Page 46 of A Very Happy Thanksgiving
“Malati is saved! The development is cancelled.”
“The government stepped in?”
She shook her head. “I mean, I don’t think so. The asshole put out a video saying the resort wouldn’t go ahead.”
“By ‘the asshole,’ you mean Lonnie McDonald?”
“Yes, him.”
“But I thought you said there was no way he’d do that?”
“Because I never thought he would.” Her face contorted into a scowl. “And he sounded so nice and so reasonable, as if he just didn’t realise the island was full of wildlife. Honestly, he makes me sick.”
“Playing devil’s advocate, are you sure he was telling the truth? Maybe someone persuaded him to make a statement to save our asses.”
“You know, that sounds more like something he’d do.”
“Exactly. Pull the old bait-and-switch. Wasn’t the Minister of Environment supposed to make a statement? You should try to get a legally binding contract.”
Serena elbowed Marc in the ribs. Yes, he understood this was an awkward situation, but somebody had to look out for the tarsiers.
“Like a contract?” Katie asked.
“Does Wild Roots have a legal team?”
“Uh, kind of? One of our volunteers is an attorney.”
“Maybe you could try calling them? Not that we don’t want to go home, but you went to all the trouble of kidnapping us, and nobody wants to see that effort wasted.” He nudged Serena. “Do we?”
She sighed. “I suppose not. But perhaps you could take the chains off for a while? The padlock is chafing my ankle.”
Did Marc just hear Heath mutter “Fuck my life”? Or was it merely the whisper of wind in the trees?
“Uh, I’m not sure about that. Frank said we should keep you secured.”
“Frank?” Marc asked. Was that Havana’s real name? He called most of the shots around here, apart from when it came to meal times. Give the man a grill, and he burned everything he touched.
Katie clapped a hand over her mouth. “Crap, forget I said that.”
“Go and tell Frank not to make any hasty decisions. I hope your friend is a good lawyer.”
“He graduated top of his class.” Katie grimaced faintly. “Last June.”
Marc couldn’t hold back his groan. “Let me get this straight—he’s been practising law for half a year, and you want to put him up against a wealthy real estate mogul and his no-doubt crack legal team?”
“It does sound bad when you put it that way.”
Serena’s turn to groan. “We’re going to be kidnapped forever, aren’t we?”
“No, no, I swear. Absolutely not. But I just need to talk with Frank, okay?” Katie fished around in her pocket. “Here, I brought the bug spray.”
Marc accepted it and pointed toward the building. “But you forgot the water. Now, hurry up and scoot along. We all want to go home.”
CHAPTER 18
Phae
“Has Marc lost his everlovin’ mind?”
