The Ultrasound Photo

Chapter 4 The Reality of Cash Flow

Aurelia occupied a quiet Beverly Hills street and guarded its private rooms carefully. I was in the soundproofed Elysian Suite with its private terrace, finishing a multi-billion-dollar acquisition with my team from Tokyo.

Chloe's laugh still carried through the reinforced glass from the main dining room.

Marcos had found her reservation in the Grand Rose room, a less exclusive choice with a clear view from the restaurant floor. With the manager's approval, a microphone sat inside the floral centerpiece, and live subtitles ran across my tablet.

*“Beluga caviar first. Then the white truffle risotto, with plenty shaved on top. Bring the ’82 Pétrus too.”*

Mia and the others dutifully exclaimed, *“Chloe, you’re amazing!”*

I signed the final acquisition page while Chloe selected each famous high-priced item on the menu. The Beluga caviar, white truffles and ’82 Pétrus were names she recognized from social media. She never asked what any of them tasted like.

The Tokyo team left through the private exit. I stayed with a glass of mineral water and moved the tablet beside my plate.

Jean-Pierre, a waiter I had known for years, brought Chloe's bill in a leather folio. He set it beside her empty champagne glass, and the subtitle feed displayed the figure: *Total: $15,842.50.*

Conversation stopped at her table. Chloe pushed the folio toward the empty chair. “Arthur will be here any second. He'll handle it.”

Leo Guzman rushed into the restaurant, damp with sweat and even less tidy than he had been at the station.

"Darling! Perfect timing. The bill's here."

Leo looked from the total to the untouched dishes covering the table. He pulled a scuffed card from a worn leather wallet and handed it over without taking the empty seat beside Chloe.

Jean-Pierre returned. "I'm sorry, sir. It was declined."

"Run it again," Chloe said. "It's an unlimited black card."

"This is a standard platinum card, ma'am. I ran it twice. There are insufficient funds."

Leo tried two more cards. Both were declined.

Jean-Pierre set the last card on the table. "The maximum credit limit is fifteen hundred dollars, sir."

Mia stared at Chloe. The other women bent close together and began whispering.

Leo opened a high-interest payday loan application on his phone. He entered the same figure three times before his hands stopped shaking enough for the form to accept it. After several minutes, the loan was approved. He transferred the money and paid with his debit card.

The receipt printed. Leo snatched it from Jean-Pierre.

Then he turned and slapped Chloe across the face.

"Are you insane? You want to ruin me?"

Chloe caught the table with one hand. A red mark spread across her cheek. Mia pushed her chair back, and phones appeared at two neighboring tables, but Chloe still faced the diners.

"His real money is in a trust. You're all too poor to understand!" She looked around as though I might be in the room. "Tomorrow I'm going to Hermès on Rodeo Drive. I'll buy the two-hundred-thousand-dollar crocodile Birkin, and then you'll see."

Leo dragged her toward the door while she kept shouting.

I finished my mineral water in the Elysian Suite.

Then I texted the manager of the retail complex I owned on Rodeo Drive.

*Expect Chloe Harper at Hermès tomorrow morning. Use Code Red validation on any Vance black card.*

The manager replied, *Understood, Mrs. Vance.*