Almost Innocent, page 5
Observing Margaret as she settled everyone into their seats, Tanner contemplated the similarities between Margaret and Judith. Although Margaret didn’t have Judith’s flaming red hair, she was tall and imposing and controlled the room wherever she went. Perhaps Margaret thought of Judith as a rival? But why?
Although Tanner was terrible with ages, he thought Margaret and Judith might be around the same age. He knew Margaret had traveled the world, but she had grown up in Spring Falls. Maybe the two of them went to school together. It was details like that which would make him lose sleep over nothing. Things that probably weren’t important had to fit together in his head. To Tanner, life was a gigantic puzzle, and he had to solve it.
He couldn’t help himself. Watching each person enter the room, he noticed how they behaved. Were they sad Marshall was gone, or relieved? Or perhaps they were all even better than him at hiding their true feelings. Because he was secretly glad that Marshall had died. It solved a problem for him, or at least he hoped it did. Glancing over at Walt, he winced, hoping it didn’t show. When Walt looked back at him, something passed between them. Yes, Tanner thought. He is secretly glad too. But was it for the same reason?
Margaret stood and waited until they all gave her their full attention before speaking. After expressing her deep sorrow over Marshall’s passing and asking them all to bow their heads in silence for a moment, she got down to business.
“We will need to get another Town Council member. As acting mayor, I am not counted as a member, and we need five people.”
Everyone knew she also meant that she would be more than the acting mayor, but no one was going to mention that. Besides, Tanner knew that Margaret’s term would have been up anyway and they would need to replace her then.
Although it was never officially stated, the Town Council had a plan in place which had kept Margaret, Barbara, Colin, and Walt on the Council for years.
John Rayburn had been the fifth Council member until he retired last year and Tanner was elected to fill his seat. Tanner thought it was only a matter of time until more Council members retired. He was the youngest one there, starting a new generation of members chosen by Margaret.
Because the by-laws stated that Council members could serve three terms, each four years long, and then they would have to take two years off before they could run again, Marshall had devised a two-part work around.
First, during their two-year absence, they were hired as consultants. And second, they would choose someone and then help them get elected. However, that person would agree to only serve one term. That enabled them to return to the Council after their two-year hiatus was up.
Somehow they had set it up so they would only have to wait those two years, while another member took their two years off. It was a brilliant strategy. Tanner was that replacement this time.
However, they hadn’t counted on Marshall dying, catapulting Margaret into the position of mayor. Which meant he could stay on the Council—if he fit in. Tanner wasn’t sure if either of those factors was going to be true in three years. He’d wait and see.
Glancing around the room, Tanner thought perhaps no one was sad that Marshall had died. For sure, Margaret, although putting on a righteous act of being distressed about Marshall’s death, was happy about it.
To be fair, perhaps Margaret wasn’t happy that Marshall had died, but she was definitely happy about the opportunities that Marshall’s death brought her. She was acting as the mayor now. And Tanner was sure she couldn’t wait to get started on whatever agenda she had, one Tanner was sure she had been planning for years.
Twelve
Like Tanner, Barbara Green watched Margaret guide the Council through the decisions they needed to make and what they had to do. She was doing it effectively and with purpose, as she had for years.
But today, despite her professed sadness over Marshall’s death, there was a spark of happiness that flared up from time to time. Margaret quickly tamped it down, probably hoping no one noticed. But Barbara did.
Barbara had known and observed Margaret for too long to be fooled. She knew this was the moment Margaret had been waiting for since she had become part of the Town Council over thirty years before.
It was Marshall who had chosen Margaret and helped her get elected. From then on it was Margaret, with Marshall’s blessing, who decided who to put onto the Council. Slowly, but efficiently, the two of them weeded out the old Council members.
Margaret had convinced Barbara to come onto the Council next, and then Colin, John, and Walt. It didn’t take long before the five of them were the Town Council that everyone knew ran the town. And there was no one left that Marshall and Margaret hadn’t chosen.
Sometimes other Council members referred to the two of them as the M&M’s. But even though Margaret was the major factor in choosing who would be on the Council throughout the years, she didn’t run the Council. Marshall did. Only now that Marshall was dead did the Council become completely Margaret’s.
Barbara knew that most people didn’t realize how much power the Town Council had along with the Mayor. At least in Spring Falls. Marshall was the king. And now Margaret was the queen.
It might be time to leave, Barbara thought. It would be so much easier than speaking up and telling people what she knew. Sometimes she lay awake for hours at night wondering if she should do something. Until a few months ago, it had been easier to ignore what was happening. Then one of her crew shared what was happening to her family, and it became personal.
When it had begun so many years ago, they had approached her to take part in these things. She had said no. And they had agreed that as long as she turned a blind eye to what they were doing, she could remain on the Council. And since she had loved being on the Council, she had said yes. She enjoyed being at the center of everything that was happening, but not responsible for it.
