Money Creek

by Anne Laughlin

  “Good morning,” Clare said. She was still trying to foster a working relationship with Jo, who was recalcitrant about everything. The look on her face didn’t bode well for furthering her cause. “Did you have a good weekend?”

  “That’s funny. How could I have had a good weekend?”

  “I don’t know. It was an innocent question.”

  Jo stood with her hands on her hips. Her saddle bag was strapped across her chest. “Do you mean Freya hasn’t told you?”

  She looked at Jo curiously. “Told me what?” If this concerned Freya she wanted to hear about it.

  “Huh. I was sure she’d call you after she left my place to tell you the good news. Now that she’s broken up with me, the way’s all clear for you.”

  Clare was stunned. Freya and Jo weren’t the love story of the century, but she had no idea they were close to breaking up. And why hadn’t Freya told her when they’d been together the day before? “I’m sorry to hear that.” She ignored the rest of Jo’s comment.

  “Right. I bet you are.”

  “Jo, there’s nothing going on between Freya and me. We’re friends.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, but it seems obvious to me. Thanks for ruining my life.”

  Jo left the room and disappeared down the hall. Clare closed her book and put it back on the shelf. She hardly knew what to make of Jo’s news. She was happy for Freya. Jo seemed all wrong for her. But did it mean something more than that? What had been dancing around the periphery of her thoughts now came front and center. Did she want Freya that way? Her phone pinged and she saw a text from Freya asking if they could talk later in the day. She answered with a simple yes and anticipation bubbled up.

  When Clare appeared at Elizabeth’s door she waved her in while hanging up the phone.”I was just talking to Henry,” she said. “We talk nearly every day, which I love. He’s more like a daughter than a son in that respect.”

  “Thanks for the reminder to call my mother.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Henry asked me to say hello to you. You must have made quite an impression on him at the party. He’s mentioned you several times.”

  “That’s nice to hear,” she said. “Henry made an impression on me, too. You must be proud of him.”

  “Of course.” Elizabeth shifted a few files around her desk and placed one before her. “We need to get started on our summary judgement motion in the Peterson case and I want you to head up both the brief and the memorandum. You’re the most familiar with the documents at this point and I trust you to know the legal issues as well.” She smiled at Clare.

  Clare smiled back, mostly with relief. Elizabeth must have forgiven her for her botched courtroom appearance. “Thank you. I’m honored to get the assignment.”

  “I don’t know if you’ll thank me. It’s a hell of a lot of work. You can have Thomas help you and I’m always here for guidance. I don’t think our chance of winning is great, but we have to give it a shot. Their CEO has been all over me about this case.”

  “I’ll get started today.”

  “I want this to be your number one priority. What else do you have going on?”

  “Those depositions.” She paused. “I also have a new client coming in at one today.”

  “New client? Who?”

  “His name is Ray Barnes. He’s a local investor who’s been buying up some small businesses here in town and elsewhere. He wants me to handle the transactions.”

  Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “He’s not laundering money, is he?”

  Clare looked quickly down to hide her surprise. Elizabeth was staring at her when she looked up. “No way. He seems ambitious to me, is all. He’s continually leveraging as he acquires the businesses.”

  “We’ll give this to my husband. He’s handled lots of deals like that. I want a draft from you in two weeks and that’s going to take all your efforts.”

  Inside, she was cringing, but she kept an impassive look on her face. “Let me meet with him first and see if that’s okay. I’m sure I can handle it myself.”

  Elizabeth frowned. “I don’t want anything pulling you away from the summary judgement.”

  “But it’s new business,” Clare said.

  “Meet with him today and get back to me. We’ll figure it out.”

