Chapter 11 #2
Brett didn’t see it. Mac’s blow connected with Brett’s jaw, and he went down as though he was a marionette the puppeteer had suddenly dropped, not wanting to play with him anymore.
“It’s over, boys!” Mac cried, glaring at the gathered hooligans.
They stared at Brett’s unconscious form.
“Now, I know most of you. Oli Meeks, Trevor Wilde, Jasper Shore … I can name all of you. I watched you grow up. I know your parents. Good people, they are, and so were you at one point. You should be ashamed, throwing your lot in with this.” He nudged the young man lying sprawled on the ground.
“You’re local boys. You should care about the people in your town.
You shouldn’t let bullies attack them, steal from them, and terrorize them. You should be ashamed of yourselves!”
To Dorothy’s surprise, many of the boys he was addressing hung their heads and shuffled their feet. Mac went on to tell them how he had been a penniless boy living in town and had worked hard to make enough to start his businesses.
“You can all make something of yourselves,” he continued.
“How?” one asked. “There are no opportunities here unless you want to sling an ax for the next forty years.”
There were grumbles of agreement. Mac looked thoughtful. “All right. That’s a fair point and one I hadn’t considered.”
Dorothy watched the look of uncertainty on the boys’ faces. Clearly, they hadn’t thought he’d listen to them at all.
“Come to the hotel tomorrow,” Mac said, appearing to have come to a decision, “and we can talk about it. Perhaps there’s something that can be done so that you have more opportunities and don’t feel the need to go to such extremes.
But this stealing, brawling, and hurting folks—there is no excuse for that.
And it stops right now. You walk away now and I’ll welcome you tomorrow.
You stay with this corrupt piece of dung though, and you’ll get nothing from me. Understood?”
Many of the boys nodded.
“Right, Rafferty, arrest this man!” Mac cried.
The sheriff, who had been waiting to the side, came closer. He bit his lip. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean?” Mac asked.
Sheriff Rafferty whispered something in Mac’s ear. Mac’s face went red. He shook his head. “We will be having a talk later. Now, arrest him!”
“Yes! Arrest him!” the mayor cried.
There was a chorus of cries of “Justice! Justice!”
Rafferty, looking sick to his stomach, picked up the unconscious Brett and hauled him off. A loud cheer sounded as the boys who were still loyal to Brett were rounded up and sent off with the sheriff.
The ones Mac had called on by name looked sheepish and walked off into the town.
“Well, that went better than I thought it would,” Mac said, smiling with his hands on his hips.
“Thank you, Mac,” the mayor said, offering to shake hands. “At least Rafferty listens to you.”
“He listens to whoever looks more powerful at any given moment,” Mac clarified. “At this moment, it was public opinion that won the day. But who cares about that? I heard this was a party.”
“And so it is,” Mayor Brisby said. He hurried off, seemingly to get the festivities started again.
Warren and Michael walked over to them.
“I take it you went to get Mac?” Warren asked.
Dorothy nodded. “It seemed the smartest thing to do.”
He agreed.
“Are you okay?” she asked, inspecting his face. He didn’t look like he’d been hit.
“I managed to dodge a lot of the blows, so I’m fine.”
“Oh good. I was so worried.”
He smiled. “That’s very kind of you.”
She sighed. “I know this isn’t the time, but I’m afraid we’re running out of time.
When Sadie and I went to find Mac, he was in his office with Foster and Barnes, and they were trying to make him sign a document giving Harding and Devlin power of attorney for all things to do with the firm.
I think we need to follow the clues, find the evidence, and move to get them removed from the company as fast as possible. They’re up to something.”
Warren nodded. “But with them at the hotel, we can’t work there, can we?”
“Well, there is the cabin on the lake, if you want somewhere private,” Sadie said, clearly having eavesdropped on their entire conversation. “Mac and I used to go there when we needed time alone.”
“That could work,” Michael said. “You two big brains locked in a room with a whole lot of information … People might want to steer clear of the kind of heat that’ll generate.” He grinned.