Plus, over the years, because of the Council, she had never had to advertise her business. People knew her from the Council, and that notoriety and power, plus referrals, easily grew her business. She was successful without their schemes. But as the years went by, she found it harder and harder to ignore what they were doing.
Their schemes were like an invasive plant in the garden. Eventually, it takes over and chokes out all the beauty and goodness. She told herself that she should be proud of herself for at least having the strength to not participate. But she never had the strength or courage to stop it. Now she wondered if she was ready. There may not be a better time.
Barbara was fairly sure that Margaret and the rest of them knew she was getting close to blowing—as her son might say—and they would be happy to see her drop out of the Council so they could get someone who was more of a player than she was.
Looking across the table at Tanner, who always sat far away from the blow-hard Colin, she thought the Council believed Tanner to be apathetic enough to look the other way. But she wasn’t so sure about that. She was watching him. If he took a stand, she’d fire her current accountant and hire him. Perhaps then they could take on the mess together.
For now, though, all she wanted to do was go home and sit in the greenhouse she had built off her home. Within her greenhouse and with her precious orchids, she could pretend—until she almost believed it—that the world was a beautiful place.
Rocking in her chair, her cat twisting around her feet and strolling through the aisles as if she owned the world, Barbara would talk to her flowers. They knew all her secrets, including the ones that kept her up at night. But they’d never tell.
Yes, it was probably time to leave the Council. But first, she had to stay and help plan Marshall’s funeral and then assist them in quickly finding someone else to become part of the Town Council. However, listening to Margaret and her plans, she yearned to go home to her cat and her orchids. Perhaps if everyone just said yes to Margaret, then the meeting would be over.
As she pretended to listen, Barbara thought about how much she had come to hate being in these meetings. Did she really have to stay to plan Marshall’s funeral and elect someone else? Maybe she should retire now, stand up and declare her intention, and let them get two new members of the Council.
That way, she wouldn’t be anywhere near what was bound to happen with Marshall dead. Margaret might be able to handle it. Of course, Margaret thought she could, but Barbara wasn’t so sure. Although Margaret obviously didn’t believe it, it was pure bad luck for her that Marshall had fallen down the stairs and died. Who died falling down the stairs, anyway? It was an omen. Yes, it was time to get out before it was too late.
Catching Tanner’s eye, she smiled at him. Barbara knew that Margaret and Marshall selected Tanner as John Rayburn’s replacement last year because he seemed like a nice but somewhat insecure and naïve individual. But Barbara thought Tanner was a quick study, and he’d learn fast. She hoped he didn’t learn from all the people who bent the rules or made up new ones to suit them.
Perhaps she should take him under her wing and let him in on what she knew. But that put him in danger. Or her, if he told. She needed to find out what kind of man he was before she opened that door.
“So we are agreed?” Margaret was saying. Although Barbara did not know what they were agreeing to, she answered, “Aye.” What difference would it make now if it wasn’t something she wanted or believed in? It was what she had been doing for years anyway.
Yes, Barbara thought. I am going to announce my retirement. I’m too old and tired to continue with this.
As they stood, Barbara caught Margaret looking at her, and she hoped Margaret couldn’t read minds because she doubted Margaret would like what she was thinking.
And then, surprising even herself, she said, “I’m announcing my retirement. This is a good time.”
The gasp around the room told her no one had expected her to say that. Margaret glared, Colin smirked, and Walt looked away, but Tanner smiled as if he understood. Yes, Barbara thought, I need to talk to him. Before it’s too late.
Thirteen
Margaret watched Barbara walk out of the room, half wishing she had a brick she could hurl at her. How dare she do this now. Didn’t she have enough on her plate to deal with without having to come up with another Council member?
But then Margaret realized that meant she no longer had to deal with someone who got all the glory from being a Council member but refused to take part completely. Barbara’s usefulness had been an information source. Barbara’s landscaping business serviced almost everyone who was anyone in town. Her landscapers were invisible. People didn’t notice service workers, so they’d hear things, tell Barbara, and then Barbara would relay what she heard to the Council.
Of course Barbara thought that the fact that she did nothing with what she knew and just passed it on made her innocent. It didn’t. Perhaps I’ll have to remind her of that fact, Margaret thought.
Tanner had followed Barbara out of the room, but not before asking if there was anything he could do. That one could go far, Margaret thought. He is supportive of everyone, even though he’s quiet and doesn’t seem to want to stand out.
But not standing out was okay with Margaret. She was the one who was supposed to stand out. As long as Tanner continued to do as he was told, he would fit in well with her future plans for the Council.
As she watched Barbara and Tanner leave, Margaret decided it was going to all work out in her favor. There were a few people in town who kept demanding more in return for what they did for her. Making them part of the Town Council might be the perfect solution.
Margaret signaled for Colin and Walt to stay behind. Not for the same reasons. She needed to ask for Colin’s advice. But she wanted to talk to Walt because of a recent shift in his behavior. Something was bothering him, and that wasn’t a good thing. She thought a private lunch with Walt might shed light on what was unsettling him.