  She left the office and stopped at the coffee station. She’d taken one Adderall that morning, but she needed more. Her stash was dwindling. She spent the rest of the morning getting her arms around the brief and memorandum she’d be writing. She was deep in that when Donna called from reception to say her one o’clock appointment had arrived. Clare walked out to greet Ray and was stunned to see him standing in the reception room dressed like the senior partner at an international law firm. His suit looked bespoke, it hung beautifully from his lean body. He was probably not yet thirty, too soon for a gut to start pushing out his belt and ruining the lines of his clothing. His shoes were black and shined to perfection. When he saw Clare, he smiled and took a step toward her.

  “Thank you for seeing me, Clare.”

  “Of course. Let’s go back to my office.” She had the option of using the conference room, but she wanted to keep Ray as out of sight as possible. She closed the door as he settled in the chair in front of her desk. Clare sat in her chair, trying to look as confident as possible. She slid a pile of papers to the side and took out a fresh legal pad and pen. “As I said the other day, I don’t know how much I can help you. Transactional law is not something I’ve ever practiced.”

  “And I’m fine with your agreement to do your best.” He looked relaxed in his chair.

  “There is a lawyer here who can better serve you.”

  “No. It has to be you. You must understand why. I’m sure you can get up to speed quickly.”

  She looked him in the eye. “To be clear, I’m representing you under protest. You’ve chosen to blackmail me into being your lawyer, which is not a good basis for a business relationship.”

  Ray gazed back at her. “I think we’ll be fine. You’re going to like working with me.” He smiled and broke eye contact as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a check book. “How much of a retainer do you require?”

  She had no idea what was appropriate, but she couldn’t blather about it. “Ten thousand will do,” she said. “Please make it out to Nelson and Nelson.”

  He looked up. “I’d rather make it out directly to you.”

  She shrugged. “Sorry. I work for this law firm and everything is funneled through it. Perhaps that won’t work for you?”

  “Good try. No, you’re stuck with me.” He wrote out the check and handed it to her. His hands were manicured and she could smell a woody cologne. She took the check and placed it in a drawer. “Here’s what I want you to do first.”

  He explained that a sports bar out on Woodlawn was for sale and gave her the owner’s contact information and the amount of his opening offer for the place. “I’d like to close on this as soon as possible. Get it done, would you?”

  Clare didn’t appreciate the directive and stood up to end the meeting. “I’ll make a call and do my best. That’s all I can promise.”

  Ray shot his sleeves and stood up slowly. “We’re having another get-together on Saturday and I’d like you to come. It’s social, a way to get to know you better.”

  “Do I really have to be social with you all?”

  He smiled, but his eyes stayed static. “Yes, I’m afraid you do. You can come out with Henry. Four o’clock.”

  She led him back to reception and shook his hand so Donna could see it was all business. When he walked out the door her chest deflated, as if she’d been holding her breath for the past half an hour. She took another tablet of speed and worked until seven that evening, long past the time when everyone else went home. She managed to stay clear of Elizabeth so she wouldn’t have to tell her about her meeting with Ray. She could only deal with so much in one day. He had the confidence and bearing of a CEO, but how big could his business be
in Timson County? There were a ton of small towns in the county, and multiples of that if you included the surrounding counties. If Ray and the others controlled all traffic in the area, she supposed it could add up to a large network. It certainly took good business instincts to know how to set up such an operation.

  She wasn’t hungry when she got home. She planned on a beer and a few games on her iPhone to help her relax. Her new regimen of only drinking at home was working out well. She wanted that first one or two to take the edge off her day, but then it was fine. She didn’t crave another. Her phone rang at eight and Henry’s name popped onto the screen. She was tempted to not answer it, but he would persist until she did. She was getting to know that about him. She picked up.

  “What do you want?” she said. She was pissed at the interruption of her quiet evening.

  “Whoa. Are you in a bad mood or are you really that unfriendly?”

  “Both,” she said. “I keep telling you there’s no point in you trying to become friends with me.”

  “We’ll see,” he said, as if inviting the challenge. “I’m calling to see how your meeting with Ray went.”

  “As expected. I told him I wasn’t the right lawyer for him and he insisted I try anyway.”

