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  He squinted at the woman in a bad suit.

  “Could you introduce yourself?” Agent Art asked. “These are children.”

  “Oh,” the woman looked surprised. She started talking in a flutter of words. “Right. I’m Collette Lazarian. I’m a Deputy DA. I’m new. There. Um. I’m not trying your case. I’m just here to relay messages and . . . stuff.”

  As if to make sure what she’d said made sense, she smiled. Wanda’s mom scowled and Charlie looked like he was going to eat the woman whole. Agent Colin threw a wad a paper at Charlie and smiled. Charlie smirked and sat back.

  “Why are we here?” Sandy asked.

  “Good question,” Agent Angie gave Sandy a broad smile. “This is a big case, probably one of the biggest cases any of us has seen.”

  “Why?” Ivy spouted out.

  Agent Angie smiled at her.

  “It’s a big case because there are so many children involved,” Agent Angie said. “And because there are so many victims involved.”

  Agent Angie looked across the table and smiled at all of the kids.

  “It’s also a big case because there’s a lot of media attention and this is such a horrible thing,” Agent Angie said.

  “We want to keep that at the forefront,” Agent Art said. “What you each experienced was horrendous. That’s a fact. We don’t want to minimize what you went through.”

  “You haven’t answered my question,” Sandy said. Everyone was so surprised that Sandy spoke up that they turned to look at her. “Why are we here? The kids have to go to school tomorrow. They have school work and other activities. We’ve spent an hour sitting in this room while you . . . discuss?”

  Wanda saw a flash of a smirk across Agent Art’s face. He clearly had said the same thing. No one on the other side of the table said anything. Sandy nodded. She stood up from her seat. Following her lead, Heather popped to her feet.

  “I’ve had enough,” Sandy said. “We’re leaving. When we come back, we’ll come back with our lawyers.”

  The agents looked at the woman from the DA’s office from the side of their eyes.

  “Charlie?” Sandy asked.

  “Oh, you can’t leave,” the woman from the DA’s office said.

  “Why not?” Sandy asked.

  “We . . .”

  “Your problems have nothing to do with us,” Sandy said.

  “Sandy, please,” Agent Angie said.

  “Make it quick,” Sandy looked at the woman from the DA. “You have five minutes.”

  The woman swallowed hard.

  “Art? Why don’t you . . .?” Agent Angie nodded to him.

  “The question one is who to charge. Question two is what charges to file,” Agent Art said. “While the DA has heard from the community that every child should be charged to the maximum allowed by law, and he’s willing to do that, he wondered if it might be too much.”

  “For whom?” Sandy asked.

  “For the children,” the woman from the DA’s office said.

  “Victims,” Agent Angie said.

  “Yes, them too,” the woman from the DA’s office said

  “Art, why don’t you lay it out?” Agent Colin asked a little too fast.

  Agent Art nodded. He got up from his seat and went to a white board.

  “We have groups of criminals,” Agent Art said. “We have the boys who purchased the videos. They can be charged with, at the very least, possession of child pornography.”

  Agent Art drew a big circle on the board.

  “We have another group of criminals who participated in some way in your assaults. This is really two groups. One group of boys didn’t participate. They got high and were bystanders. Some of them drove the boys to and from the assaults. At the very least, they are guilty of not reporting a crime and aiding and abetting criminal activity.”

  Agent Art drew a smaller circle.

  “Some of those cases,” Agent Art nodded to Wanda, “have already been fast tracked through the system, like Wanda’s friend Frankie. These boys were willing to give evidence to the assaults and pled guilty to their part of it. Now they can still be brought back if we find they were more involved in these crimes. But for now, most of this group is working their way through the system.”

  “There is a group of boys who, well, I call them the ‘beaters,’” Agent Art grinned. “Charlie, you’ve interacted with these boys. These boys like to fight. They beat up Wanda. They did the majority of the battery against the girls and women. Charlie, Tink, and Wanda have given us good evidence against these guys. This group, we can get on a hate crime because of what they did to Wanda.”

