Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
When they all arrive at Terra Marique they’re stopped by two Cranberry Harbor police officers, one of whom of course, Alexis and Lizzie both know. Ian and Tyler are right behind them, having followed in Tyler’s car.
“Hey Tom,” Lizzie says, smiling at him. She knows he’s only doing his job, and she can tell from the look on his face that he’s not too happy about that job right now.
“Hey, I’m sorry, Lizzie, but I can’t let you two in. Jack is collecting his things from the trailer, but after that the place is closed,” he says. “I’m really sorry. This stinks.”
“Tom, you can’t even let us in for a few minutes to help Jack pack up?” Alexis asks, leaning out the window to talk to him.
Meanwhile, Lizze can see from her rearview mirror that Tyler and Ian have gotten out of his car, and Tyler has started filming.
“Excuse me, uh, you can’t be doing that,” the other officer, who Lizzie can’t see well enough to identify, says. “You will have to leave sir, and please don’t keep filming.”
“There is nothing that says I can’t film what is still apparently considered public land,” they can hear Ian firmly say. “We have every right to document what is happening with shutting down this project, which by the way, is a nonprofit project that the town of Cranberry Harbor has a vested interest in. I am on the street, not on private property, and have every right to be filming from here.”
“Oh boy, this is getting a little heated,” Lizzie says, getting out of the car. “Hey guys,” she looks at Tom. “They’re friends of ours who are making a documentary about the building of the project. They’re with us. They’re cool.”
“Well, they can’t come on the property, Lizzie. No one can, so all of you just stay right here and wait for Jack, or go home,” Tom says, sounding more like a police officer than friend at the moment.
Lizze takes a deep breath and wonders if this is how it’s going to end, and is suddenly worried that this lawsuit is going to divide the town. Everyone had been so supportive and excited about it, but now these two naysayers were trying to ruin everything. She walks over to Ian and Tyler, Alexis is right with her.
“I’m going to find out what our rights are,” Ian says, getting agitated. “I don’t think they can keep us from filming, we need to show how far people will go to stop progress. I mean, this is just one project in one small town, and it seems like it’s only happening because there are personal axes to grind. It just makes me think about what is happening on a global scale to stop progress on bigger green projects while the clock is ticking to save the planet.”
Lizzie looks over at Alexis, who is clearly quite smitten, from the look on her face. So not the point, Lizzie reminds herself. She then hears Jack calling out to them.
“Why don’t we all get out of here? It’s starting to drizzle and there’s no point in all of us standing out here and getting wet,” he says. Lizzie can see how distraught he is. “I have to go home and have a Zoom meeting with our lawyers in California who are scrambling to get a team in Boston together to go to court.”
He gives Lizzie a quick kiss and then turns to walk to his car. A familiar angst is catching in her throat. This feels like when his startup crashed, and it’s scaring her.
“I’ll call you later,” she says as he walks up the hill. He doesn’t turn around, he just keeps walking.
“I’ll take you back to your car,” she says to Alexis. Ian and Tyler wave to them, sensing this may not be the time to talk, and take off.
“Lizzie, don’t freak out, he’s got a lot on his mind. This isn’t like last time, it isn’t,” Alexis says, putting her hand on Lizzie’s shoulder as they drive away.
Trying not to cry, Lizzie nods. She hopes Alexis is right. She looks over at her and smiles. “Boy, you know me well, my friend.”
“I know that look in your eyes, you are cool on the outside and freaking out on the inside,” she says. “He’s got a lot on his plate that he’s trying to manage. The good thing is, this isn’t like last time, he has people, people with means, right there with him. They’re going to have the best lawyers and he’s not going to be alone in fighting this, he has an amazing team.”
“I know, it’s just hard to not compare what happened before with what’s happening now–”
Alexis turns in her seat to face her. “I’ve been working closely for months with Jack on this and I can tell you two things you really need to hear right now.” She pauses, “One, he is madly, crazily and completely in love with you. He talks about you all the time, every story he tells features you, whenever he talks about you he beams, if I didn’t love you both so much I would find it utterly sickening,” she jokes. “And second? The people he has behind him on this are not only wealthy, but they are ethical, committed, and in this for all the right reasons. They aren’t phonies who are trying to look good on paper, or want a loss on the books that they can use, nor are they poseurs who don’t really care about the environment. They are the real deal. Believe me, I can suss out players from a mile away. They are all in. Billy, Bud and whatever self-serving, vindictive people they have gotten to help them, have no idea what they’re up against.”
