Chapter 46 Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn
Ahand gently pulls my thumbnail from between my teeth as I sit silently watching the lawyer unpack her briefcase, laying out stacks of pages colorfully tabbed along edges onto the coffee table.
“You’re going to gnaw off your finger if you keep it up,” Piper whispers to me.
I sigh in exasperation. “Sorry, I’m nervous.”
“Really?” My best friend laughs. “We couldn’t tell.” She points down at my leg that is bouncing up and down.
“What if she didn’t find anything?” I whisper.
“I think those tabs might mean she did,” Mitch says from the other side of me.
We had developed a friendship through this ordeal.
He spent most days this week interviewing the townspeople and then the rest of the time he was writing in the cafe.
I was going to miss his company when he finished his story for the paper and left.
Though I have already made him promise he would come back to visit.
“You would be correct, Mr. Shepherd,” the lawyer responded.
Ramona Reilly was an intimidating woman with sharp cheekbones and a sleek black bob that framed her angular face perfectly. Her dark pantsuit was both professional and stylish, but my favorite part of her outfit had to be the red bottom stilettos.
She came highly recommended by Mitch who had worked with her on previous corporate cases he covered for the paper. And lucky for us, she was more than willing to take a look at the Triton Resorts contracts pro bono after hearing our story.
She said it was because she came from a small town herself and knew how much they meant. Mitch says it’s because she loves to take down undeserving rich men. Either way, I’ll be forever grateful she was willing to fly in on such short notice.
“First, I want to make sure you’re okay with everyone in this room discussing this topic.”
I look over to Mitch and to my best friend, before assuring her it was okay. I still didn’t fully agree with the town appointing me as the right person to lead the investigation and fight, but they did so I was going to give them my all.
We all lean forward to look at the pages she turns in our direction.
“This was probably the sloppiest contract I have ever read. Whoever this Antonio guy is needs his license revoked, and then your lovely mayor needs to be fired for being stupid enough to agree to it.”
“From your lips to God’s ears,” Piper mutters.
“They are getting a good deal, but the idiots took the bare minimum. They could have cleaned house with Triton and ran away with the money, but they were too sloppy. The greed reeks off the page, but that’s how powerful men usually fall.
Whoever this Logan Spencer guy is that stepped in was the only one really thinking with a bigger picture for the town, while the rest of them didn’t see further than their own wallets. They were giving Triton everything.”
My mind briefly wanders to Logan on the stage last night.
He looked so natural up on the stage, speaking from what I believe to be his heart.
I had to work hard not to let myself melt for him in front of everyone last night as I approached him.
A few well spoken words didn’t automatically fix the betrayal I felt from him.
It was nice to hear from Ramona, though, that he did help at least a little bit like he told all of us. At least he wasn’t a complete liar.
She flips another page in our direction, laying them side by side to point out the places she marked with tabs. “Triton on the other hand is almost too good. They picked up on their flaws and the cracks in the foundation, using it to cover their own asses.”
“That doesn’t sound like it bodes well for us.” I slide my teeth over my lower lip, nibbling in anticipation of what Ramona is about to tell us.
“Actually,” she says while placing a new page on top for us to look at.
“I found a clause buried deep that I have a feeling Mr. Spencer and Mr. Antonio didn’t even pick up on or could very well be the reason he was so opposed to having this reviewed.
Article 3, paragraph 14, subsection c.” She points her pen toward the end of the page.
“They made sure to point out that they would break ground on the resort and officially start the process of turning Willow Grove into whatever their vision is for theming during Mr. Spencer’s term as mayor. ”
I look up with a furrowed brow, but Piper beats me to my question.
“So we need to have him removed? How do we even do that?”
Ramona smiles at my friend. “Not exactly, though that’s not a bad idea. We can discuss that later.” She underlines a few lines on the page for us to read.
“I don’t want to sound like a small town girl,” I admit sheepishly, “but I’m going to need this in layman’s terms.”
“Triton placed a clause stating if Mr. Spencer causes any trouble, say he comes out with a scandal, is found to be doing dirty dealings while still in office, whatever. Then they have the right to remove themselves from the contract. If he does anything to bring himself into the mud, subsequently dragging their names alongside, they will pull out.”
