Robert smiled and patted the table, nodding in Abby’s direction. “I must admit to a level of curiosity. It’s not the only reason I am here, but it is almost as good a reason.” He leaned forward conspiratorially. “I bet you had trouble finding out what this was all about, didn’t you? I can assure you, I had the same trouble. This foundation came out of nowhere. It’s brand new, and on top of that, it’s uncharacteristically altruistic of the good senator. However, I did manage to find out information being passed around in some circles.”
“I don’t care, as long as some of it goes to help pay for my front doors,” Becky said.
Robert looked at her, perplexed until Abby filled him in. “The good senator came to our town a few months ago on a manhunt. They thought the person in question might be staying in Becky’s Café which was closed at the time. Senator Clark thought the fugitive was inside, so he inspired the state police to break in.” She paused, grinning before continuing. “Too bad the café was shut down due to a visitation by a skunk.”
“And you didn’t tell him?” Robert asked, stifling a laugh.
Abby shrugged, “We would have if he’d let us get a word in edgewise. He was too focused on making a news story out of it, though.”
Robert did laugh at that, but then sobered. “Actually, you wouldn’t be too far off the mark, Becky. The Foundation is nominally supposed to be for the improvement and edification of small, rural towns. It gives out monetary grants to help them fix or improve things. There’s no particular community named, though, so I can’t imagine they’ll be able to raise the money needed to improve every small town in Oregon.”
“Do you think it’s a move to get re-elected?” Hazel asked. “He did have an awful lot of mud on his face after what he did in Red Pine Falls.”
“I don’t know,” Robert answered. “From what I gather, none of the funds are earmarked for campaign funds.”
Suddenly, the light music that had been playing in the background shut off and a voice came over the speaker system. They all turned and saw a staff member of the lodge standing on the small, raised stage. “Excuse me, everyone. Please take your seats. The senator will speak shortly.”
“Well, that’s my cue to go take my seat,” Robert said, standing and pointing to a table situated about two thirds farther back in the room. “It’s been a pleasure to see you, Hazel, and a great pleasure to meet your granddaughter and her friends. Good luck!” he said, turning to leave.
“What do you mean, good luck?” Abby asked, curiously.
Robert turned back and grinned. “Because you are sitting at the senator's table. I can’t imagine it will be fun.”
“Oh, jackrabbits,” Abby said, gritting her teeth even as she saw Senator Clark enter the room with a much younger blonde woman on his arm. He sauntered through the room, working the crowd as they filtered toward their seats. It took a good fifteen minutes before most of the guests had found their places. Shortly after that, the senator began moving toward their table.
Hazel reached out and squeezed Abby’s hand. “Patience, dear. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”
Chapter 4
Senator Clark didn’t stay at the table. Instead, he seated the blonde woman who gave them all an energetic if vacant smile and then shook all their hands as if they were long-lost friends. All except Becky, who made a point of glaring at the senator and folding her arms over her chest. Abby noticed the senator’s eye twitched for a moment, but he recovered quickly and smiled before walking up to stand off to the right of the stage.
He stood there as the lights dimmed and a man appeared at the podium. He energetically announced Senator Clark and then stepped aside letting the man himself take the stage.
“Ugh,” Becky whispered to Abby after a few minutes of the man’s speech. “This steak better be good. I can literally feel my IQ points disappearing listening to this drivel.”
Abby couldn’t agree more. The man was an accomplished speaker, but as he spoke about the plight of the Oregon people, she became appalled. To hear the senator speak, you would think that most children outside of the big cities ran around without shoes, wore straw hats, and skipped school. The parents were no better off, having to make do without even basic staples for most of the week.
It was a terrible description of their state, but as she looked around, Abby could see more than a few of the people scattered around the tables with horrified looks on their faces. These people, the elites of their state, were swallowing this hook, line, and sinker. Abby was all for helping people, but it should be based on facts, not the false picture that the senator was spinning.
