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“Not at all,” Mia whispered. Then the mayor began to talk.
If it hadn’t been for Tony and Becky sitting at the side of the stage next to a covered-up flipchart, the first twenty minutes could have been from any other meeting in any other year. Jayne Fielding had obviously decided to take advantage of having lots of people in one place at the same time, and so discussed, in detail, the ongoing problems with finding someone to run the Fish Festival that year, and people threw in some suggestions and nominations for a committee to try and fix it–some sensible, some outlandish and some utterly ridiculous. It was only after all these had been covered and discussed that Jayne put down her notes and turned to Tony, who stood with a smile.
“Now, we have come to the reason I’m addressing so many of you tonight,” the mayor went on. There were a few chuckles among the crowd. Mia twisted her hands in her skirt and waited impatiently. “As I’m sure you’ve all heard, we have a new business interested in a partnership with our town. But, to explain further, let me introduce Mr. Tony Fisher and our very own Becky Thrower.”
The mayor stepped away from the podium and took a seat on the other side of the stage, allowing Tony to step up to the microphone while Becky uncovered the flipchart. Mia wasn’t sure Becky could legitimately be called one of their own any longer. After all, how many times did a person have to leave before you accepted they just didn’t want to be there?
Mia risked a glance up at Charlie and rolled her eyes. He was staring at Becky.
“First of all,” Tony said, his charming smile in place, “I’d like to thank you all for being so welcoming to us since our arrival. Particularly the Grand Hotel, the shops along Main Street, and StarFish restaurant.” He paused, waiting for a response of some sort. Applause, Mia wondered, like on an American talk show, where they clapped after every other sentence? She was more interested in the fact that they were already trying to win over the suffering businesses of Aberarian.
Realizing no response was forthcoming, Tony went on. “Now, normally we’d be doing this presentation to our investors, with a forty-inch flat screen and a laptop, but given the...reduced equipment here, we’ve had to improvise a bit.” He tapped the microphone. “I suppose I should be grateful we’ve got sound!” He paused again, but the audience was still silent. Mia shifted in her seat. This was fantastic; he was tanking. If only he’d keep talking about himself, rather than money...
Then Becky turned over the first sheet of the flipchart, and Tony stopped trying to be funny and got down to business.
Tony leaned forward, resting his forearms on the podium, and clasped his hands behind the fixed microphone. “Our investors know what a great town Aberarian is. But more importantly, they can see its potential. They know times are hard right now. And they trust us to come up with ways to make things easier for you.”
He flung out an arm in the direction of Becky and her flipchart, and the whole room turned to look at the poster she revealed.
It was a picture of the Aberarian seafront, bathed in impossible sunshine. Figures of families and holiday-makers strolled along the Esplanade. The picture was angled so the observer got a view right up Water Street to Main Street, and the colors of the hotels and shops were all brighter, more vibrant than Mia knew them to be in real life.
And there, at the top of Water Street, where it met the main square, was the Coliseum Cinema–rebranded and repainted as a Champion Casino.
The crowd began to murmur.
“Now, we’re already arranging to set up a proper exhibition here,” Tony said, his tone reassuring. “With a model of how the casino will look when it’s finished, and plans and maps, so you’ll all be able to see how well it will blend in with the existing buildings in the area.
“We’ve already got an initial go-ahead from the council, and we’ve spoken with the building owners along the proposed stretch of land, and I can tell you, the response has been very favorable.”
“I bet it has,” Mia murmured. All but one of the proposed buildings was empty; the owners were probably only too glad to get shot of them.
But the Coliseum... At the rear of the room, Mia spotted Walt Henderson, looking utterly miserable. Even though he was selling her cinema, Mia couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
Charlie shushed her as Tony started speaking again.
“But what you need to know right here, right now, is we are going to put Aberarian on the map and give your town back the pride it deserves!” Tony stepped away from the podium, a proud, triumphant smile on his face.
This time, there was applause. There was even small cheer from somewhere near the doors. Mia would give the man this–he knew how to make a speech.
Jayne Fielding took the mic again, waiting for the noise to die down. Then she said, “Well, for those who want to know more, we’ll be holding the exhibition Tony mentioned here in the church hall, from this Thursday. Then we’ll be having a special emergency town meeting in the church proper on Saturday evening to discuss any concerns or questions about the plan.”
The crowd applauded again, and the hall hummed with excited chatter and noise. Mia, slumped in her seat, turned to look at Charlie.
“Crooked Fox,” she told him. “Now.”
