Page 30 of Fake-Off with Fate
“That was the mayor’s ringtone.”
“How do you know it’s not my ringtone, too?”
He steps closer to me. “Hand me your purse.”
“I will do no such thing, Phillip.” I hold my bag tightly on the off chance he tries to rip it away from me. I wouldn’t put it past the little toad.
“I’m going to talk to your father about this,” he declares menacingly.
“Enjoy your chat,” I tell him, knowing full well he won’t be speaking to my dad any time soon.
Once I’m in the building, I take the stairs up to the mayor’soffice, so I don’t have to ride in the elevator with Phillip. After reaching my destination, I close the door and lock it. Then I call Marcy.
She answers after only one ring. “Marcy Fontaine Accounting, this is Marcy. How can I help?”
“Marcy, it’s Ashlyn. Have you managed to come up with anything else regarding Victor MacDonald’s land, other than the ninety-day reprieve?” I have to admit I was surprised to see Marcy on my doorstep last night, but she was way too excited about having found a small clause in an obscure law that could at least buy us a few months’ time. It was a good start, but we need more than that.
“I called a lawyer, Ms. Thompkins,” she tells me. “I asked about the statute of limitations rules in Washington regarding property. He verified what we already suspected. If Alexander MacDonald can prove he’s Victor’s heir, then the property is his. The lawyer confirmed that we have ninety days to make this happen before Alexander can go to court to make it official.”
I lean back in the chair and rub my eyes in exasperation. “I was hoping there might be a loophole,” I tell her while sitting down behind my dad’s desk. Reaching into my purse, I pull out a couple of framed photos of my mom that I brought in with me. If nothing else, she’ll think my dad wants pictures of her around. That is, if things go well in Barbados and she ever comes into his office again.
“I had a thought,” she tells me. “And it’s not a good one.”
The last thing I want to hear is more bad news, but I suppose it’s better to be forewarned, so I ask, “What’s that?”
“If this Alexander MacDonald character did his research, and I’m sure he did, he’ll know the Ice Breakers are now based in Maple Falls. As such, he might not take a reasonable offer. In fact, he might not take any offer.”
She’s right. Alexander might want to profit from the crowds that will be coming in to town. While most people will probably stay at hotels in Spokane, which is the closest city, he might usesome of that land to build additional lodging and gas stations, and heaven knows what else. “I think I’d better call his lawyer and get a feel for how willing Mr. MacDonald might be to sell the land back to Maple Falls,” I tell her.
“You’d better get a town council meeting on the books, too,” she suggests. “You’re going to have to let everyone know what’s going on.”
“My dad will be back in a week,” I tell her. “I’ll schedule it for then.”
“Ashlyn.” It’s the first time she’s called me by my first name, and it makes me nervous. “Make it for as soon as possible. We’re going to need all hands on deck, right away.” After a beat, she adds, “You might also want to call your father and fill him in.”
“There’s no way I can do that,” I tell her. “He’d take the first flight out of the Caribbean and that would be the end of my parents’ marriage.”
“We might be facing the end of Maple Falls,” she says plainly.
Kicking my feet up onto the desk, I tell her, “I pick my parents’ future over the town’s.” I know how mercenary that sounds, so I hurry to add, “But I think with the two of us working together, we can keep things afloat until my parents get back. I mean, it’s only a week away.”
“Let’s hope.” She doesn’t sound very certain and quite honestly, I don’t blame her. Who in a million years would have guessed something like this would happen within hours of my dad leaving town? Or ever, for that matter.
As soon as I get off the phone with Marcy, I call the last person in the world I want to talk to. Phillip answers after the second ring. “What?”
“My dad would like you to set up a town council meeting.”
“For when?”
“Tomorrow, if you can.”
“Tomorrow is Sunday. What is this regarding?” he snarls.
Lying through my teeth, I tell him, “I have no idea.”
“I can’t just call an emergency meeting without giving people a reason.” I can just imagine the pinched look of superiority on his face as he says this.
“Tell them the future of Maple Falls is at stake.”
