The Contract Page 7

  “But…” Sara started to say. Again she sighed. “I guess I have no choice.”

  “Oh, there are always choices,” Juliet said, going back to her work. “Some just are not very appealing.”

  “That is the truth,” Sara said. Suddenly her thoughts were not on her mother, but Jason. As she slipped into the clothes Juliet had set out for her, Sara asked Juliet, “Does Jason run any kind of business or anything? I mean, obviously there is income from the estate his father left him, but I was wondering about an actual business… With employees… Here in the city.”

  Juliet knew what Sara was trying to discover. What type of job Jason might find for her. Juliet, with the rest of the staff, including, if not especially Mrs. MacDougal, was wondering that very thing.

  “Not really, Miss Sara. There are a couple of businesses here in the city that Mr. McKindrick had an interest, but those are all in the portion of the estate that Mrs. McKindrick inherited.”

  “Oh. No matter,” Sara replied. “He said he would come up with something. I will just have to wait and see what it is.”

  “Master Jason is very creative, Miss Sara. I am sure he will come up with something, just as you said.” Juliet intended to be diplomatic with her statement, but realized it did not reassure Sara in the least.

  “That is what I am worried about,” Sara muttered. She was ready to go downstairs and left Juliet with a final comment. “Thanks for everything, Juliet. If Mother does anything… Just… Thanks.”

  “Yes, Miss Sara.”

  Sara did not hear her. She was hurrying toward the stairs.

  Sara found Mrs. MacDougal and Duchess in the dining room.

  “Should I have Juliet take a tray up to your mother, Miss Sara, while you have breakfast down here?” Mrs. MacDougal immediately asked.

  “I probably should take something up myself. It is still early. I should even have time to walk…”

  “There is plenty of time, of course,” Mrs. MacDougal slipped in smoothly. “Candy can get you there in plenty of time. If you like, Duchess will prepare a tray for you to take up before you leave.”

  Sara had intended to take something up immediately. Hopefully her mother would be awake and Sara could talk to her. Sara thought about her mother’s usual reaction when wakened before she woke up on her own.

  “I think that would be fine, Mrs. MacDougal.” Hurriedly she added, “But Duchess does not have to do it. I can get something ready after I eat.”

  “Oh, that is quite all right, Miss Sara. I will have a nice selection ready before you finish. You just take your time, and enjoy your breakfast.”

  Sara decided it was simply easier to acquiesce. She was somewhat relieved to find her mother stirring when she took the tray up. Or, actually, when Juliet took the tray from her and accompanied Sara with it to the room.

  “Good morning, Mother,” Sara said. “Did you sleep okay?”

  “Good morning, Mrs. Lee,” Juliet added, as she went to open the curtains after setting down the tray.

  “Lord have mercy, girl! Close the damn blinds! That sun is blinding!”

  “Yes, Ma’am. I am quite sorry.”

  Sara cast Juliet a helpless glance.

  Juliet just winked at her.

  Sara turned back to her mother as Juliet left.

  “Mother, Jason’s cook made a nice breakfast. She sent up a little of everything. Duchess is a really good cook…” Sara knew she was rambling, but it was already obvious that her mother was not in a good mood.

  “You think one of the maids could stir up a Bloody Mary? That was a pretty well stocked bar downstairs.”

  Sara ignored the question and comment. “I have to leave for school in a few minutes. Do you want me to get you something before I leave? The study has plenty of books. Maybe something to read while you are waiting for Mr. LeGarza to…”

  “A book? I am not staying cooped up in here all day, Sara! Actually, I think I will get that Bloody Mary to get myself going, then go back down to talk to the manager at Maxie’s Showgirls. I know if I can get an audition, I can get on there. It’s a high class joint. With my talent, I should be able to make a killing.”

  “Mother,” Sara said, arranging the tray in reach of her mother, “Jason said he had some type of job for you. Me, too. I am sure that…”

  “I am not some rich kid’s maid for minimum wage! That might be fine for you. I am an entertainer! If I hadn’t got knocked up when I did, I am sure I would be starring on Broadway right now. Now you just go down and make sure that shaver has that limo ready.”