“You really think so?” Lizzie wants so much to believe that this isn’t going to fail, that Jack isn’t once again going to end up in California, but she’s scared. They pull up to the parking lot by Tall Tales and Lizzie puts her car in park.
“I talk with many people on the team every single day, Lizzie,” Alexis says. “They are so excited about this, and always want to make sure that we have everything we need. It’s true money isn’t an issue for them, but it’s more than that. This project, and frankly, the future of the planet means everything to them. One investor got all choked up the other day talking about his kids and how important it is to him to be able to tell them that he did everything he could to help save the planet.”
“Wow, I had no idea you had gotten to know these people. I’ve done a few quick interviews, but you really know them, that makes me feel a lot better,” Lizzie says, feeling so relieved. Her shoulders lower, and she takes a deep breath.
“Jack is one of those people who can kind of turn inward when he’s upset, I’ve learned that working with him and I’m sure I’m not telling you anything you don’t know,” Alexis says. “It can’t be easy for you I’m sure, but this isn’t about you. He definitely knows you’re there for him, it’s just how he deals with stressful situations. It's not you, it’s him,” she says smiling, knowing Lizzie will appreciate the cliche romcom movie line.
“Very funny,” she laughs.
“Well, my work here is done, I got you to laugh. I was not going to get out of this car until I’d been able to make you laugh, even if it’s just a little.” Alexis undoes her seatbelt. “I’m pretty wired between this and,” she smiles a little, “seeing Ian again, so if you want to talk more just give me a call, okay?” She leans over and gives Lizzie a hug.
“Thank you, thank you for that, and for calming me down, I really appreciate it. I need to go home and tell my parents what’s going on, I don’t know if they’ve heard about all this yet. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”
“I love you too, it’s all going to work out, I know it is,” Alexis says as she gets out. “Get some sleep.” When she turns to get out of the car she ses Ian and Tyler have pulled up next to them, and Ian is getting out of the car, crutches and all. “Huh, I did not expect this,” she says.
“You want me to stay?” Lizzie asks.
Alexis, a little confused, quickly answers, “No, it’s okay, you go. We’ll talk tomorrow.” And with that she gets out and starts talking to Ian.
Lizzie sees she’s comfortable, and laughing, so feels okay heading home.
Lizzie shouldn’t have wondered if her parents had heard the news. She reminds herself that she should know that in a town the size of Cranberry Harbor something as big as the two town curmudgeons filing a lawsuit against a huge project, and another local, would not already be everywhere.
As soon as they hear her car pull into the driveway they are both at the door, on the front porch, ready with hugs, questions and cocoa.
As soon as she steps in they both envelope her in a big group hug. She does not resist in the slightest. It’s good to feel safe and sound. She doesn’t care that she’s a grown woman, right now being hugged by her Mom and Dad feels really good.
“Oh honey, I couldn’t believe it when we heard,” Gabby says, arm still around her as they walk to the kitchen.
“I’m curious, how did you hear?” Lizzie asks, taking off her coat, pulling out a stool at the counter and sitting down. “Stan? Jack’s parents?”
“It came up on X, believe it or not,” Peter said, pulling his phone out from his pocket.
“Since when are you on X Dad?” Lizzie asks, wrinkling her brow. “I can barely get you to post on Instagram for the paper.” She takes her dad’s phone and looks at the post, Cape Cod eco project sinks. Gobel and Green file suit to halt work. She hands her dad back his phone. “Jeez, it’s been retweeted close to 800 times. That’s not good.”
Gabby puts some cocoa in front of her, “Here, take a sip of this,” she says. “How’s Jack?”
“Terrible, awful, worried, angry…” Lizzie says, shaking her head, feeling worried all over again..
“That sounds about right, I have half a mind to go see those two idiots and let them have it,” Peter says, pacing the floor. “But the thing is, they’re just pawns in this evil corporate game Gobel and Green are playing. They found two gullible men who they could bamboozle into going along with them, to give the lawsuit some local cred, and well, here we are.”
“You think this is just payback for the town not allowing them to clear cut the property and build 8000 square foot second homes?” Lizzie asks, feeling her anger rising.
“Yes I do,” Peter says. “I’ll never forget the last thing I heard them say at town meeting, they said, ‘You haven't seen the last of us, we’ll be back and we will get what we want.’”
“God, that sounds like something out of a bad gangster movie,” Gabby says, putting some cookies out on the counter. Lizzie immediately takes two. “It must have been hard not to laugh.”