“We need to start a horrible rumor about Richard Spencer?” Piper asks. “Done, what do we need? How scandalous can we make this?”
Ramona holds her hand up to stop Piper. “I’m going to pretend I did not hear you say that.”
Mitch scratches at his beard. “I’ve been digging for awhile now for any dirt on the man, but no one has anything concrete. Nothing that would cause that much damage for them to pull out, at least.”
“This is your ticket. Otherwise, there’s not much we can do in the short amount of time. They plan on breaking ground in a few weeks.”
Though I don’t want it to grow too much, a flicker of hope sparks in my chest as I think of how we can get information on Mr. Spencer.
Turning toward Mitch, I slap on the best pleading look I can muster.
“What, kid?” he asks.
“You mentioned you have a contact. That’s how you found out about this in the first place. Do you think they would have anything or at least can lead us to someone that does?”
He sighs. “I don’t know if they are willing to talk. When they reached out to me they told me I was under strict orders to never contact them again. That was the only way they would give me the scoop in the first place.”
“Mitch,” Piper leans around me. “Please, we are begging. This could be the ticket to end this nightmare.”
Ramona even joins in the pushing. “Mitchell, the girls are right. This is the only way. I’ll help you navigate anything legally if I need to, but this is your best shot.”
Mitchell squeezes his eyes shut as he drops his head and sighs. I know he’s giving in before he says anything as he lifts his head back up to us.
“Let me contact them to see if they are willing to talk. But I don’t make any promises, so don’t get too hopeful.” He stands from his seat, fishing his cellphone out of his pants pocket and stepping out into the hallway.
Despite his words, the hope flowed through me. Because it was the first time in days that I felt like we had a real chance.
Ramona discusses a few more points in the contract with us, just in case we might need to fight a bigger fight down the road. When Mitch walks back inside the office, however, I know we won’t need it.
“They have agreed to give any information they have to help you.”
“But…” I urge as I can feel it hanging in the air between us.
“They want to meet with you personally first.”
I jump to my feet in excitement. “Yes, absolutely, anything!”
Mitch chuckles. “I thought you would say that, so I already agreed to dinner for you tonight. I’ll text you the address. They requested to meet in the next town over. And it can only be you.”
“Wait. You’re okay with her meeting some random person in another town alone?” Piper gasps in shock. “No, I won’t allow it.”
“Piper, I promise I wouldn’t agree to the terms if I thought Gwen was in any danger.”
I raise my eyebrows at him. “And you’re sure I’ll be okay?”
“You’ll understand when you meet them.”
***
The restaurant I was told to be at is actually an intimate Italian bistro.
The room is mostly lit by only the candles on the checkered cloth covered tables and string lights along the wall.
I would probably laugh at how cliche it felt to be in such a secluded meet up spot as if this were a spy movie if I weren’t so nervous.
The entire drive here, I wrestled with the thoughts of how stupid this was. Did I trust that Mitch wouldn’t put me in danger? Sure. But it was wired in my DNA to think ‘stranger danger’. Especially as a woman.
With my leg shaking under the table and my hand tapping on the tablecloth in an erratic rhythm, I gave myself a pep talk.
I can do this. I’m a strong, independent woman. And my friends and family needed me.
When the waiter stops by to ask if I wanted to order a beverage, he flinched when I enthusiastically shouted yes, requesting a glass of red to offset some of the jittery feeling overtaking my body.
He must have also felt the vibes going haywire as he wasted no time returning with a heavy pour and a worried expression.
“Thank you,” I say to his back as he makes a hasty retreat to the kitchen.
I’m one healthy sip in when I feel a presence approach the table and a voice I was not expecting chuckles.
“I’ve always said you were a girl after my own heart, Gwen.”
The way my eyes pop out of my face is almost painful as I take in Margot Spencer placing her jacket on the back of the chair before sitting down. I still haven’t recovered as she waves the waiter back over, asking for her own glass to match mine.
Again, he hurries to retrieve her a glass and I’m grateful she doesn’t say anything until he walks away again. Giving me a moment to compose myself.