“I can’t believe this,” Gabe said softly. “Is this foundation going to benefit anything in particular, or is he just going to have fairies giving it out in the streets?”
“You should be more respectful,” said the blonde woman, leaning forward and giving them all too much of a view down the front of her dress. “This is about helping people who really need it. You shouldn’t mock things like this.”
“Honey,” Becky hissed back, “We’re not mocking people that need help. There’s plenty of them out there. We’re mocking this blowhard’s attempt to fleece people out of their money.”
The woman looked taken aback and blinked. “Are you talking about Teddy? He’s not trying to fleece anyone out of their money. Wait,” she said, then paused as she inspected Becky, her eyes glancing down at Becky’s dress. “You must be one of Teddy’s special guests. I understand now.”
Becky frowned and narrowed her eyes. “Special guests?”
Hazel reached over and put her hand on Becky’s arm, making her pause. “Becky, don’t worry about it. We are special guests. Besides, it’s not polite to talk during a speech.”
Becky continued to glare at the blonde woman who was decidedly trying to ignore the look at that point. It was clear she had made her judgments and was confident in her own superiority. Abby was thankful the woman hadn’t continued because Becky would have launched herself across the table before too much longer.
The speech continued for an interminable length of time though the senator didn’t add anything new after the first five minutes of the speech. He kept talking around and around the subject, adding embellishments and examples of why he wanted to help the poor people of Oregon. At one point, Abby had to dig her elbow into Gabe’s side when he started to nod off.
But in the end, the speech finally concluded with Senator Clark entreating the guests to donate generously to the cause and to enjoy the dinner. By the sound of the murmuring afterward, it appeared he’d made his point, and his smile practically gleamed out of his face as he returned to their table.
“Well, that went well,” Senator Clark said as he sat, leaning over and giving the blonde woman a kiss on her cheek. She smiled, almost nuzzling against the much older man before the senator turned to the table and opened his hands expansively. “Thank you all for coming,” he said cordially. “I’m very happy you could make it.”
The other two couples at the table smiled and replied with polite murmurs, but Abby and her friends weren’t convinced at all. For a moment, Abby thought Becky might growl at the man, but she held her silence. It was Hazel who spoke for them, however, and while Abby didn’t want to cause any trouble, she was glad that her Grandmother got right to the point.
“Senator Clark,” she began slowly. “We appreciate the invitation, but you have to understand we’re a bit skeptical. I mean, you did have a squad of state troopers outside our home pointing guns at us. If I recall correctly, you were entreating them to shoot the sheriff in the legs. You'd have to forgive us if we didn’t take too kindly to that.”
Rather than explode, the man simply nodded. “You are correct, Mrs. Morgan. That is part of why I wanted to invite you here tonight. It’s the Christmas season, and it has given me time to reflect on what happened that day. I was completely out of line, and I wanted to offer my heartfelt apologies for the way I acted.”
“You can start
with paying for the doors the state troopers kicked in on my café,” Becky interjected. “You remember the café? Where the news agencies all caught those state troopers on the grass puking and crying?”
Abby saw the senator’s eyes twitch once again, but just as before, the large man controlled himself and rallied. Once again, he nodded. “I…you are correct. I thought that had been taken care of, Ms. Northridge. I will check on that in the morning and make sure you are reimbursed for the damages.”
“What is she talking about, Teddy?” the blonde asked. “I don’t remember seeing anything about that on the news.”
“Who knows?” Senator Clark said, shrugging dismissively. “I wouldn’t worry about it, Olivia. News agencies are so lazy these days. Half of them don’t even leave their offices anymore and simply take their stories from other agencies.”
Abby frowned. She’d seen some of the news reports after the debacle in front of Becky’s café, but those had been on the local news. She hadn’t paid much attention after that. Too much had been going on with finding Rob Morgan and recovering from almost being gunned down by the state troopers. She never thought to check if anything had appeared on the larger news programs.
