Page 44 of Cakewalk
“I’ll have it taken care of,” I said, though I really hadn’t planned on making a commitment to a raccoon of all things tonight.
“You know what? Fine. He can be your problem. But I’ll be sending you the bill if he comes back here and I gotta catch him again.”
I nodded and took my seat. Officer Carter shrugged and picked up the cage, setting Patches down alongside a wall by the refreshments. Jade glanced up at me and said, “That was nice of you. Patches is kind of a legend around here.”
“He looked at me with that beady little eye and I couldn’t stand the thought of him going out like that.”
“Maybe Betty will be a little nicer to you now.”
I laughed. Not that I cared too much about getting on Betty’s good side after what she had said to me. But now it was time for my presentation. I’d figure out what the hell I was going to do with my new raccoon later.
The town hall organizer stepped up to the podium and said, “Our next speaker will be giving a presentation regarding his proposal for a cleanup of the ocean front property, then he’ll be taking questions about the planned Marketplace Square development. Please welcome Griffin Reed of Griffin Enterprises.”
Jade clapped as I stood, but besides her and a few others, the applause was deafeningly quiet.
I had expected that, at least.
Up on stage, I grabbed the mic off the podium and opted to stroll back and forth, making eye contact with various attendees as I began, “Good evening, Calhoon. I’m Griffin Reed, and I’m developing the ocean front property about two miles west of Main Street. The land has been a concern for the town ever since it was discovered that much of the soil was polluted by the old paper mill. It’s been years since that discovery, and after a reevaluation, it appears that the land can be habitable once more with some minor treatment. About a third of the land can even be reforested as soon as next year. And that’s what I plan to do.”
I motioned at Patches, who was scratching his rump. “I believe Patches is just one of the many animals who’ve been displaced since the land was cleared of its trees many years ago. With my plan to reforest part of the land, I believe the pest situation will resolve itself, and we may even no longer be plagued with that odd smell every morning from the old paper mill waste.”
That elicited a few oohs and ahhs, as if many Calhoonians thought that was something they’d have to live with for the rest of their lives.
“I would like to start a cleanup volunteer program for the litter and dumped materials that have piled up in our unofficial landfill, and for every hour volunteered, I will plant a tree in our new forest. The program will be a great volunteer work opportunity for high school students, and for anyone else who’d like to join in on cleaning up Calhoon. I will also be donating money to fund the renovation of the wharf, and a few other areas around town that have been neglected in this difficult era in Calhoon history. And I hope that with these efforts, we’ll pave a new era in which everybody can prosper.”
I motioned for Jade to come up and join me, as we had planned for her to help during the questions and answers portion of my time. She stepped up, the image of beauty and confidence, and received a little applause from those who knew her—even her sister, who I worried might have seen her as a turncoat.
“Now,” I began, “We would love to answer any questions and address any concerns you might have.”
Betty stood and spoke without a moment’s hesitation. “How can we trust you after what you pulled in Atlanta? Youarea proven criminal.”
At least half the room started murmuring, and quite a few people looked confused. I knew I’d have to provide the context to what she was asking, as much as it pained me to go over that entire mess again.
I began, “You’re referring to the charges against me regarding tax fraud. I was a young man, twenty-three at the time, far in over my head and unaware of exactly what I was doing. I know all you can do is take my word for it, but from the bottom of my heart, I didn’t act out of malice or with any intent to deceive anyone or defraud the government. I’ve done my time, I served every single day of my five-year sentence, and have paid all that was owed.”
Betty let out an audible “humph,” not sounding convinced.
“I want to make it clear that while I have been found guilty of those charges, I’m in no way associated with my father and his own controversies. I’ve separated the company entirely from his corporation, and will be doing everything I can to make the Reed name one you can trust again, so long as it’s Griffin Reed. I’m invested in this town, not just monetarily, but emotionally. I’ve connected with many Calhoonians in my short time here, and the last thing I’d ever want to do is betray their trust or disappoint them.”
“What about the franchises you’re going to be bringing into town? They’re going to bring up property taxes, and that’s going to make rent more expensive, which they can afford, but we can’t.”
“If I bring in any franchise stores, it will be capped off at ten percent of the businesses we rent out to, and whatever franchises do come in will have to be agreed upon by a majority vote from your local representatives. The main attraction of Calhoon right now is its novelties, like your general store, the haberdashery, or the cake shop that’s been here for almost seventy years. It’s these unique stores that will make Calhoon stand out and be the place to visit.”
Courtney stood, gave Betty a stare, and Betty hesitantly lowered back to her chair. Courtney then began, “And how do you suppose you’ll attract new businesses and stores to a town that draws in maybe a hundred visitors a week?”
“We’ll rely in some part on reduced rates for the businesses that lease here for the first five years.”
“And how will the small businesses on Main Street deal with these businesses having such a large financial advantage?”
I motioned at Jade. “I’ll allow my consultant to answer this one, as she has worked extensively with me to come up with a solution for this exact concern.”
Jade accepted the mic from me and cleared her throat as she saw that all eyes were on her. I gave her arm a subtle squeeze, and she smiled, finding her confidence. “Griffin Enterprises will be creating and funding a non-profit to assist any local business outside of the ocean front development. The funds will be used to replace outdated equipment, perform any needed maintenance on store fronts, and hire extra help for the expected increase in visitors. We believe within five year’s time, the local economy will have recovered enough to then subsist on its own, but we’ll keep the non-profit going for as long as needed.”
She handed the mic back to me, and I added, “Main Street and my proposed oceanfront development must thrive together. One can’t succeed without the other.”
Courtney’s eyes remained narrowed, but she shrugged and said, “That’s all the questions I have for now, but I’m sure I’ll have more at a later time. Youwillbe attending future town halls, right?”
“Yes. I plan to show up at every one.”
