Page 53 of A Little Red
“Or something,” said Liam, with a genuine smile this time. “If I were you, I would run far and run fast. Leave the state. Maybe you’ll make it.”
“You are threatening me,” said Brett. “These are threats. I’m going to have you arrested.”
“No,” said Liam. “You’re going to quit your job and you’re going to leave town. And if you’re gone by the end of the week, then maybe I won’t push those out to legal.”
“You fucking bastard,” said Brett.
“Yes,” said Liam. “I really am. So don’t cross me.”
Brett hesitated a moment longer, and then he balled up the papers and threw them at Liam, but they unfurled half-way and fluttered uselessly onto Liam’s desk. Brett stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him so hard the wall rattled.
Liam picked up the ball of papers and smoothed them out before feeding them to the shredder one by one. He had just finished the last paper when his cell phone rang.
“Liam Grayson,” said Liam, picking up.
“Oh, no wait, I think I got this.”
Liam smiled, recognizing the voice.
“Ha! OK, I am using the speaker function.”
“Good job,” said Liam.
“Hi, it’s Albert DeSandre. From Oregon,” Albert added as an after-thought.
“Hi, Albert.”
“I got your email thing. That is some very exciting news about witches wanting to join my super pack!”
“Well, it’s only the one, right at the moment,” said Liam. “But she’s interested in talking more.”
“Good! I want witches. I want everyone. You’re sure she’s a real witch though, right?”
“Yes,” said Liam. “She was responsible for the tree protest you were talking about last time you were here. And I have… other evidence. So yes. Definitely a witch. She’ll have to fill you in on anything else. That’s not my place.”
Albert paused, reading between the lines. “Got it.”
“One of her coven is running for state senate on an infrastructure platform and wants to put in wildlife bridges and corridors. So that’s probably her most immediate interest.”
“Fantastic! This is what I’m talking about!” Liam could practically hear the fist-pump over the phone. “Tell her to come out and talk to us.”
“I’ll set it up,” promised Liam, crossing his fingers that this wasn’t going to blow up in their faces. Scarlet was so excited about the possibilities that he didn’t want to disappoint her, but he knew wolves and nothing moved fast in pack politics. And he also hadn’t wanted to say it, but he got the impression that Azure hadn’t really wanted to go.
“I’ll call some people,” said Albert. “I’ve got some other parties that are interested. This is going to be the start of something big. I can feel it.”
“I hope so,” said Liam. “I really hope so.”
At lunch time, Liam put on his suit jacket and went out to his secretary’s desk.
“I’m meeting my girlfriend for lunch,” he said, straightening his tie. “But go ahead and call if anything comes up.”
“Of course,” said Delores, without looking up from her typing. He loved that she didn’t care.
Scarlet was waiting for him in the park. She was sitting on a red and white checked tablecloth with plates set out and a picnic basket that looked straight out of a fairy tale illustration.
She was leaning back on her hands with her legs stretched out in front of her and her high-heels kicked off into the grass. It was too cold still for picnics, so they were the only ones out, but as he stepped off the path, the temperature grew noticeably warmer. By the time he reached the tablecloth he had to take off his jacket.
“Warming spell?” he asked.