  “Well, at least things are underway. I know you’ll do a good job for us.”

  “And if I don’t? Do you kill me when I fail?”

  “Jeez. Will you lighten up? It’s nothing like that. We want a lawyer who understands the drug business, or is at least sympathetic to it. You have to admit your own dependence on our supply will keep you motivated.”

  “I’m not dependent on anything.”

  Henry laughed. “Of course. Tell yourself whatever you’d like.”

  “Which reminds me, any word on that speed shipment?”

  “Still haven’t heard. You’ll be the first to know.”

  Fear grabbed her by the throat. She’d do anything to avoid feeling like she did that first day without drugs. She kept the desperation out of her voice. “I have less than a week’s worth left.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get you fixed up. Not that you need it or anything. The other reason I was calling was to ask you to come over. Evan and I are ordering a pizza and watching a movie. Thought you might want to join us.”

  She shifted on her couch to a more upright position. “You must have selective hearing. Didn’t you hear me say I don’t want to be friends?”

  He laughed again. “Okay, cranky. Some other time.” He hung up and Clare was left staring at her phone. Henry was a problem, one that she didn’t know how to solve. She tried to put it out of her mind and think about Freya instead, which she’d been doing all afternoon. What did the breakup with Jo mean? There was no denying she was drawn to her. She hadn’t yet responded to Freya’s text asking if they could talk that evening so she sent a message suggesting they meet at Abe’s at nine o’clock. She texted back and agreed. If she didn’t drink any more she’d be fine.

  Freya was sitting in the middle of the bar and turned her head to the door when Clare entered, getting down from her barstool to greet her. The tavern was quiet—a few people at the bar and one table used by the players standing around the pool table. They were all holding sticks in front of them like the staff of a sentry. Country western music was on the jukebox.

  “I thought we could get a table,” Freya said. “It’s easier to talk.”

  Clare found herself smiling. “Sure. What can I get you to drink?”

  “No, you don’t. I’ve got first dibs since I arrived before you.”

  “Is that some sort of Money Creek rule?”

  “It’s a Freya rule. I didn’t know what to get you so I waited to order.”

  “I’ll have a Diet Coke, please.”

  They sat at a table on the opposite side of the room from the pool players. There was no one else in the bar that Clare recognized. She prayed no one would come up to her to remind her of her blackout on Thursday night. When Freya returned from the bar, she took a sip of her Coke, so sweet after the beer she’d been drinking at home. Freya took a long sip from her glass of bourbon.

  “Jo made a point of telling me you broke up over the weekend.”

  Freya looked surprised. “It’s true. I almost told you yesterday.”

  “I don’t understand why you didn’t. We had that long drive out to the farm and back. Isn’t that the sort of thing friends tell each other?”

  Freya hesitated. “I broke up with her about an hour before I picked you up. Somehow it was disrespectful to Jo if I started talking about it before she could really take it in. What was her mood like when she told you?

  “Let’s say she was clearly hurting.” Clare tried to catch her eye, but Freya was staring into her drink. “Do you mind me asking why the breakup now?”

  Freya took a sip before answering. “It’s straightforward enough. I didn’t think Jo was the right woman for me.”

  Clare leaned forward in her chair. “There can’t be that many lesbians in Money Creek.” Her voice was nearly a whisper.

  Freya frowned. “Do you think I should be with someone because there’s no one else? I’m not desperate.”

  She sensed she’d said the wrong thing. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive. I can’t imagine you’d ever be desperate.”

  “I have my moments, but then I remember that I really live in Bloomington. There’re a lot of queer folk there.”

  “But none that you’re involved with now?” She was genuinely curious.

  “Like a girl in every port? I can’t work that way. I’m a serial monogamist. And now I’m officially single again.”

  Clare raised her glass. “Look out Bloomington.”

  Freya laughed. “I’m in Money Creek full-time now. I sometimes forget about my life there.” She took another sip of bourbon and Clare tried not to wet her lips. It looked so good, the social lubricant that makes all conversations easier. She got up to get them a refill and came back with a bourbon of her own. Only one wouldn’t do any damage.