  “Shaver? Oh. Chauffeur.” Sara thought about the choices she had now. Juliet’s comment earlier about there usually being several. Just not very appealing ones, came back to her.

  Before she could decide her mother spoke again. “And did that kid leave you any more money? I’m going to need a few bucks for pocket money, even with the limo.”

  Sara quickly chose one of the several not very appealing choices. She hated the thought of owing Jason any more money than absolutely necessary, but this would be the least worst of the not very appealing choices.

  “Actually, Mother,” Sara hurriedly said, “You could take a cab downtown. You said you wanted to try that place on… Fifth Street, was it not?”

  Sara took out the money from her backpack and handed it to her mother.

  Mrs. Lee looked at it in her hand, then quickly counted it. Sara suddenly wished she had only given her mother half of it.

  “That is a good idea, Sara.” She looked at the food on the tray and turned up her nose. “Yes. I will go downtown for breakfast, then, you mark my words, I will have a job making ten times what these servants make. I may even hire one or two myself. Considering the level of talent I saw at Maxie’s, I should be their top draw in no time. Yes! You run along, girl. Leave your mom to take care of things.”

  Fighting back tears Sara left the room. She heard her mother call out. “Have one of the servants call a cab. I expect it to be waiting when I come down.”

  Sara could not bring herself to say anything to Juliet, who was coming down the hallway. It was obvious she had heard at least the last request. The door had been open the entire time Sara had been in her mother’s bedroom.

  Her eyes on the floor, Sara hurried downstairs.

  “Poor girl,” Juliet said softly. She turned and hurried after Sara. It would be better if she did not have to see Mrs. Lee at the moment. And Juliet knew it.

  Juliet took the telephone from Sara’s shaking hand. “I will call a cab for your mother,” she said gently.

  Candy and Mrs. MacDougal were just coming into the entry hall.

  “I am sorry,” Sara said, still unable to meet anyone’s gaze. She hurried toward the garage. Even taking the limo to school would be better than facing these people at this moment.

  “Her mother?” Mrs. MacDougal quickly asked Juliet.

  Candy hurried after Sara after seeing Juliet nod.

  With a smile on her face Candy chatted with Sara about what she expected to do at school that day, hoping to divert her from thoughts about her mother.

  It seemed to work. Sara was smiling, at least a little, when Candy dropped her off two blocks from the street crossing where she would meet Trinity.

  The class schedules rotated on a daily basis to accommodate the large student body Kennedy High served. Sara did not even see Jason during the school day.

  She did have three classes with Trinity on Thursdays, it seemed. And Trinity had not been exaggerating when she had told Sara that she was known for her wit. Not even the teachers could suppress smiles at some of her comments. Sara found herself smiling most of the time she was in Trinity’s presence.

  There was no trace of a smile when she went outside after the final bell. Trinity had to hurry away right after school to go shopping with her father, so Sara walked outside alone, her books clutched tightly to her chest.

  Jason seemed to be waiting for her. Softly he told her, “Candy will be at the intersectio
n where she drops you off. I will meet you there to go down to the courthouse to see Mr. LeGarza.”

  “You do not have to go,” Sara said. She could not believe how relieved she was when Jason shrugged and replied, “I have to meet Miss Richardson and Jack Lawrence there, anyway.”

  Sara nodded. She followed, slowly, as Jason rode ahead.

  Jason had the bike in the trunk of the limousine and was in the limousine when Candy opened the door for Sara to slide inside.

  Sara made no comment as Jason continued to work on a laptop computer while Candy drove toward the courthouse.

  Jason cut the occasional look at Sara on the way. She was mostly just staring out the side window.

  When Candy pulled to a stop at the courthouse Jason closed the laptop and unplugged the mobile power cord from the back. Sara was somewhat surprised when he carried the computer into the courthouse with him. But her mind was on other things and she gave it little real thought.

