it?” Alice asked.
Susanna shook her head. “I took Megan to the city on Saturday. I’d promised her we’d have a mother-daughter day of shopping and a play.”
“Sounds lovely.”
“It was. Then I spent most of Sunday holed up at home, going over the new budget proposal.”
“Not so lovely.”
“But back to Matilda. She’s opened for business already then?”
“Yes. She even put up a sign. A big one. It’s actually rather nice, and I felt hopeful at first. It’s called the Christmas Shoppe. I thought perhaps . . . well, that it might have Christmassy things, like decorations or gifts or . . . you know?”
“I know,” Susanna admitted. “I was hoping the same thing.”
“I peeked in the window Saturday afternoon, and it’s just all that old junk you saw in the boxes. Only now it’s spread out on the shelves as if it’s real merchandise, like things people would actually want to purchase. Only it’s just these weird and unrelated items.” Alice smiled sadly. “It’s really kind of pathetic.”
“Oh dear.”
“I like Matilda,” Alice continued. “I just don’t get it.”
“Join the club.”
“It’s like she’s setting herself up to fail. Even though she got a good deal on the building, she could’ve found a cheaper property over on First Avenue. She could’ve opened up a legitimate business there.”
“I know.” Susanna shook her head as she flipped through the mail. “I don’t get it either.”
Alice stepped fully into the office now, closing the door as if wanting privacy. “I don’t like to say this, Susanna, but it almost makes me wonder if she’s not trying to sabotage the city.”
“Sabotage the city?” Susanna stood up straight, looking curiously at her assistant.
“I know, it sounds paranoid. But I’ve heard stories of people who come to a city with a plan.”
“What kind of plan?”
“Like they’ll try to break a relatively small ordinance, like zoning or a business license. Then they’ll turn it around to make it seem like the city is persecuting them. All the while they’ve got some high-powered attorney waiting in the wings. Or worse yet, the ACLU. All they’re trying to do is get a settlement and—”
“Oh, I don’t think Matilda is really like that,” Susanna said quickly. But what she didn’t admit was that she’d had this exact same fear already.
“No, of course not.” Alice still looked uneasy. “Whatever the case, I told Ben Marshall that you could see him at 9:40. That gives you about fifteen minutes before your meeting with the mayor.”
“Thanks.” Susanna looked at her watch. “I think.”
“At least Ben will have to keep it short,” Alice pointed out.
“Right.” Susanna thanked her again, then used the few minutes she had before Ben’s appointment to check her email. To her delight, there was a message from Tommy. It seemed he’d already written his piece on her and had attached it for her approval. She was just finishing up the first-rate article when Alice announced that Ben Marshall was there to see her. As it turned out, Ben had brought friends.
“Come in,” Susanna told the small group with serious faces. She smiled as if this were a social visit. “What can I do for you?”
Ben cleared his throat, then presented her with what appeared to be a letter and a petition. “This is from the downtown merchants,” he began. In a formal tone, he proceeded to inform her of their indignation that the city would allow a secondhand store to open in the middle of town. “To make matters worse, it’s being run by an outsider. Someone who doesn’t understand Parrish Springs or our fine history. I think the city should bear some of the blame. Not only for allowing her to open a business like that, but for selling her such a valued property in the first place.”
Susanna listened, waiting for Ben to finally wrap things up. “I appreciate how you and the local merchants have put this into writing,” she told him.
Susanna shook her head. “I took Megan to the city on Saturday. I’d promised her we’d have a mother-daughter day of shopping and a play.”
“Sounds lovely.”
“It was. Then I spent most of Sunday holed up at home, going over the new budget proposal.”
“Not so lovely.”
“But back to Matilda. She’s opened for business already then?”
“Yes. She even put up a sign. A big one. It’s actually rather nice, and I felt hopeful at first. It’s called the Christmas Shoppe. I thought perhaps . . . well, that it might have Christmassy things, like decorations or gifts or . . . you know?”
“I know,” Susanna admitted. “I was hoping the same thing.”
“I peeked in the window Saturday afternoon, and it’s just all that old junk you saw in the boxes. Only now it’s spread out on the shelves as if it’s real merchandise, like things people would actually want to purchase. Only it’s just these weird and unrelated items.” Alice smiled sadly. “It’s really kind of pathetic.”
“Oh dear.”
“I like Matilda,” Alice continued. “I just don’t get it.”
“Join the club.”
“It’s like she’s setting herself up to fail. Even though she got a good deal on the building, she could’ve found a cheaper property over on First Avenue. She could’ve opened up a legitimate business there.”
“I know.” Susanna shook her head as she flipped through the mail. “I don’t get it either.”
Alice stepped fully into the office now, closing the door as if wanting privacy. “I don’t like to say this, Susanna, but it almost makes me wonder if she’s not trying to sabotage the city.”
“Sabotage the city?” Susanna stood up straight, looking curiously at her assistant.
“I know, it sounds paranoid. But I’ve heard stories of people who come to a city with a plan.”
“What kind of plan?”
“Like they’ll try to break a relatively small ordinance, like zoning or a business license. Then they’ll turn it around to make it seem like the city is persecuting them. All the while they’ve got some high-powered attorney waiting in the wings. Or worse yet, the ACLU. All they’re trying to do is get a settlement and—”
“Oh, I don’t think Matilda is really like that,” Susanna said quickly. But what she didn’t admit was that she’d had this exact same fear already.
“No, of course not.” Alice still looked uneasy. “Whatever the case, I told Ben Marshall that you could see him at 9:40. That gives you about fifteen minutes before your meeting with the mayor.”
“Thanks.” Susanna looked at her watch. “I think.”
“At least Ben will have to keep it short,” Alice pointed out.
“Right.” Susanna thanked her again, then used the few minutes she had before Ben’s appointment to check her email. To her delight, there was a message from Tommy. It seemed he’d already written his piece on her and had attached it for her approval. She was just finishing up the first-rate article when Alice announced that Ben Marshall was there to see her. As it turned out, Ben had brought friends.
“Come in,” Susanna told the small group with serious faces. She smiled as if this were a social visit. “What can I do for you?”
Ben cleared his throat, then presented her with what appeared to be a letter and a petition. “This is from the downtown merchants,” he began. In a formal tone, he proceeded to inform her of their indignation that the city would allow a secondhand store to open in the middle of town. “To make matters worse, it’s being run by an outsider. Someone who doesn’t understand Parrish Springs or our fine history. I think the city should bear some of the blame. Not only for allowing her to open a business like that, but for selling her such a valued property in the first place.”
Susanna listened, waiting for Ben to finally wrap things up. “I appreciate how you and the local merchants have put this into writing,” she told him.
Similar Books
