The Quality Bitch
Chapter 1
It was just one of those days, you know what I mean, a constant stream of bad
news, one right after another. My house needed a new roof. The place where I was
working was closing its doors. My final divorce papers came in the mail. Time
for a change.
First things first. To find another job. I dug out my old resume and started
updating it to fill in the last 10 years and once that was done I went to the
computer and tried looking for something new that I might be interested in
doing, didn't have much luck though. I searched for last Sunday's paper. I found
the adds in the trash. I dusted them off and with a beer in hand began my
search. Then I saw it, Quality Manager, for years I had been on the receiving
end of the abuse trying to fix things that were broken or didn't fit right all
the time suffering the criticism of the quality department. Well it was time, if
you can't beat them join them, and I applied and sent my fax out, at the same
time I sent my resume out to some agencies and searched for Quality Control
related jobs on the net.
Two more month, is what I figured it might last closing down the plant that
would be all the time I had to get something else. The first couple of weeks
went by without a word, and then I get this a call for an interview. The job
sounded good but the money and benefits weren't close to what I was making, so I
asked for time, trying to stall in case nothing else came my way. Then the
following week I got another call from an agency this time and I went for the
interview. Afterwards they sent me to the company for screening or so they
called it and then 4 people in a small room grilled me for an hour and a half.
They asked what my expectations are for salary, I couldn't read them, no idea at
all if I was high or low. I have a great dislike for the interview process.
Finally they tell me "We'll get back to you". I really don't expect it; I don't
think my answers were what they wanted to hear sometimes I'm just too honest for
my own good (got to make a mental note on that).
I finished up cleaning out my desk, trying to take some of my stuff home every
day so I wouldn't have to clean it all out at one time. I was working late when
the phone rang, I pick it up and some clerk calls to tell me that if I'm
interested I have the job and to report in 2 weeks at the beginning of the month
at 10:00 AM for orientation.
Well the day finally arrives, I'm the new Quality Manager I get a radio and
keys to a new office, executive restroom, laptop, the whole deal, Nice, Real
Nice, maybe things are looking up. The next day they take me around and
introduce me to everybody, I get the meeting schedules that I have to attend,
and I meet my staff, a superintendent Melissa and 3 supervisors Ed, Sheryl,
Harry and my secretary Debbie make up the quality department Salary and then 30
hourly inspectors.
They all seem to be nice people although I sense some resentment from the
superintendent, the lady looks about 25 or so, Very Dark Haired, perhaps 5'1"
tall, nice figure very pleasant to look at, but her eyes give her anger away,
rumor has it she was inline for my job. I'm not used to getting to work at
10:00. I'm always in early, well now especially because I' not sure what's going
on for sure yet.
So at 7:00 I wander through the production area and then to the Quality office
and greet 3 of the guys looking at a part on the bench. I make small talk with
them, introduce myself and I ask them if there's any coffee to be had and we
have a coffee together and make small talk about the parts and the problems
associated with them and try to listen and learn...
The daily 10:00 AM manager meeting was a new thrill; we go over all the audit
functions and cost, I figure it wouldn't affect me, good thing I kept my mouth
shut. Turns out office supplies, maintenance, markers, tools and tags all come
from my new budget, looks like that's where I'll be spending the weekend, trying
to make sense of the numbers.
It was a nasty week, but it's behind me, now to wrestle the books and figure
out my budget. I startup the laptop and crank up a spreadsheet set it up and get
the neighbors kid to plug in the numbers. By late Saturday I'm ready to start
some crunching, analysis and forecasts on the departments budget. As I get a
clearer picture where everything's going, I detect some gaps that I can't
account for and decide to call the accounting Manager (Matt) and ask some
questions.
Matt was helpful enough. He just chuckled and commented that nobody ever went
that deep into the accounts and not to worry about it but if I wanted he would
pick up supervisions credit card statements for my department operating budget
and drop it in my mailbox at work Sunday morning. Something wasn't right and I
knew it, I didn't want to end up the fall guy for an accounting fuck up for
anybody, so I picked up the statements Sunday afternoon and continued digging.
Ed, Sheryl and Harry's expenses weren't all that high between $30 and $50 a
week. Melissa's on the other hand was $1200 - $2100 a week.
Turns out she was in charge of buying tags and fasteners along with office
supplies, but that still seemed kind of high.
On Monday morning I asked Matt how the budget is calculated. He explains to me
that I shouldn't worry so much and tells all I'm accountable for and not to go
over my average annual dollar amount and that that's the only indicator that's
used for an audit. He cautions me not to use expense funds for Projects and to
write projects for the large dollar items purchased, that would keep the numbers
in line.
Things were starting to smooth out a little, seemed like this was really a
piece of cake and a lot easier that my old job. Time for lunch. I asked Debbie
my secretary if she'd like to join me for lunch (I couldn't be accused of
anything taking a 60 year old lady to lunch). She smiled and led the way to the
parking lot.
Then she informs me there isn't much around in the way of restaurants, just a
diner at the strip mall everything else is too far for an hour lunch. We make
small talk and I find out that Debbie's quite the company historian and a little
bit of a gossip and she fills me in on all the dirt little secrets through
lunch. I pick up the tab and we walk back to the car I see Melissa coming from
the Office Store with a small plastic bag in her hand and she gets in her little
sports car and flies out of the parking lot.
I had some time so I went back to the laptop and my accounting project and
Melissa expenses. Talking to the some of the workers and listening to them
complain about not having what they need and when they need it made me
suspicious and then talking to Debbie and some of the comments she made about
Melissa. So I questioned Debbie, she began to explain that Melissa roommate
Candice who works at the Office Store bought a house together and implied that
she didn't want to know any more about whatever arrangement they had. And that's
when the light came on for me "The Office Store" that's where the money was
going, but the supplies weren't to be found.
Another 3 months of digging turned up all the evidence I needed even photos.
Melissa and Candice had embezzled roughly $700 dollars a week. Melissa would
take the credit card and Candice would ring the purchase and resell the items
and the cash would disappear.
I decided to wait till Thursday to have a private discussion with Melissa,
besides I needed to pick up a small digital video camera yet and some other
things and Friday was a holiday.