  By the time the meeting with her mother and Mr. LeGarza was over Sara was feeling numb. Neither she nor her mother had objected when Sally Richardson and Jason stayed in the meeting room with them. Sara had noticed peripherally that Jason had made sure Jack Lawrence was not included.

  “I will leave the two of you to discuss this, Mrs. Lee. Miss Lee. As I said, my associate in Indianapolis can handle everything. I do urge you to make a quick decision and head back there as soon as possible. It will make a good impression if you show up within three days. I can have papers drawn up, or Randy can do it when you get there.”

  LeGarza snapped the locks on his briefcase and left.

  “Jason,” Sally said, touching his arm. “We should give them some privacy. Mrs. Lee will want to make plans with Sara.”

  “They might need some advice,” Jason said.

  “Jason, you know I cannot do that. Mr. LeGarza explained it very well. It is actually very simple. Manuel got a very good deal for Mrs. Lee. The fine and community service. She pays the fine, then, if things go well in Indianapolis, Mrs. Lee can do that year in the county jail for the charges there, then come back here and do the community service. That will leave her free to carry on with things.”

  Sally cut a quick look at Sara. “I am sure they have relatives back there that can act as Sara’s guardian while Mrs. Lee is incarcerated. Just one year and everything will be over.”

  Jason listened, though he had absorbed everything as LeGarza had explained the situation to Sara and her mother. There was very little that could be done about the charges in Indiana, except for Mrs. Lee to face them, he knew. There would be no deals cut. She had left the state with the charges pending. There was a warrant for her arrest. Mr. LeGarza had indicated it had been very difficult for him to avoid Mrs. Lee getting pulled back in and extradited. Only the assurance that she would go back on her own, and the backlog of court cases, had allowed the deal to be arranged. That and another large bail promise.

  “Jason,” Sally said again.

  He took one long look at the expression on Mrs. Lee’s face then stood. “Do not worry about the money for bail, or for the trip,” he said, still watching Mrs. Lee. “I will have it for you before the evening is over. Your car should be out of the impound yard and repaired by tomorrow afternoon. I asked the mechanic to deliver it to the house.”

  Sally Richardson saw the look come into Mrs. Lee’s eyes and she cut a sharp look at Jason, then at Sara.

  Sara still seemed stunned. She was looking down at her hands clasped in her lap.

  But Jason, Sally knew, had seen the look in Mrs. Lee’s eyes. And knew what it meant.

  “I will be outside if you need something,” Jason told Sara.

  Sara nodded.

  “Jason,” Sally said as soon as they left the meeting room, “if you give any money at all to Sara’s mother she will bolt.”

  Sally was talking urgently, but keeping her voice low, leaning close to Jason and speaking into his ear.

  “I need you to do a couple more things for me, Miss Richardson,” Jason said in a normal tone of voice. “If you could see if there is another meeting room available…”

  Sally frowned.

  “I need to see Mr. Lawrence for a moment while you see about that meeting room.”

  Sally was shaking her head as she walked away to do so.

  “Well,” Jack said, walking up to Jason, “what is the verdict, so to speak?” He laughed.

  Jason controlled his temper, but just barely. He took several moments to calm himself down. He would not risk letting his anger interfere with what he now planned to do.

  When Jack turned around after they had walked down the hall to an open area, he was surprised at the small smile he saw on Jason’s face.

  “I thought that the girl’s mother was going back east to do time,” Jack said, feeling just a little unsure of the information he had wrangled earlier from a court clerk.

  Jason shrugged. “It may come to that,” he said casually. Jason knew that neither Manuel LeGarza nor Sally Richardson would give Lawrence the time of the day, much less information about the case. He could play a little with the truth.

  “Just in case Mrs. Lee has to be out of touch, even be incarcerated for a while until that other is straightened out, they have decided to have guardianship papers drawn up for Sara, so she can stay in school here.”

  “You cannot be her guardian. You are a minor yourself,” Jack protested.

