To Find Her Place (Redemption's Light #2) - Susan Anne Mason Page 0,8
clenched teeth.
Garrett inhaled and let out a breath. He would have to remember not to be so blunt. He wasn’t among the soldiers in the trenches anymore, and Mrs. Linder deserved to be treated with more sensitivity. “I’m ready to see the rest of the building and meet the other staff members, if you don’t mind.”
Her nostrils flared as she got to her feet. “Certainly. I would have taken you around earlier, but I thought you’d appreciate a bit of time to settle in first.”
“Well, consider me fully settled.”
She stared at him as if uncertain whether he was serious or not. Then she moved by him into the hall, where she stopped by the narrow front room. A variety of people from all walks of life filled the seats—adults as well as children, some nicely dressed, others more bedraggled-looking.
“This is our waiting area where clients wait to meet with the caseworkers. Across the hall is our stenographer pool. Any of our volunteers who come in to help with clerical duties also work in there.”
“Do any of these volunteers have access to the agency’s financial records?” He hoped the question sounded casual enough so as not to arouse suspicion.
However, Mrs. Linder’s brows rose slightly. “Yes. Mr. Bolton is a bookkeeper who volunteers his time to help balance our ledgers.”
“I assume someone oversees his work?”
“If you mean once he’s finished, then yes. That job belonged to Mr. Mills, who was quite fastidious about the finances.” She shrugged. “That responsibility now falls on me.”
Garrett bit his tongue to keep from blurting out more questions. There would be plenty of time to delve into the minutiae of the operations later. But this nugget of information could prove vital to some of his investigations.
“Upstairs you’ll find the rooms where the caseworkers meet with the parents.” She headed to the staircase and started up. As they reached the top, she glanced over her shoulder with an almost embarrassed air. “I should warn you that the space limitations are even worse up here. Once you see this, you’ll probably appreciate having your own area to work in, even if it is cramped.”
He snorted. “And here I thought you were trying to punish me.”
A strangled sound met his ears, and for a second, he could have sworn she was smothering a laugh.
She stopped at the first open door and made room for him to peer inside. He stared open-mouthed for the second time that day. Nothing could have prepared him for the overcrowded quarters and the cacophony of conversations within. He’d heard the comings and goings of people in the building, but he’d never expected this crowd.
In the middle of the room, three tables were pushed together to form one large working area, surrounded by at least ten chairs. More tables and chairs lined the walls around the perimeter, along with a row of filing cabinets and some sort of storage cupboard. Every available space was taken up with people—parents with young children on their laps and staff members writing on notepads. Some were on telephones, speaking loudly to try and be heard over the din.
How did they accomplish anything in such chaos?
He turned to Mrs. Linder. “Is this how your day-to-day operations are normally handled?”
“I’m afraid so. This is a rather tame day. It sometimes gets far more crowded, depending on the number of children involved.”
One tot let out a piercing yell.
Garrett cringed, repressing the urge to cover his ears. “This doesn’t seem like a good time to introduce myself.”
“You’re right. The best time might be after closing, when only the staff remain to finish their paperwork.”
He stepped back into the corridor and moved several paces away.
“There’s another room similar to this on the opposite side of the stairs. That room holds about seventeen workers, while this one generally holds ten to twelve.” Mrs. Linder walked ahead and pointed out the washrooms as well as a small closet where one worker sat on a stool, balancing a notepad on her knee.
Mrs. Linder shot him a wry look. “People use whatever space is available to them. Even a closet.”
“What plans are being made to solve this crisis?” Garrett couldn’t believe the agency could function at all in such disorder.
“The board is saving toward an eventual new office complex, but plans were put on hold for reasons I’m not privy to. You’d have to ask Mr. Fenmore about that.” She shrugged. “In the meantime, we make do.”