  Agent Art drew a smaller circle on the board.

  “There’s another group of boys who I call the ‘rapists,’” Agent Art drew a circle about the size of the last circle. “These are the boys who raped and assaulted the girls and women.”

  “And then there’s the leader,” Agent Art drew and “X” on the board. His voice took on a noticeable chill. “He has the contacts to sell the videos to the larger conglomerate. He also sells meth and marijuana mixtures. And he likes . . .”

  Agent Art looked at the kids across the table and stopped talking.

  “Anyway, he’s not going anywhere very fast,” Agent Art said.

  “We’re trying to decide if he should be tried by every juridical agency involved,” Agent Angie said. “Or in Federal Court. We’re leaning Federal, but that’s one of the questions for you.”

  “As victims, you have the right to say what you think should happen,” the woman from the DA’s office found her voice. “You can tell us that you want to prosecute everyone or no one. It’s up to you but . . .”

  “We’re also asking every victim, so it’s not just you,” Agent Angie talked over the woman from the DA’s office. “The DA’s office wants to be fair, but also realizes . . .”

  “This guy,” Agent Art gestured to the “X” on the board. “He’s a big deal. They want to get all of these people to give evidence against him. That way they make sure to catch the big fish.”

  “Even the biggest fish isn’t enough food for everyone,” Colin said.

  “He means that all of these other boys will go free without consequence if they only prosecute the big fish,” Agent Angie said.

  “So the guys who beat me up could go out and beat someone else up?” Wanda asked rose. “They called me a freak. They wanted to kill me.”

  Edith put her hand on Wanda’s back.

  “That’s the problem,” Agent Art nodded.

  “And we’re just supposed to decide that?” Charlie asked. “Right now? No. I’m not deciding something like that because you have some pressure to make a decision.”

  He got up. Tink and Ivy hopped to their feet because he did.

  “We’ll think about it,” Sandy got up and walked to the door. Agent Colin opened the door for them.

  “We need to make these decisions as soon as possible,” the woman from the DA’s office said. “These children are languishing in jail. We have to tell the parent’s something.”

  “Maybe you should tell their parents that their sons shouldn’t be rapists?” Heather glared at the woman. “Try that on for size.”

  Sandy and Charlie left the room. Heather and Tink followed. It took Wanda minute to get up. Ivy and her aunts left the room.

  “You understand don’t you?” the woman from the DA asked Wanda. “You don’t want to ruin these boys’ entire lives just because you want to play dress up, do you?”

  “Shut the fuck up,” Agent Angie pushed the woman out of the room. Agent Colin winked at Wanda and followed them.

  “Can I help you out?” Agent Art asked.

  “We’re all right,” Wanda’s mom said.

  “I could use some help,” Wanda’s voice gave away how upset she was.

  “Wanda, we . . .”

  Agent Art scooped Wanda up off her feet.

  “How’s that?” Agent Art asked.

  Wanda giggled and ga
ve her mom her crutches. Agent Art acted like he was carrying a princess. He set her down in the lobby and picked up her hand.

  “Don’t ever let them get you down,” he said under his breath. He kissed her hand. Nodding to her mom, he left the lobby.

  “Well, that was . . . pretty wow,” Wanda’s mom raised her eyebrows and Wanda nodded. “Pizza?”

  Wanda nodded and they made their way out to the car.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Sunday mid-afternoon — 3:22 a.m.

  Sam waited in his truck at the parking lot to Barr Lake State Park until he saw a white truck with the State Inspector’s seal pull up next to him. He got out and waited until his friend, Barry Radow got out of his truck. He fell in beside the state inspector. They walked in silence along the path around the drought diminished lake. They had gone a ways away from the parking lot before Barry glanced at Sam.

  “Your boy’s caused quite a fracas,” Barry said.

  Sam nodded.