Now, she wondered. Had Senator Clark pulled more shenanigans? After learning that the senator supported the biker gang that had terrorized Red Pine Falls and used to have business dealings with John Troutdale’s family years ago, she wouldn’t put it past him to have interfered with the news. In fact, it would be just par for the course for a man like him.
She glanced at Gabe and saw the same thoughts turning over in his head, but neither of them could talk about it now. They would have plenty of time to discuss their suspicions on the drive home.
“Curious it didn’t appear on the news,” Abby said as she watched the senator carefully. She wasn’t surprised that she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary about the man’s mannerisms except when it came to Becky. Apparently, her red-haired friend brought out the very worst in the man.
“It was probably nothing important,” Olivia said, holding onto the senator’s arm and hugging it while she looked at him adoringly. “Sometimes people make mistakes.”
“I’m sure that’s it,” Abby said sardonically. “But this is extravagant for an apology, isn’t it?”
The senator smiled. On the outside, it was a sincere looking smile, but it simply didn’t reach his eyes. Instead, it gave Abby and her friends a chill. “Of course there is more. I wanted you to be the first people to know that the first town that will be enjoying the fruits of my, and my Foundation’s labor, will be Red Pine Falls. It will be glorious.”
The four of them could only look at each other, even as the plates of steak or fish began to arrive. Abby had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that this would be anything but good for Red Pine Falls.
Chapter 5
The food was exquisite, but none of them could enjoy the food with the looming promise of help from the senator. The man had been after the Morgan House, and presumably, the Morgan Family Treasure for far too long for it to mean anything good. As a result, all throughout the dinner, the three friends and Hazel tried to push the senator for more information, but he would only respond with cryptic answers.
“We don’t know what we are going to do yet, but everyone will love it. It will be great,” was his only answer. At the end of the evening, they were left with smiling politely and leaving the table unsatisfied.
“Don’t forget that money for my doors,” Becky said, giving the senator one last glare before they walked away. The man only nodded, assuring Becky he would check into it but it didn’t put Becky into a better mood.
“He’ll check into it, my gorgeous behind,” Becky said, sniffing. “If I see any money out of him, it will be because he accidentally dropped his wallet.”
Gabe, Abby, and Hazel all laughed as they walked toward the exit but quickly detoured when they saw Robert Carrington standing in the hallway. He was speaking to a few other people but broke off his conversation and approached.
“That was quite something, wasn’t it?” Robert said, shaking his head. “He is quite good at giving speeches about nothing. I honestly don’t know if that cleared anything up for me or not and I’m a lawyer.”
“It was as clear as a creek after a hard rain,” Hazel said, smiling at Mr. Carrington. “He also told us that the first community that would benefit from the Foundation would be Red Pine Falls.”
Both of Roberts’s eyebrows rose as he and Hazel exchanged glances. Once again, Abby was struck with curiosity. She didn’t know everything about her Grandmother’s life, to be sure, but she hadn’t expected her to know anyone from Chicago. After a moment, the red-haired man continued. “Well, then I have some further investigating to do. After your history with the good senator, I can’t imagine it’s going to be simple.”
“Not even a little,” Hazel answered. “Well, Robert, we’d best be getting home. This evening has been interesting but it’s quite a bit past my usual bedtime, and I need my beauty sleep. Until we meet again, and please give my best to your father.”
“Of course,” Robert said, shaking her hand gently before turning to the rest of them and shaking each of their hands in turn. “It’s been a pleasure, and I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again. Please drive safely.”
With that, he returned to the other well-dressed people he’d been talking with previously. Abby watched him for a moment longer as he walked away, but finally, they all turned and exited the building.
The young people in the red jackets were equally as polite when they drove the PT Cruiser to the curb, and Hazel gave them a generous tip for their trouble. It wasn’t until they’d driven down the long driveway and exited back out onto the public road that they all could relax and take a breath.
