Daisy Lane (20 page)

“Stuart has been as gracious as can be,” Kay said. “Almost too gracious, if you know what I mean. He doesn’t take me seriously yet, but he will. Ed’s taken a poll that’s going to surprise some people when the Sentinel comes out on Sunday.”

“I heard,” Scott said. “You know I can’t overtly campaign for you, but everyone knows I support you and Maggie can certainly help.”

“You know, Scott, I have no doubt I can win this race,” Kay said. “And deep down I think Stuart knows it too. My only concern is what will happen when Peg realizes it.”

“She’s not exactly America’s Sweetheart,” Scott said. “And there is so much at stake.”

“That’s just it,” Kay said. “Rose Hill is at a dangerous juncture right now. We could easily be seduced into overdevelopment and become a town full of non-resident home-owners. There has to be a balance between protecting our longtime residents and making the most of our resources.”

“If anyone can do that, it’s you,” Scott said. “Everyone knows you’ve been running the town while Stuart and Peg wheel and deal for their own benefit. They just need to know you have the residents’ best interests at heart.”

“You can’t please everyone,” Kay said. “Unfortunately, there’s no sweet spot between preventing any progress and allowing a complete transformation. All I can do is to remind everyone what happened on Lotus Avenue.”

This piqued Grace’s interest.

“What happened on Lotus Avenue?” she asked.

“When the flood washed away most of the homes on Lotus Avenue, the mayor pulled some strings with the insurance companies so the city could purchase the properties from the residents at a very low cost. He then invited developers to bid on the condemned properties and went with the highest bidder.”

“With kickbacks to Stuart, no doubt,” Scott said.

“Most likely,” Kay said.

“What are kickbacks?” Grace asked.

“Stuart may have rigged it so one particular company won the bid, and in return he may have received a secret payment or a favor done in return,” Scott said.

“It’s illegal,” Kay said. “Not that something like the law’s ever stopped Stuart and Peg.”

“So what’s wrong with the condos?” Grace asked.

“The developer didn’t take into account our ancient sewage system or the demands on the local electrical plant. The previous homes were heated by coal or gas and had one bathroom a piece. In these condos there are two and a half bathrooms plus a hot tub in every unit, and electric central heat and air; consequently, there have been nothing but problems. Plus most of the people who lived on Lotus Avenue had to leave town; with the pittance they got from the city they couldn’t afford to repurchase here.”

“The condos have turned into student housing and vacation rentals,” Scott said. “I could keep a squad car parked down there 24-7 and still not be able to deal with all the trouble we have.”

“It used to be the college students were confined to campus housing and the apartment buildings downtown,” Kay said. “Now outsiders are buying up houses all over town and turning them into multiple rental residences, all because Stuart’s allowed the zoning laws to be broken. Rose Hill is no longer the quiet, peaceful community we grew up in.”

“We can still turn it around,” Scott said. “It’s not too late.”

Kay sighed and shook her head.

“It will never go back to being what it was ten years ago,” she said. “But we can keep it from becoming worse.”

“The Baltimore and Detroit drug trades have now moved into this area,” Scott said. “The feds have set up a permanent surveillance detail at the bus station in Pendleton. We are an unclaimed territory since Mrs. Wells died.”

Grace didn’t know who Mrs. Wells was but she didn’t want to keep piping up with constant questions, so she stayed quiet.

“I can get you an extra deputy if we pass the new business tax,” Kay said.

“Will previously existing business owners be exempt?”

“That’s my plan,” she said. “If we could have stopped Stuart and Peg giving new business owners tax breaks in return for kickbacks, we could have already had several new officers.”

“Any chance we can make that tax retroactive?”

“That would kick up a mighty stink,” Kay said. “I’d like to make this transition as peaceful as I possibly can.”

“So they’ll just get away with it all, again.”

“Politics is about compromise,” Kay said, “whether we like it or not.”

“I know,” Scott said. “I hate it but I can’t deny it.”

“Meanwhile, we’re boring Miss Grace to tears,” Kay said.

“I’m not bored,” Grace said. “I like hearing the truth.”

Kay laughed out loud.

“Then we’re going to get along just fine,” she said.

“Kay will never sugar coat anything for you,” Scott said.

“Life is tough and we have to watch out for each other,” Kay said. “We’re all in this together.”

After Scott left, Kay showed Grace to a small, snug bedroom at the back of the house. It had a tiny half bath attached to it. The white iron bed was made up with a blue and white pinwheel quilt and a fluffy comforter folded at the end. The pillow slips and sheets were white cotton with pink and yellow embroidered flowers on the edges.

“You make yourself at home,” Kay said. “Let me know if there’s anything you need. I’m going to fill out your paperwork and then see about getting your homework delivered.”

Grace felt like a dusty piece of coal in this spotless dollhouse of a bedroom. She lowered her backpack full of belongings onto the floor and slipped her shoes off. In the bathroom she ran warm water over her hands and arms until it was too hot to bear. It felt wonderful and she longed to immerse herself in it. As if reading her mind, Kay knocked at the entrance to the bedroom and said, “The tub’s down the hall here on the right; why don’t you take a long hot bath? I bet it will help you sleep.”

Kay set a white terry cloth robe and a thick terry towel on the bed and then left the room.

Down the hall Grace filled the tub with steaming water until it began running out the overflow drain. She lay back and immersed her head, luxuriating in the feeling of hot water surrounding her. It was heavenly.

‘People don’t know,’ she thought. ‘They just don’t know how good they’ve got it.’

Kay had some pretty-smelling coconut and vanilla bath gel, shampoo, and conditioner. Grace used generous amount of each, and then had to take a short shower just to get it all rinsed off.