Colin was easily influenced, but that was primarily because Margaret understood precisely how to steer him in ways that kept him happy. His importance to their plans couldn’t be overstated. Unlike Barbara, whose worth lay mostly in her connections and knowledge, Colin also collected information, but he was not averse to rolling up his sleeves and immersing himself in the nitty-gritty of what needed to be done.
Margaret saw Colin as a reliable figure—someone she could trust to carry out tasks diligently. Of everyone on the Council, he was the most conscientious. Although he was often so high and mighty about it, she sometimes wanted to slap him.
“Two people?” Colin huffed.
“We already had someone in mind since I would be leaving anyway, but yes, we need someone else. Perhaps this isn’t a bad thing. Let’s look for someone who will be useful to our plans.”
“Do you have any ideas?” Walt asked, thinking that he wished he had stood up and retired like Barbara just did. It might have been accepted. After all, Barbara was only a few years older than him. They were at an age where people expected them to retire. He could go home and put all this behind him. Just concentrate on his bookstore. Have time to read more books. Escape from the nastiness of life.
But now it was too late. He didn’t think quickly enough. It was the story of his life. Always a beat behind. He was stuck in something he should have gotten out of a long time ago. But he had thought it was his duty to stay. To be loyal. However, recently, he had been asking himself to what was he loyal? And why?
Now that Marshall was dead, it could mean a new life for him. Perhaps now he could be loyal to something more than Marshall and Margaret’s plan. A plan everyone on the Council had agreed with.
But how was he going to start a new life while still a member of the Council? Tanner might be able to help, but would he be willing to take the risk?
What Walt really wanted to do was walk away from it all. It was tempting. Just leave everything behind. Walk away. But he knew that wasn’t possible. And although he deeply grieved for his wife, who had passed away years before, he was also glad that she hadn’t lived long enough to see the hole he had dug for himself and could probably never get out of.
She had warned him. Told him that every decision he made would affect his future self—their future. But each decision to say yes to a scheme, or turn away and pretend to not see what was happening, seemed so innocent at the time. Who did it hurt? But even then, he knew he was lying to himself. And now it was too late. Not for the first time, Walt was glad he didn’t have children. He wouldn’t have been a good role model for them.
Margaret smiled at the two men in front of her. She understood them both. They knew who was in charge, and they both had agreed to the plan long ago. Although she sensed Walt’s recent reluctance, it was something she could handle. If necessary, she would remind him of what he had done with the rest of them. She didn’t think it would be necessary.
“I have a few people in mind,” Margaret answered. “I’ll need your help in approaching them, and then bringing them on board. We’ll have to act fast. There are people in town who might see this as an opportunity to make changes on the board or even run for mayor. You both know we can’t have that.”
Margaret didn’t need to say who those people were who might run for the Council or mayor. They all knew that one of them was Judith Zoe. And they all knew that was a problem. Judith was well known and loved in Spring Falls. If Judith decided things needed to change, she wouldn’t hesitate to fight for that change and there were many people who would back her.
Everything they had put together through the years might unravel. Margaret would rather die than have that happen.
What Margaret didn’t know was how quickly they would need to act. She didn’t know that Tanner had already started the process to involve Judith. A process that would lead Judith to discover what they had done. And even though Margaret thought she knew the men standing in front of her, she hadn’t counted on Walt’s guilty conscious working overtime and Colin’s ambition.
If she had, she might have tried to stop them both that day. Instead, she made an appointment for lunch with Walt, and sent Colin to talk to her choice of people about joining the Council. Knowing them, it would make their day.
As for Margaret, her days were about to get worse.
Fourteen
Judith wasn’t actually sure where she was going when she walked out the door of her office. She only knew she couldn’t sit around waiting to find answers, she needed to go get them now. But from where? Booker wasn’t talking, or at least he wasn’t talking to the Ruby Sisters. Maybe she could get him to talk to her.
But first, she walked, because sometimes answers appeared out of nowhere when she walked. Maybe it would work this time. As always, when she was trying to figure something out, she talked to herself and her red hair would seem to flare. Of course, that wasn’t possible. But that’s what it always looked like to people who saw her striding down the street.
And today, everyone saw her. Because as the news spread of their beloved mayor’s death, people had stopped what they were doing and stared out their windows. If it wasn’t so cold and windy, the streets would have been filled with people milling around trying to understand how this could have happened.
Instead, they all breathed a small sigh of relief as they watched Judith. No one liked to be on the end of Judith’s relentless drive to get to the bottom of things, but they all respected and trusted her. They knew Judith would find out how Marshall had died. And if there was something suspicious about it, she would find out the truth.
As she walked, Judith thought about her uneasiness over the past few months. She had often talked about it to Bruce, trying to make sense of it. There was something happening, and to Judith, it felt as if it was dangerous to Spring Falls. However, the whole idea of it had seemed so ludicrous, she kept telling herself she was imagining it. Worrying over nothing.