“I did, and look where we are now,” he says. “Why do the bad actors never seem to get caught or end up paying for their malfeasance? It’s always the good guys, like Jack, that end up being hurt and paying the price.”
“Jack isn’t exactly the little guy, Dad, remember he’s got a lot of very wealthy people behind him too, but they are at least rich people on the correct side of history and the planet,” Lizzie says.
“Had Jack talked to the project’s lawyers yet when you saw him?” Peter asks, finally sitting down after pacing back and forth in the kitchen. “I imagine all the folks he’s dealing with have really good people on their side.”
“He was going to be talking with them over Zoom, but he was also trying to get out of there with all his stuff because the police were there to keep everybody out.” Lizzie finishes her cocoa and takes another cookie. “These are good, Mom, you did something different, these aren’t your usual oatmeal cookies.” It felt good to talk about something else for a minute.
Gabby shrugs, “Nothing too radical, I added some nutmeg, and cardamon, they’re basically the same as always. It doesn’t take much to change things up, you know? It’s sometimes all in the small details. And thank you!”
Lizzie starts to think about what her mom has just said, it doesn’t take much to change things, it’s the little things that can make a difference. Maybe there was something from the previous lawsuit with Green and Gobel that could be the key to getting them to back off. She wasn’t living on the Cape when the lawsuit with the town was happening, and hadn’t really kept up, but maybe, just maybe there was something in the archives that could lead them to a solution. As she is pondering some sleuthing, her phone rings, it’s Jack.
“Hey, where are you? Mom and Dad and I were just talking about you, are you okay?”
“Not really,” he’s being so hesitant, Lizzie is suddenly very scared.
“What happened, where are you?” Lizzie asks, standing up. Her parents are alarmed as well.
“As I was about to leave Billy showed up,” he says.
“Uh oh, I don’t like the sound of that,” Lizzie says. “And?”
“He was right on the edge of the property and he started laughing and yelling out to me things like, ‘Hey do-gooder, see you in court you treehugger!’ The police were talking to him and trying to get him to leave, but he kept yelling.”
“He’s a jerk, don’t pay any attention to him, we’re going to fight this, and we will win,” Lizzie says.
“He crossed a line, Lizzie, he started yelling about how we were going to be bringing the ‘wrong kind of people’ to Cranberry Harbor, and we all know what that’s code for, and I lost it. I ran over and I knocked him down, and hit him.”
Lizzie gasps, “Oh no, Jack, you didn’t–”
“Believe me I know, which is why I’m calling you from the police station,” he says.
“You were arrested?” She says, and both her parents stop what they’re doing and stare at her, wide-eyed.
“Yes, and I need you to come bail me out.” They’re both silent for a moment. “I know it was stupid and I know I shouldn't have let him get to me, but he’s so ignorant, and has no idea of all the good Terra Marique could do for this damn town. I wish I’d never come back here.”
Lizzie doesn’t know how to respond, she’s absolutely crushed. “Um, I’m not sure I know what to say. If you want to go back to California, then maybe you should.”
“Oh Lizzie, that’s not what I meant, it’s not you and me, it’s me and this town, that’s what seems to be the problem, every time I try to do something good here it blows up in my face. I’m not thinking straight. I’m so sorry. I love you more than anything, you have to know that.”
Lizzie is at a loss for words and hurt. “This isn’t the time to get into anything. I’ll get the money and be down soon, how much is it?” The chill in her voice is palpable to everyone.
“It’s $300. Lizzie, I didn’t mean--”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she hangs up the phone.
“Honey, why don’t we go with you, you’re so upset,” Gabby says.
“Thanks, Mom, I’m okay,” she looks around for her purse and jacket. “What is that famous quote from Maya Angelou, ‘when people show you who they are, believe them?’” She quietly puts her coat on and grabs her keys.
“Lizzie, don’t let this cloud what you two have been building together over the last year,” Peter says. “Everyone has bad days, and everyone says things they don’t mean when they’re scared and angry. I know I have. Just don’t add fuel to the fire tonight. Let things calm down, and see how it all shakes out.”
Lizzie just shrugs her shoulders, feeling a bit numb. “I won’t be long, I’ll just get him and take him to his car and come home.”
“You’re sure you don’t want some company?” Gabby asks again, wishing her daughter would let her support her.
She shakes her head, I’m good,” I’ll be back in a little bit. Don’t feel like you have to wait up, I’m fine. I always bounce back eventually.”