  “Now I get to ask you whether you’re dating anyone,” Freya said. “Any lucky Money Creek dude in your life?”

  “God, no. Who has time for that?”

  Freya pointed at Clare’s glass. “I was wondering what was with the Coke.”

  “I was thirsty. Now I can relax with a drink.” She was nervous, worried that Freya would be watching her consumption.

  “Do you like to party, Clare?”

  “Not all that much, no.”

  “I heard about you here last Thursday and it sounded like you were partying hard.”

  Clare flushed, angry that Freya was commenting on her drinking. What business was it of hers? She didn’t reply.

  “Ben told me he was here with you.”

  Clare’s glass made a sharp noise as she brought it down on the table. “Why are you asking me these questions? It’s none of your concern.”

  Freya looked at her for a while. “I don’t know if you’ve figured this out yet, but I like you. A lot. It’s important to me to know about this. I had an alcoholic girlfriend once and it was awful.”

  Clare scootched her chair back. “You’re saying I’m alcoholic? How dare you?”

  Freya raised a placating hand. “I’m not saying that at all.”

  “Thursday night was a one-off, a combination of overwork and a new medication I’m on. Why? What did Ben tell you?” This is what she wanted to hear and dreaded at the same time. She sat still in the chair.

  “He didn’t say much. He’s a gentleman.”

  That meant he knew something he was too polite to tell.

  “He let me know that you were pretty drunk and he slept at your house to make sure you were okay. That’s it. But it concerned me.”

  Clare tried to hide the confusion and then relief flooding her body. She hadn’t had sex with Ben after all. She pulled her chair up to the table. “He didn’t have to do that, but I couldn’t dissuade him.” She made it sound as if she hadn’t proposition
ed him.

  “Is Ben someone you’d like to date?” Freya asked.

  “No! I’m not looking to date anyone, thanks very much. I want a quiet life so I can do my work, probably the same as you. How is your work, by the way? Is there anything you can tell me about it?”

  Clare realized she could act as a secret agent of sorts, possibly leveraging what she learned from Freya and Ben against the blackmail. Could she use Freya that way? Yes, if it meant easing the pressure from Ray Barnes and Henry.

  “There isn’t, I’m afraid. Only that we’re investigating what we believe is a reorganization of the drug dealing channels in the area. We’re not having much luck.”

  “You mean you don’t have any evidence?”

  Freya considered her for a moment. “It’s not something I can discuss.”

  Damn. “I’m sure something will break for you. In the meantime, you get to stay in Money Creek.”

  Freya looked amused. “And that’s a good thing?”

  “That’s a very good thing.” That sounded suspiciously like flirting. Was she flirting?

  Freya spoke softly. “That means a lot to me. You might not know how much.”

  That sounded like flirting also. At ten o’clock, they still had a lot to say, but Freya called it a night. “My shift starts early. I wish I could stay with you until closing time.”

  Clare would have been dead drunk by closing time. “No, this is good. I get up early also.” They walked to the parking lot together and stopped in front of Clare’s Suburu. Freya leaned in for a hug and held Clare closely, a few seconds longer than a friendly squeeze, and then got in her car without saying more. What was that? A prelude to a kiss? She realized that she hoped it was.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Henry sat at his kitchen table after dumping a plastic shopping bag of drugs onto it. A couple of pounds of marijuana took up the lion’s share of the space. His pot customers came mostly from the town. The college students bought some, but generally seemed concerned they’d get busted at the school by using the smelly substance. Pills were more popular.

  He thought of Clare as he separated the baggies of Valium from the ones holding Oxycontin and cocaine. She would freak out there still wasn’t any Adderall. Whoever was sourcing it had hit a dry spell, and Clare wasn’t the only one who’d be upset. Evan reported the students growing frantic as midterms approached.