Chapter 6
The Crooked Fox was packed. Everyone who’d been at the meeting–and everyone who hadn’t, and wanted to hear what was said–was crammed in, all talking at once. Mia motioned at a tiny, rickety corner table where a couple of probably underage lads were standing to leave, then pushed her way through the crowd to secure it, leaving Charlie to mount an assault on the bar.
Charlie sighed, checked his pocket for cash, and started to shoulder past the local populace, trying not to be too obvious as he listened in on everyone’s conversations. The consensus, as ever in Aberarian, appeared to be ‘wait and see.’ It all sounded very promising, people were sure, but did they really want a casino in town? They’d wait until they saw the plans to make up their minds.
He nodded. Mia would be happy with that, at least.
Joe was waiting at the bar when he finally reached it, an empty pint glass beside him and an almost full one in his hand.
“Sounds like you’ve had quite the evening,” he said while Charlie tried to get the attention of Jonny behind the bar. “Who’s looking after the restaurant?”
“Didn’t seem much point opening,” Charlie admitted. “Magda and Kevin were off anyway, and everyone else was at the meeting.”
“And how was the meeting?”
“It was...interesting,” Charlie said, watching Jonny start making his way to their end of the bar. “I was surprised not to see you there.”
Joe shrugged. “Figured I’d hear all I needed to know in here.”
“And your interpretation is?” Charlie held up two fingers to Jonny and pointed at Joe’s pint glass. Then he mimed a glass and waved over at where Mia was sitting alone in the corner. Jonny nodded his understanding and set about fetching a bottle of white from the fridge and pouring a large glass.
Taking a long sip of his pint, Joe turned around and leaned both his elbows on the bar behind him, surveying the crowd. “I think it could be a very interesting meeting next Saturday.”
Charlie turned to ask him what he meant, but Joe was paying him no attention at all. Suddenly aware that the buzz of conversation had dulled, Charlie looked around to see what had caught everyone’s attention.
Glancing toward the door, he understood the change instantly.
Magda was standing in the doorway, wearing a fire engine red dress that stopped short enough to allow Charlie to see more of her thighs than he’d ever felt comfortable imagining she had. Its neckline cut high across her collarbone, but it didn’t matter because any observer’s eye was distracted by the way her bright blond hair curled past her shoulders. Charlie blinked, remembered she was only twenty-two and his employee and, more importantly, his friend, then turned to the bar to take his pints from Jonny. Except Jonny was frozen, also staring at Ma
gda. Charlie waited a moment, decided if he wanted his drinks he was going to have to take them, and set about releasing Jonny’s fingers from their grip on the glasses. He left the correct money on the bar towel, figuring Jonny would find it eventually. Once his eyes returned to his head.
Tugging on Joe’s sleeve, he tipped his head in the direction of Mia’s table and Joe, gaze fixed on Magda, followed slowly behind.
At the table, Mia was smiling for the first time that evening, and Charlie allowed himself a small sigh of relief as he sat down. Joe stumbled into the chair beside him.
“Magda looks fantastic tonight.” Mia reached over and grabbed her wine.
“Joe certainly thinks so,” Charlie said, waving his glass at Joe, who, pint in each hand, continued staring at the door.
“I didn’t know she was dating Kevin.” They watched Magda sway through the crowd to a free table, where Kevin yanked a chair out for her.
“I’m not sure she is.” Charlie turned to look at Mia instead. “It’s sort of a trial run, apparently. She’s expanding her search for love.”
Mia glanced over at the speechless Joe. “Does he know that?”
Charlie shrugged. “I’m not sure he’s aware of much at the moment.”
Grinning, Mia leaned forward across the table, close to Joe’s face, and said at top volume, “And then Ditsy stripped off on the bar...” Still nothing. Charlie winced, but Joe’s gaze was utterly fixed on Magda.
Then, “She looks bored, don’t you think?” Joe said.
Charlie glanced over at the table by the door that Magda and Kevin had appropriated. Kevin, he noticed, had at least managed to change out of his chef’s whites and into jeans and a t-shirt. Magda wasn’t looking particularly impressed, though.
“This might not rank as one of the best nights of her life,” he allowed. “Still...” But Joe wasn’t listening. Again.
Charlie looked over at Mia, who rolled her eyes.
“I think I need to save her.” Joe pushed his chair away from the table, sending it rolling into the empty fireplace, and took off toward Magda’s table. Charlie and Mia, after brief, silent, consideration, just sat back to watch.
Across the pub, Joe grabbed another unsuspecting chair and settled himself in between Magda and Kevin, grinning broadly. Even at distance, Charlie could hear him say, “Fancy meeting you two here!” in the most false tone he’d ever heard.
Magda, Charlie was amused to note, looked a little relieved.