  “I don’t think you get it,” Barry said. “This is a big f-ing deal. If Jake’s right, and he probably is, your company was set up. The new state attorney is looking into whether to file criminal charges.”

  Sam grimaced and nodded.

  “The whole thing is . . .” Barry shook his head.

  “I know,” Sam said.

  “He’s really going to do it?” Barry asked.

  “Lipson Construction is pulling off of the site,” Sam said. “Period. I’m not going to put my people in harm’s way. If they keep fracking, which they will, and the site keeps building, the ground is going to shake at some point. I want myself, my family, my people to be miles away when that happens.”

  Barry sucked in a breath and they walked in silence for a while.

  “You think the grounds gonna shake?” Barry asked.

  “I know it’s going to,” Sam said.

  Barry scowled. They lapsed into silence again.

  “You know what the other companies are saying?” Barry asked.

  “I don’t really care what they’re saying,” Sam said.

  “Good thing,” Barry said.

  “What did your department decide?” Sam asked.

  “The state’s pulling all of your contracts,” Barry said. “You leave that site, you can say ‘bye-bye’ to state projects, at least for a while.”

  “Thought as much,” Sam said.

  “For what it’s worth, I think you were set up,” Barry said.

  “Of course we were set up,” Sam said. “We’re in the middle of this transition and . . .”

  Sam blew out a frustrated breath.

  “What are you going to do?” Barry asked.

  “We’re going to leave the site,” Sam said. “We’ve met with the employees and they agree.”

  “Without all the state projects, you’ll have to lay people off and . . .”

  Barry stopped talking when Sam turned to look at him.

  “Guess you know that,” Barry said. “Whatcha going to do?”

  “We’re going to tighten our belts and move on,” Sam said. “We’ve done it before.”

  “You can’t bluff your way out of this one, Sam,” Barry said.

  “Why not?” Sam chuckled. Barry smiled.

  “I’ve been at this game for a long, long time,” Sam said. “We make our decisions one at a time. Taking on the project was a good decision. Leaving it is also a good decision. I’d guess that, in six months or so, the state will want our help again. It will be up to us to decide if we want the work.”

  “And in the meantime?” Barry asked. “Family company. You have a lot of mouths to feed.”

  Sam nodded. They continued walking around the lake. At the parking lot, Sam held out his hand for Barry to shake.

  “You really want to take this on?” Barry asked.

  “You’re kind of a worry wart,” Sam smiled.

  “It’s my job,” Barry smiled.

  “Whatever happens, we’ll be fine,” Sam said. “It’s change, that’s all. As long as we’re making our own decisions, based on what’s best for us, by our own values, I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

  Barry nodded and got in his truck. Sam went around to his truck and got in the driver’s seat. Barry honked twice and raised a hand in “good-bye.” Sam sat for a moment and then turned his truck toward home.

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-one

  Returning the favor

  Three days later

  Wednesday midday — 12:07 p.m.

  “There he is.” Sandy jogged to open the door of her salon for MJ.

  MJ nodded to Sandy. He remained silent as Sandy shook the snow from his outdoor coat and hat. He didn’t say anything when Jill came out from the back. He just kept nodding.

  “Are you freaked out?” Sandy whispered as they walked to the back.

  “No,” MJ said.

  “Why aren’t you talking?” Sandy whispered.

  “Habit,” MJ whispered back.

  Sandy looked up at him and he grinned. She chuckled. Jill gave him a hug. MJ put his hand on her belly to say hello to the boys.

  “Where’s Delphie?” MJ asked.

  “With our lunch.” Sandy smiled.

  “You mean she’s in some conversation with the sandwich clerk’s dead great aunt’s sister,” MJ said.

  “No,” Delphie yelled from the back. “She’s cutting the homemade lasagna.”

  “Who made it?” MJ mouthed.

  Sandy pointed to herself and MJ looked relieved. Delphie’s lasagna was only a tiny bit better than her casseroles, which wasn’t saying much. They took seats at the round table in the back of Sandy’s salon. Still in LA, Mike’s head and shoulders appeared on the laptop via Skype. Delphie sat down next to the computer and then popped back up to get the rolls from the microwave. Everyone filled their plates before looking at each other.

