, which became notable for creating the most beautiful gardens in Paradise.

Grasses, saplings, hedges, bushes, seedlings, and flowers fought for space in his greenhouse. He specialized in rhododendrons and hydrangeas and also beach roses, which bloomed in profusion at all the best waterfront homes. And if you needed a riding mower or a top-of-the-line Weber grill, Renzo was your guy.

Jesse picked up the call.

“Renzo,” he said.

“Jesse,” Renzo said. “How the hell are you?”

“Better since I gave up hope.”

Renzo’s laughter filled Jesse’s ear.

“To what do I owe the honor,” Jesse said.

“Frankly, I didn’t know who else to call.”

“What’s up?”

“This may sound strange, but I think I’m being cheated by Paradise Water and Power.”

Jesse sat upright in his chair.

“How so,” he said.

“I use a lot of water around here. Everything I have is always thirsty, so I keep an eye on my consumption levels. My manager regularly checks the meter readings. Lately he’s noticed that our bills are larger than they were in the past. Not by a whole lot but noticeable.”

“So what did you do?”

“I checked our meter readings against the meter readings on the invoices.”

“And?”

“They were different.”

“The meter readings on the invoices were different from the meter readings that your manager took?”

“They were higher.”

“Indicating a greater water usage than what your readings reflected?”

“Yes.”

“Did you do anything about it?”

“I asked my manager to call W and P and explain what he had discovered.”

“And?”

“They told him that his readings were wrong.”

“So what did you do?”

“I called you, of course.”

“It’s good to be the king,” Jesse said.

“What should I do?”

“Leave it with me. Let me look into it.”

“With pleasure.”

“Yours isn’t the first call I’ve had about this.”

“So I’m not completely crazy?”

“I never said that.”