As she combed out her long tangled hair, she looked around the small bathroom. Kay’s whole house was decorated to reflect her cheerful, playful attitude. Here there were watercolors of the elephant couple Babar and Celeste, and there were silly mermaid light sconces on either side of the medicine cabinet. Grace cleaned up behind herself and hung the towel over the towel bar before she went back to her bedroom. In the hall she could hear someone talking to Kay in the kitchen. She paused. It was a man’s voice.

Grace tiptoed up to the end of the hallway, and hoped a squeaky floorboard wouldn’t give away her presence.

“Let’s be honest,” Stuart Machalvie said. “They want to back a winning horse and they’ve got deep pockets. It’s in everyone’s best interests to bring this off without any scandal or uncomfortable questions. There’s bound to be some mud slinging, people expect that sort of thing; I just think it would be wise of us to realize we are all on the same side, ultimately, and make arrangements for who will be mayor ahead of the election.”

“And Peg would withdraw? Just like that? How would she save face?”

“Peg’s thinking of expanding the family business,” he said. “She will say she has too much respect for Rose Hill to shortchange it due to familial obligations.”

“How can she expand? Where to?”

“We’re going to relocate the whole operation,” Stuart said. “Everything’s in the very preliminary stages right now but we have plans to purchase several acres. We’ll build a new funeral home, crematorium, and a really stunning burial complex. Peg’s anxious to get going and this election is frankly just one more headache she doesn’t need.”

“Where is this property?” Kay asked, and Grace could hear the suspicion in her tone.

“Oh,” Stuart said. “We’re considering several locations.”

“Like the Branduff place,” she said.

“Too small by far,” Stuart said. “No, I’m not interested in that worthless piece of property.”

“I see,” Kay said.

“Whattaya say?” Stuart said. “Do we have a deal?”

“If Peg wants to withdraw, I’m fine with that,” Kay said. “With no one standing against me I don’t need anyone’s campaign donations.”

“You’re missing the whole point, Kay,” Stuart said. “I have deals in place and I want to make sure that everything will play out just as it’s supposed to. I’m not going to meddle in the town business; you know I could care less about that. I just want my projects to go forward without any unnecessary complications.”

“The bicycle factory,” Kay said. “That man should not have any special tax exemptions.”

“He’s restoring an historic property and creating economic development,” Stuart said. “The renovations are being done by a 501 (c) 3 with federal funds. They’re a nonprofit; you can’t tax them. They will own the building and rent it to him.”

“I can and I will tax his manufacturing and event business,” Kay said. “That man makes millions running those bike races.”

“He’ll be employing local people and giving them health benefits,” Stuart said. “You have to give businessmen some incentive to settle here.”

“The wind farm people,” Kay said. “I know Congressman Green is beholden to them and Senator Bayard is backing the protected land set-asides, but that first unit is way too close to Rose Hill. We will all see it, hear it, and it will endanger the migrating Canada Geese.”

“That’s a done deal, Kay,” Stuart said. “You know that as well as I do.”

“I heard the Marcellus Shale people were in town,” Kay said. “A sudden influx of transient workers would ruin this community, not to mention what the process might do to the water supply. You and I both know there is so much mine subsidence underneath this town that the slightest pressure from fracking might sink the whole town. I won’t support it.”

“Not going to happen,” Stuart said. “There are no mineral rights available anywhere near here.”

“Is that so?” Kay said. “Interesting.”

“You’ve got a suspicious mind,” Stuart said. “All I want is what’s best for Rose Hill.”

“What else?” Kay said. “I know you and the Rodefeffers are still working on the Eldridge Point project with Gwyneth Eldridge.”

“Waiting on the same protected land set-asides,” Stuart said. “It’s just a matter of a small, discreet piece of legislation and the glacial movement of the state bureaucracy.”

“The property taxes will come back to Rose Hill?”

“In a tiered plan,” Stuart said, “After the initial investment is recovered.”

“You mean after our city retirement account funds are either recovered or lost.”

“All legal and above board,” he said. “The town council voted.”

“You won’t control the town council after this election,” Kay said. “I’ve seen to that.”

“Kay, my dear, why so hostile? I keep telling you, we’re on the same side. I’m not going to interfere in the town business as long as you don’t interfere in my business.”

“I’m not going to give you a blanket approval in return for Peg’s withdrawal,” Kay said. “I can win without it, and I certainly can govern without your support.”

“Think about it,” Stuart said. “Wouldn’t it be easier for everyone if we all just cooperated?”

“No,” Kay said. “Tell Peg to bring it. I’m not afraid of her.”

“You’re a stubborn woman,” he said, and Grace could hear him push his chair back and get up from the table. “No one knows that better than I do. But you’re also smart and practical. Think of what you could do for Rose Hill using my connections, my clout. Bottom line, here’s what’s on the table: two more police officers, a new street cleaner, a grid boost from the wind farm, and a sewage plant upgrade.”

“In return for?”

“Blanks to be filled in at a later time.”

“No,” Kay said. “That was your way but it will not be my way.”

“We’ll talk again.”

“Of course we will,” Kay said. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

Grace scurried down the hall to the small bedroom and hurriedly put on her threadbare flannel nightgown. She was towel-drying her hair when Kay knocked on her bedroom door.

“Come in,” Grace said.

Kay came in and sat on the end of the bed.

“I wanted to have a talk with you before you spend your first night,” Kay said. “I think it’s a good idea to get the ground rules set; make sure everyone’s expectations are clear.”

“All right,” Grace said, and sat down on the other end of the bed.

Grace’s heart was beating fast and she felt like she was in trouble for something. Had she not cleaned up the bathroom well enough? Had Kay caught her eavesdropping in the hallway?