“Wow,” Abby said. “I don’t know what to think about all of that.”
“Nothing good,” Gabe said from the driver’s seat. “I just can’t think of why it’s not good. How can you abuse a charity? Besides the water treatment plant, what does Red Pine Falls need?”
“People get a little crazy when it comes to money, Gabe,” Hazel said quietly from the passenger seat. “Greed is one of the cardinal sins for a reason. I honestly can’t be sure how it’s going to happen, myself, but Red Pine Falls isn’t rich. If Senator Clark starts waving hundred dollar bills in people’s faces, it will affect them.”
“I agree,” Becky said. “You remember how quickly the Clawsons threw me under the bus back when the sheriff accused me of murder? It didn’t take much for them to try to point their fingers my way.”
They all nodded, agreeing with Becky. The Clawsons were the oldest family in town, and they were as eccentric as it came. Mable, the current matriarch, had come from a large brood, so by the time she and her siblings started having kids, there were so many of them they each named their children using just a single letter of the alphabet. Their children had continued the tradition, so the town was full of Clawsons with similar-sounding names.
“There’s more than just the Clawsons, though,” Gabe said. “What about the town council or the mayor?”
“Gil’s a good man, and more importantly, he understands the senator,” Hazel said confidently. “He didn’t set out to become the mayor just to further his own ends. He truly wants to help the people. I would be surprised if he gets hornswoggled by the senator. The council is another matter. Some are good people, but there are a few who just love the power.”
“Politics,” Abby sighed. “Does it always have to come down to politics?”
“Whenever you get two people in a room, you get politics,” Becky said. She was just about to say something else when they were all distracted by the bright flashing of blue and red lights from just behind them. Gabe looked in the mirror, but the rest of them turned and saw a dark sedan close on their bumper. Its lights were flashing from the dashboard rather than from on top of the roof which told them this wasn’t a police cruiser.
“Why am I not surprised?” Gabe said as he pulled the car over onto the shoulder. Gabe turned off the vehicle and put his hands on the steering wheel, watching in the rear view mirror as two men exited the car behind them and approached. The larger one angled for the driver side while the smaller man moved along the passenger side. “Keep your hands in view and Becky, please don’t mouth off to whoever this is,” Gabe added as he rolled down the window. Becky’s response was to wrinkle up her mouth and stick her tongue out.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Morgans and their little sidekicks,” said the larger officer as he leaned in on the driver’s side. Gabe had turned on the lights in the cab, which illuminated the feral grin of Detective Mike Murphy. “Fancy meeting you out here on this lonely little road.”
“Well if it isn’t Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum,” Abby said, shaking her head. This already bizarre night had just become stranger with the appearance of the two detectives. The two men had been instrumental in harassing the Morgans during the hunt for Rob Morgan. Abby had hoped they’d lost their jobs after the governor had reined in the senator, but as with the news story, she shouldn’t have been surprised that hadn’t happened. “I thought you two were in the dog house or maybe checking parking meters after what you pulled in Red Pine Falls.”
“Now, listen, lady,” Mike began, but Ed quickly came around the car and grabbed his friend’s arm, giving him a look. Ed had always been the calmer of the two, and Mike took the cue, nodding to his partner before taking a deep breath and composing himself. He looked at Gabe, ignoring Abby for the moment. “Can I see your license, insurance, and registration?”
Gabe paused only for a moment before handing over the items. He’d pulled his license, and Hazel had retrieved her registration form the glove box when they’d stopped. “Can I ask why we’ve been stopped? I wasn’t speeding.”
Mike took the paperwork and turned without giving him a response, heading back to his car while leaving Ed standing there a few paces from the window. Gabe watched him walk away before leaning out and craning his next toward Ed. “Eh, same question. Why are we being stopped?”
Dead Reckoning and Murderous Intent, A Red Pine Falls Cozy Mystery (Red Pine Falls Cozy Mysteries Book 4) Page 2