  “Of course not! I have learned quite a bit about things like that from you, Mr. Lawrence. That is out of the question. There was a possibility that they might see if Mrs. MacDougal would do it.

  “I thought that might be construed as some type of conflict of interest, like you brought up the other day.”

  It grated a little to butter up Lawrence, but Jason knew it was effective, short term.

  “Well… Yes. Of course. You are learning quite a bit associating with me.” Jack preened a bit as another female clerk walked by.

  “And, as you have taught me, problems can crop up unexpectedly. If they do, I may need one of those favors we discussed. I thought, in return, you would agree to take over the management of the Powerhouse Development for me.”

  Lawrence’s eyebrows arched and he whistled. “The Powerhouse Development! I imagine I could be quite effective running that operation.”

  “Miss Richardson has the papers ready for the transfer of the Henderson Projects over to your administration. I plan on taking them to the Commodore tonight for his signature. I think Miss Richardson can have the other papers ready before I go.”

  Jack Lawrence refused to let the thought that Commodore Erickson thought that he, Jack Lawrence was a shyster, enter his mind. Jason could not in any way fool him, but Commodore Erickson was getting old. Jason might just get those papers signed.

  “I am sure we can come to some arrangement, Jason.”

  It was only as Jason was starting to walk away to meet Sally that Jack remembered that Jason had not told him what the favor was.

  “Jason! What was it that you wanted?”

  “Oh. That.” Jason waved his hand negligently. “I may need a complicated contract signed. I will let you know if it comes up. I will have the papers drawn up, just in case.”

  Jack Lawrence was literally rubbing his hands together in anticipation of getting them on the reins of two of the most potentially profitable projects he had ever been close to. The thought that Jason was playing him like a bull fiddle never entered his mind.

  “Okay, Jason,” Sally said when she closed the meeting room door behind them, “what was that all about?”

  “Greasing the skids.”

  “That man needs no extra grease,” Sally said. “He is slippery as they come as it is.”

  “That may be true, Miss Richardson, but I have a plan that is going to require something from him. I plan to get his cooperation in the best way that I can.”

  “I am not going to like this, am I?”

  “No more that the Henderson Project tran
sfer,” Jason replied, sitting down at the table in the room.

  “Now what?”

  “Do the same thing with the Powerhouse Development.”

  “Oh, Jason! You will be giving him…”

  Jason smiled. “I talked to Mayor Mendleson in anticipation of this coming up. The city cannot guarantee the approvals without an independent study being undertaken, completed, and reviewed. Three years minimum. Four is more likely.”

  Sally Richardson’s eyes grew wide. “How in the world did you influence Mendleson? I thought he was beyond…”

  “He is, Miss Richardson, he is. I have been keeping tabs on that property because it is adjacent to both the bay and to the park Grandfather deeded to the city. There has been a lot of resistance to the development. Before Father died, he was working on alternate plans. That was part of the reason he acquired the property. To protect it until a good plan could be found to develop it without so many negative impacts.”

  Sally shook her head. “And I thought that the Powerhouse Project was going to make all of us that are invested a bundle. I may have to look for alternate retirement plans.”

  Jason grinned. “I would not bother. Three days after my eighteenth birthday, which is also three days after the control reverts back to you, Andrew Buchannan retires. He signed an agreement with my Grandfather to donate the land he owns along the bay to the city when he retires, just like Grandfather did with the park on the north side.”

  “Surely that is a known fact,” Sally said, obviously not at all sure. “And what if Buchannan changes his mind?”

  Jason merely grinned again. “You know him and how he felt about my Grandfather.”

  Sally laughed. “He will retire and donate the land. There is no way on God’s Green Earth that he will let your Grandfather get one up on him. For two people that did not seem to get along, they sure did wind up doing an awful lot for this city, together.”

  “I agree. Now. on to things that you will find much less amusing.”

  “What now, Jason?”

  “I want you to draw up guardianship papers, power of attorney, medical releases… the whole package, for Miss Lee.”