  “What’s going on with Charlie and the kids?” Mike asked.

  “We haven’t heard anything about it since Sunday,” Sandy said.

  “Weird,” Mike said.

  “What did you find out?” MJ asked Delphie.

  “I got the household budget from Sam,” Delphie squinted. “It’s more than we thought. I gave it to Sandy.”

  “Why is it more?” Mike asked Sandy.

  “Little expenses, mostly,” Sandy said. “Hot tub, house cleaning, garden stuff, groceries, and then the kids.”

  Sandy swallowed her guilt. They had the most kids, the most mouths to feed, and spent the most on them.

  “Listen,” Jill said. “We are all in this together. Jake, Sam, and Honey aren’t taking Lipson salaries. It’s our turn to support them for a change. I’m kind of glad too. Jake and Sam have been so generous. It feels great to return the favor.”

  “But our kids, they . . .”

  “They bring so much joy to the house,” Delphie said. “I love having them. So don’t think about it. We are all in this together.”

  Mike and MJ gave a casual nod, while Jill’s head bobbed up and down with emphasis.

  “Plus, MJ and I have babies,” Mike said. “They’re more expensive.”

  “What did you figure out for Katy’s horse?” MJ asked.

  “Colin’s going to take care of it,” Jill said. “There’s a deal at the stables where you get half off your boarding if you help clean out the stalls. We’re going to pitch in with that so it will reduce our overall fee. Colin said they felt like they owed us.”

  “You practically raised Paddie when they were having marital problems,” Sandy said.

  “I guess,” Jill said.

  “The LC wants us to be horse trained,” MJ said. “Some of the guys have never been on horses. The team’s going to use all four horses for training.”

  “Right,” Jill said. “That will help out with the fees too.”

  “Katy doesn’t mind?” Mike asked.

  “Katy?” Jill smiled. “No. She thinks things are better if they’re shared. She’s thrilled. Plus it’s good for the horses to have a lot of
interaction.”

  “She’s a special girl,” Sandy smiled.

  Jill nodded.

  “Okay, we know how much we have to cover,” Sandy said. “Do we agree on the charity fund?”

  “We don’t use the charity fund,” Mike said.

  “I’d rather go without something than dip into our giving fund,” Jill said. “There are people who really need the help.”

  “Especially now,” MJ said.

  “Then we agree,” Sandy said. “What can everyone put in?”

  “My salary is split in two,” MJ said. “Half goes to my sister and brother. My younger sister just graduated college and is looking for a job, but . . . She found a nanny job, but not a real professional job. My brother’s waiting tables. He’s graduating early in a couple of months, so he’ll have that, but . . .”

  “They need half your salary,” Sandy nodded.

  “Sorry,” MJ nodded.

  “No,” Sandy said. “You’re very generous. Thanks for putting it in.”

  “Of course,” MJ said.

  “What about the apartment building?” Mike asked. “Don’t you have tenants there now?”

  “The building’s about half full,” MJ said. “But Jake says not to expect a profit for another couple years. ‘We grow slow.’ That’s what he said. We want to give great customer service. If we screw up now, it can really ruin our reputation. It’s just not worth it. Or that’s what Jake said before all of this. I don’t think anyone could have predicted this.”

  MJ’s eyes flicked to Delphie.

  “I didn’t,” Delphie shrugged. “It’s either too close or I’ve been distracted by . . . everything or . . .”

  “No one blames you,” Jill said.

  “I should have . . .” Delphie started.

  “Stop it.” Mike’s voice was firm. Everyone stared at the laptop. “It doesn’t help. Plus, if we hadn’t had Jake’s prediction and your follow up, people would have died. I’d rather never go out to eat again than have people die.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement.

  “I’ll go next,” Mike said. “I gave the money I got from the art museum sale to Otis.”