“Great, we’ll go there tomorrow morning,” Dorothy said.
“But tonight, we dance,” Warren said impulsively. The musicians were back at it, playing something lively. “Would you do me the honor?” He bowed formally, offering Dorothy his hand.
“Are you sure?” she asked in surprise. “You were just in a fight.”
“I’m perfect, and dancing is a wonderful way to work off the adrenaline from all that nastiness. Come on, let’s show everyone they don’t need to shy away from having fun.” He winked. “And I’ll show you that there are a few things I’m good at besides numbers and fistfights!”
Dorothy marveled at this side of Warren. Perhaps it was the adrenaline and the wine he’d drunk earlier talking. Still, she couldn’t help but giggle and accept.
A moment later they were joined by Mac and Sadie and other couples.
Warren danced well, and Dorothy couldn’t have stopped smiling if her life depended on it.
In his arms, she twirled, feeling like she was flying over the ground.
As Warren led her through the dance with easy grace, Dorothy felt that Shakespeare’s tale might have come to life and she might at last be getting her own version of a happy ending.
Soon the bonfire celebration was back in full swing. Most of the town had returned. There were many smiling faces as people’s property was found in the sacks and returned to them. Sheriff Rafferty came back at one point and had a long discussion with Mac at a table.
And then it was time for a few scenes from the play the actors would be performing in a month. The town took their seats, and everyone waited with hushed breath as they watched the tale unfold.
Dorothy knew the play well enough to be aware the actors were leaving out sizable chunks, but to their credit, they told the story well despite the time constraint.
She noticed that Mac was still talking to the sheriff. Dorothy wished she could hear what was being said, but it was clearly for Mac’s ears only.
“Aren’t they marvelous?” Warren asked as he broke into raucous applause.
Dorothy looked around and found that the actors were taking their bows at the front of the makeshift stage. She had missed the ending where all was set right again after a night of strangeness.
“Yes, yes, they were wonderful,” she agreed, clapping her hands and cheering with everyone else.
People went back to dancing and drinking for a while longer. The actors disappeared into their tent and emerged looking like normal people once more. Mac shook all of their hands and Dorothy thought that perhaps his dark mood had left him.
She shared another drink with Warren and Michael, but she was feeling quite tired now.
“What do you say we head on back to the hotel?” Warren suggested. “I could use some sleep.”
“Some?” Michael asked. “You need all the beauty sleep you can get.” He laughed.
“I think he’s perfectly handsome as he is,” Dorothy protested, and couldn’t even find it in herself to be embarrassed when she saw how pleased Warren looked.
Michael made a face and bowed to her. “As you say, madam.” He spoke with a posh, put-on accent, and Dorothy playfully tossed a pine cone at him. It hit his shoulder harmlessly and they set off for the hotel.
Warren walked her to her room. They stood by her door and stared at each other.
“I had a really good evening, all things considered,” he said.
“Me too,” she admitted. “Despite everything, it was wonderful to spend time with you.”
He nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning?”
She agreed. “Definitely.”
Warren hesitated, staring at her, and it seemed to Dorothy that he was just starting to lean in when the sound of people coming down the passage made them both jump away from each other.
“Good night,” Warren said, hastily retreating to his door. “I really enjoyed the evening. Thank you.”
With a sigh, Dorothy went into her room.
While she was getting undressed, a piece of paper came sliding under her door. She watched it with interest and then went to pick it up. Reading it, she couldn’t help but smile.
Dear Dorothy,
I can’t stop thinking of how we left things.
I very much enjoy your company. I enjoyed it when we were writing to each other, and I find I enjoy it even more in person.
I would like to see more of you in a non-work-related capacity.
Would that be something you would be interested in? Please let me know.
Thank you and wishing you a good night.
Warren.
It was so awkward and formal but also so utterly Warren that she grinned from ear to ear. Quickly, Dorothy penned her reply, and with a gown hastily drawn over her nightdress, she left her room and went to slide the paper under Warren’s door.
Then she waited.