As a paid-up member of the Yentas With Attitude local, Maxine has been snooping diligently into hashslingrz, before long finding herself wondering what Reg has gotten himself into, and worse, what he’s dragging her uncomfortably toward.
-- Narrator (Chapter 5 paragraph 1)

Importance: Here, the narrator reveals how Maxine comes to first investigate hasslingrz, and her concern about the company and Reg’s involvement with them. Maxine realizes there is much more than meets the eye to hashslingrz as she discovers discrepancies in the books. Maxine also realizes that she herself is going to be drawn into things whether she likes it or not – and that it is indeed going to be dangerous.

I’m on it, Reg. Just not too comfortable.
-- Maxine (Chapter 6 paragraph 44)

Importance: Maxine learns from Reg that hashslingrz has a number of Altman-Z markups. Reg is insistent that Maxine continue looking into hashslingrz. Maxine counters that she is indeed looking into things, but that she is...