Thomas did not return the smile.
“Good afternoon, Richard.”
“I had no idea you were visiting. We would have prepared a proper welcome.”
“I received one.”
Richard chuckled nervously.
“I'm told there was some confusion at reception.”
“There was.”
“An unfortunate misunderstanding, I'm sure.”
Thomas looked toward Derek.
“Is that what you call it?”
Richard followed his gaze.
Derek stood rigidly behind the desk.
“Derek is one of our most promising young employees,” Richard said. “Occasionally enthusiasm gets the better of people.”
Thomas stared at him.
“Enthusiasm?”
Richard sensed danger.
“Perhaps that wasn't the best word.”
“No. It wasn't.”
Michael approached carrying a folder.
“Richard, we need to discuss several records.”
Richard glanced at the folder.
“Certainly. Perhaps upstairs, in private?”
Thomas shook his head.
“We'll use the conference room. Adrian and Melissa will join us.”
Richard's eyes flickered.
“Front-desk employees?”
“Yes.”
“Wouldn't it be better to keep this at the executive level?”
Thomas looked directly at him.
“That depends on whether you're interested in hearing the truth.”
The conference room overlooked a landscaped courtyard.
Richard took a seat at the head of the table out of habit.
Thomas sat opposite him.
Michael placed several documents between them.
Daniel opened his laptop.
Adrian and Melissa remained near the far end.
Richard adjusted his cuffs.
“Before we begin, I want to emphasize that the Meridian has delivered exceptional financial results.”
Thomas folded his hands.
“I've seen the reports.”
“Occupancy is up. Premium revenue is up. Our customer segmentation strategy has been extremely successful.”
“Customer segmentation.”
Richard nodded eagerly.
“Exactly. Identifying guests who align with our brand's expectations.”
Thomas leaned forward.
“Does that include rejecting elderly people because they wear inexpensive clothing?”
Richard's expression tightened.
“Of course not.”
“Then why are employees doing it?”
“I can't speak to every individual interaction.”
“Your employees say you told them to protect the property from the wrong kind of guests.”
Richard gave a dismissive wave.
“Language can be misunderstood.”
Melissa looked down.
Thomas noticed.
“Melissa, would you tell Mr. Vale what happened to Evelyn Parker?”
Richard's head turned sharply.
“Evelyn who?”
Melissa swallowed.
“Mrs. Parker. She had a prepaid anniversary reservation.”
Richard shrugged.
“We handle thousands of reservations.”
“She was told her room wasn't available,” Melissa said. “But it was.”
Richard looked irritated.
“Are we reviewing every minor customer complaint?”
Thomas's voice hardened.
“Let her finish.”
Melissa steadied herself.
“The room was reassigned to a guest who agreed to pay a higher rate.”
Richard looked toward Adrian.
“That's a serious accusation.”
Melissa continued.
“I was told to mark Mrs. Parker's reservation as a guest cancellation.”
“Who told you?”
“My supervisor.”
“And who instructed your supervisor?” Thomas asked.
Melissa hesitated.
“She said the order came from Mr. Vale's office.”
Richard leaned back.
“This is absurd.”
Daniel rotated his laptop.
“Then perhaps you can explain the corresponding transaction.”
The screen displayed a reservation log.
Evelyn Parker's room had been reassigned at nearly triple the original price.
The original booking was marked as voluntarily canceled.
A separate internal fee had been credited to a department controlled by regional operations.
Richard stared.
“I'd need to review the context.”
“Of course,” Daniel replied. “We have several more.”
He displayed another record.
Then another.
And another.
Some involved elderly travelers.
Others involved families whose reservations were replaced during major conferences.
A few involved guests with accessibility requirements who were pressured into accepting unsuitable rooms.
The apparent pattern was clear.
Lower-priced reservations had sometimes been displaced for more profitable bookings.
Some cancellations were recorded inaccurately.
And several internal financial entries required explanation.
Richard loosened his tie.
“Revenue management is complicated.”
Thomas looked at him.
“Dishonesty isn't.”
Richard's eyes hardened.
“You're making accusations without understanding the commercial realities.”
Thomas sat very still.
“Then help me understand.”
Richard spread his hands.
“Luxury hospitality is competitive. We have to prioritize valuable customers.”
“Every customer has value.”
“That's a nice sentiment, Thomas, but sentiment doesn't pay operating expenses.”
Michael watched the exchange carefully.
Thomas's voice remained calm.
“You're speaking to a man who built this company.”
Richard looked away.
“I respect that.”
“Do you?”
“Of course.”
“Then explain why you used my name to support policies I never approved.”
Richard froze.
Adrian glanced toward him.
Melissa held her breath.
Thomas waited.
Richard finally said, “I may have referred to the broader strategic direction of the company.”
“Did you tell managers I wanted them to discourage certain guests?”
“No.”
“Did you tell them our brand needed to avoid people who looked poor?”
“Absolutely not.”
Daniel tapped his laptop.
“We have internal messages discussing presentation screening and guest-quality indicators.”
Richard stared.
“Those were informal communications.”
Michael opened a document.
“One message says, 'Mr. Anderson expects us to protect the hotel's premium image. Front-desk teams should use discretion when low-value guests become problematic.'”
Thomas looked at Richard.
“Did I say that?”
Richard's mouth opened slightly.
Then closed.
“No.”
“Then why did you tell my employees I did?”
Richard's composure began to crumble.
“Thomas, this company isn't what it was thirty years ago.”
“No,” Thomas replied. “It isn't.”
“We operate in a different market.”
“Yes.”
“We answer to investors.”
“Yes.”
“And sometimes difficult decisions have to be made.”
Thomas leaned forward.
“Difficult decisions do not require humiliating widows.”
Richard's face flushed.