Page 55 of Backwater Justice

“Who cares? Free beer!” Jessica hooted. “Come on. There’s a nice patio in the back.”

The two women strolled through the well-landscaped area that led to a patio outside the cafeteria. “This is quite lovely for a lumbermill,” Isabelle commented.

“Mr. Milton has done a grand job with this place. I remember it from when I was a little girl. My father worked here.”

“And then you started twenty years ago?” Isabelle was trying to follow the timeline.

“Yep. I was a stay-at-home mom until the kids went off to school. Then my old man—not my dad, the guy I used to be married to—left me for some chippy at a strip club.”

Isabelle almost spit out her food. Jessica had no filter. “You’re kidding.”

“I kid you not, kiddo. And get this, she wasn’t that chipper, either. She had a face that could stop a truck. And she was the same age as me. I was thirty-seven. I think she was looking for a sugar daddy. But was she in for a surprise. He may have shoved a lot of bills into her garter belt, but when we got divorced, he had to pay alimonyandchild support.”

“Karma. Isn’t it a beautiful thing?” Isabelle took another bite of her spicy lunch.

“Sure is. She dumped him like a hot potato a year later. Boo-hoo.”

“Where is he now?”

“Somewhere up north. The checks are issued by the state, because they take it out of his pay. So as long as he has a job, I get two grand a month.”

“What about the kids?”

“One is twenty-five, and the other twenty-six. So that money train ended. And I am not planning on getting married any time soon. I’m putting that alimony money away for my retirement.”

“Smart move,” Isabelle replied. She was beginning to like Jessica. Down-to-earth. No bull. She knew it wouldn’t take long before she could uncork some information about Dickie. Maybe even Oliver.

They finished their lunch and went back inside through the cafeteria entrance. Isabelle was also impressed by how well-designed it was. The space had more of a café vibe than an industrial complex food court. “This is nice,” she commented, as they made their way around the tables.

“Yep. Mr. Milton and his sons really take good care of their employees.”

“I got that impression as soon as I walked in the door. There seems to be a nice sense of camaraderie here.”

“For sure. If anybody is in need of anything, home-wise or family-wise, most people pitch in. One of the fellas’ kids needed treatment at the Mayo Clinic. Mr. Milton paid for their hotel and airfare, and we took up a collection for the family so they could have some help at home.”

“Does everybody call him Mr. Milton?”

“Yeah. Something Sandy started. She’s been here longer than me.”

“Seems like a wonderful group of people.” Isabelle was quite sincere. Everyone seemed likable. Except for Oliver. And Dickie. As far as Isabelle was concerned, Dickie was a hot mess. Both of them needed to be tailed, from what she could gather. She was getting strange vibes about each of them when their names came up.

“I really couldn’t have asked for a better place. Especially after the divorce. Imagine how humiliated I was. But ya know somethin’? Nobody looked at me like I was pathetic. They showed respect. Not pity.”

Isabelle wanted to hear more about the overall feel of the company, but she thought it would be best if she familiarized herself with each of the inns.

“Jessica, thanks for making me feel at home. I really appreciate it.”

“Do as good as you can is what I say. You can’t expect kindness if you’re not willing to show it.” Jessica smiled and sat down at her desk.

“Do I need a special password for the computer?” Isabelle asked.

“Depends on what you’re looking for.”

“First, just a general idea of how the system works. I take it you log in all the invoices and bills of lading for the supplies?”

“Correct.”

“Would I be able to see those files?”

---