Page 46 of Paging Dr. Breakup
“Angle? I thought he had left town for good.”
“Right after the accident in February, yes. But he and some partners are nosing around again.”
“How does that affect us? Mav and I are no longer in foreclosure. Our business is back on track. Randy can’t take it away from us. End of story.”
Cal shook his head. “Randy’s positioning to make a play for other properties along the Ray Mountains. That includes Mom and Pop’s property.” Which might not be the worst thing ever, even if the execution of his goal and the greater implications chafed at him. “Koyukon corporation land. He’s pursuing options and legal loopholes and leveraging finances to try to get access to the ore. He has an eager business partner waiting in the wings. He just needs to extract and supply the minerals. Now.”
“He told you that?”
Cal paused to consider his words carefully. He didn’t want to lie to Deirdre, but he needed to keep some information locked up tight for now. “Randy is under the impression that I might be the owner of my parents’ land. He also believes that I want to sell. He talked too much.”
“Why doesn’t he quit and go away?”
“He said that this area has a particularly rich deposit of rare earth elements, which has significant demand for science and industry. There’s also likely a vein of gold. He’s looking at a hell of a revenue stream.”
Folding her arms over her chest, she said, “I don’t want to give this guy a red cent.”
Her fierceness and determination as she sat up straight on the end of the couch triggered a chuckle. “I’m thinking most folks in Yukon Valley agree with you.” Cal sobered. “I’m concerned about what lengths he’ll go to establish a claim on a parcel. Gain just enough access for a foothold to access the materials. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.” Especially his parents and Deirdre.
“Chance of him leaving?”
“Basically zero.”
“Can we kick him out of town?”
“Not legally. He hasn’t committed a crime.”
“I’d disagree with that.”
“According to law enforcement, you, Maverick, and Lee caught Randy before he could do the crime.”
“Who thought being proactive would come back to bite us?” She gave a little sniff.
He rested an arm on the back of the couch, fingers stretching toward her as his torso leaned in her direction, like she was the sun and he an object in space, falling into her gravity. “According to the DNR paperwork in his possession, the Ray Mountain vein particularly in this area has decades of production potential. Could be longer, depending on which mineral is most lucrative at any given time.”
A frown pulled her brows together. “So, you weren’t plotting with him.”
He allowed himself a small celebration that she believed him.
Then he told the truth. “I was making him believe I would work with him. So that I could subvert his playbook.” And if his parents were encouraged to move with Cal to Seattle in the process? Mission accomplished. For now, time to push back against her suspicions. “I’m a little hurt that you would think I was consorting with the enemy. Over dinner.”
Like a dog with a bone, she wasn’t letting up. God, she was beautiful and relentless in her pursuit of the truth.
Narrowing her gaze, she said, “You have mentioned before how you wanted to sell the property and move your folks to a larger city. What’s to say you’re not setting up their homestead to be the lucrative access point while everyone else holds the line?”
So close. So very close. He reared back, raising his hands. “Hey, now. I might be despicable for other reasons, but I’m not here to sell out Yukon Valley.” If altering Yukon Valley ended up happening, he’d feel terrible. But his parents would be safely moved to Seattle and Deirdre and Maverick’s property would remain untouched. The people he cared about would be protected.
“Huh. Despicable?” she said with a smirk.
He waited for her to refute the word.
She did not. “So, what’s the plan?”
“Uh, what?”
“We should take this information to the local meeting next week. I think we can outmaneuver this guy and leverage those resources for the good of Yukon Valley.”
“If that’s what everyone wants.” He wanted to clamp his mouth shut. Less risk of saying the wrong thing. He tried to recover. “I mean, at least let’s make sure everyone is informed and on the same page.”
