Page 46 of Grinch Girl

She paused at that and met my eyes, her shoulders straightening. “You’re right.” She swallowed hard, and I saw determination slide back into her gaze. “You’re absolutely right.”

Nate cleared his throat, and I jumped in my sneakers. I’d almost forgotten he was there, and now I was completely embarrassed that he’d witnessed our little scene. Bella winced, obviously also uncomfortable. Emotional subtext, indeed.

“So what’s the backup plan?” he asked briskly. “The ad is the problem, and they refuse to take it down,” he summarized before flashing that signature grin at me. “Haven’t you concocted some sort of nefarious scheme, J-Bird?”

Honestly, I hadn’t—until right this instant. I whirled on Bella. “Do you know who on the council was responsible for actually creating the ad?”

*

An hour later,the three of us and Michael regrouped across the street from Harlan Service, one of Wontana’s most profitable businesses. Don Harlan’s business supplied all of the golf courses and gated communities in southeastern Wisconsin with golf carts. He was a pillar of the Wontana community and had served on the town council for eleven years.

I started a conference call on my phone. “Dial in,” I instructed Nate and Michael. “I need to hear what’s going on so the timing is right.”

Nate did so immediately, eyes bright with mischief. Michael hesitated with his fingers on the keys of his phone. His lips parted and he started to shake his head.

“Come here a second,” I said, pulling him a few feet away. I barked back at Bella and Nate, “You two rehearse your lines!”

I took a deep breath and looked up at Michael. He was a key part of this plan. Michael was the only person here who had an actual relationship with Don Harlan. Harlan Service contracted with Michael’s car washing business to keep the golf carts on the sales floor bright and shiny. It didn’t take a genius to see Michael felt pretty conflicted right now.

So he was the only person who had a chance of getting into Harlan’s office. But he didn’t like this plan one bit. “This seems awfully shady,” he’d said when I’d first outlined the steps.

“Let me tell you what happened when Bella talked to the town council this morning,” I whispered. That was all it took. As soon as he heard about Angela’s comments and Bella’s tears, he was all in. He dialed into the conference call, pressing the numbers on the screen so hard, the phone shook in his hand.

“Ready?” I asked.

Nate bounced on the balls of his feet. “Should we have a code word? Something we say if part of the plan is going awry? If we’re in trouble?”

Amused, I snorted. “We’re not exactly doing espionage here. No one is going to pull a gun or start a ticking bomb.”

He looked so disappointed that I relented. “Fine.” I smirked. “Code word isbrewski.” I almost wished something would go wrong so I could hear him say the silly word in that accent.

He clapped his hands together. “Slang for a cheap, watery beer. Very local. I adore it.”

I laughed at him, and Bella gave me that annoying eyebrow raise again.Shut up, Bells.

“Go!” I said. Nate threaded his arm through Bella’s, and she led him into Harlan’s display room.

Michael and I both raised our phones to our ears. I walked half a block away to make sure I wasn’t in sight, and he shuffled the papers in his hands.

In my ear, I heard Bella’s stiff, play-acting voice. “See, what did I tell you? The carts here are much nicer than the ones you’ve been looking at online. Besides, it’s much better to buy local.”

Nate’s loud voice sounded convincingly bored. “Eh. I don’t know. They’re more expensive.”

“Welcome to Harlan’s!” I recognized Don’s voice immediately. He sounded out of breath, like he’d sprinted up to them—which was his general approach. A soft sell, he was not. “What are we looking for today?”

I could hear the sweet smile in Bella’s voice. “Hi there! My friend is putting in an offer on a house in Tabby Springs,” she said. Tabby Springs was one of the most expensive gated communities near the lake. They had their own golf course, a yacht club, and a fleet of tennis courts. If you could afford to buy a house there, Don Harlan wanted to know you. “Obviously, he’ll need a golf cart once he moves in.”

“Of course!” Harlan sized Nate up. “What are you thinking, sir? A Club Car is a classic for a reason, but we have a variety of other brands as well.”

Michael looked back at me, and I gave him an emphatic nod.

He entered the dealership as Bella asked Harlan’s opinion on the best electric models.

“Hey, Don.” I heard Michael’s nervous-sounding voice call through the phone. I imagined him holding up the sheaf of paper. “We had a small billing error last month. Got a revised invoice for you. Want me to throw it in your office?”

“Oh, I’ll just grab it,” Don answered. I groaned.No!

Then, thank goodness, Nate’s voice. “The only thing I’d really be interested in here is the Garia.”

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