“AND WHAT, pray tell, is step two?” Laura rested against her desk, her hands on the surface. She looked calm, but I could tell she wasn’t.
“I was wondering if you could get information for me,” I said. “Well, not you, exactly, but one of your employees.”
She looked at me expectantly. She didn’t ask for the details.
She just waited.
“I was wondering if you could find out who owns the building,” I said.
“And then what will you do, Smokey?” she asked.
My heart rate rose. I was surprised, but I suppose I shouldn’t have been. I was about to break one of my many personal rules. I was going to attempt to use Laura’s fortune for one of my own goals.
“I was hoping you would offer them so much money for the property that they wouldn’t be able to say no.”
She smiled slowly. Her eyes actually twinkled. “You want me to help you with my money?”
I supposed I deserved this. We’d fought over her money so many times. Or rather, I had fought her over it.
“Yeah,” I said softly.
“I would be happy to,” she said. “I love problems that you can throw money at and solve.”
“We’re not solving everything,” I said. “There’s Lacey’s future, and the girls who might be there, and—”
“We can move that thing away from the school, and that’s a start,” Laura said. “Even though you don’t believe me, I do listen to you. I know that you want to help as many of the kids as possible, that sending Jimmy and the Grimshaws to a private school doesn’t help the other students. I know that and I understand your hesitation. But this a solution that can help everyone.”
“Yes, it can,” I said.
She smiled. “This might be the high point of my day.
Something I can actually do.”
The intercom buzzed. “Ms. Hathaway, I’m sorry, but you have five minutes before the professors arrive.”
“Lucky me,” Laura muttered, and then hit the intercom.
“Thanks, Judith.”
“I’ll head out,” I said.
“Judith will call you at the end of the day with that information,” Laura said, as she rounded her desk. Behind her, the windows of the Civic Center seemed even darker than usual.
I wanted to lean over and kiss her but I knew that wasn’t appropriate. We had agreed that we wouldn’t have any public displays of affection at Sturdy.
“Smokey?” she said as she sat down. “Is it okay for me to see Lacey?”
Laura and Lacey really didn’t know each other.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ll ask.”
“And one other thing,” Laura said. “The doctors tested her for venereal disease, right?”
“They’re giving her penicillin,” I said.
“Has anyone figured out how to handle it if she’s pregnant?”
My cheeks warmed. I hadn’t even thought of that. I doubted Franklin had, either. I didn’t know if Marvella or Althea had discussed it.
“I mean, it might make a difference about the school,” Laura said. “Some families send their daughters to one of those homes during a pregnancy.”
I noted that she didn’t even mention an abortion. But Marvella would. She knew the safe and legal places to get one, and I knew Laura did, too. Maybe she just thought it inappropriate for someone so young.
“I’ll let you know,” I said.
She nodded, her gaze still on mine. “I’m so sorry,” she said.
“I know,” I said. “Me too.”
I let myself out of the office. Four white men looked up in surprise. Two wore suits, but two wore jackets and turtlenecks. The two turtleneck men had longish hair and beards.
The professors. They would be as impressed with Laura’s clothes as I had been, and wouldn’t find them unusual. I tipped a mental hat to Laura. She knew her business so much better than I ever would.
“Thanks, Judith,” I said, tapping the desk as I went by.
“No problem, sir,” she said firmly, probably for the benefit of the professors. I headed toward reception, and tried not to let a dark mood overtake me.
I had so wanted Sturdy to own the building that I hadn’t really explored the other options. Getting rid of the hotel had become more difficult, but not impossible. However, the way that real estate sales operated on the South Side, getting a quick sale might be impossible.
I decided not to worry about it yet. I would see what happened before I made any snap judgments.
The girl in reception started when she saw me come out of the back. Then she realized who I was and tried to smile. I smiled at her, nodded, and headed for the elevator.
Refraining from snap judgments would be hard no matter what I did. I didn’t want to think about a possible Lacey pregnancy, because all I would do was worry. We wouldn’t know if she was pregnant until she got a doctor’s test six weeks in. Six weeks would be just after Valentine’s Day, an eternity from now.
I wasn’t going to mention it to Franklin. I’d talk with Althea. She probably had already thought of it.
The elevator doors opened and Fenton grinned at me. “She like the chicken?”
It took me a minute to understand who “she” was and why Fenton leered ever so slightly. He thought Laura and I had shared more than a meal.
“She liked the break,” I said as I stepped inside.
“Don’t we all,” he said, moving the lever so that the elevator doors closed. “Don’t we all.”