Mars Needs Women

Chapter 11 - To Catch a Crook, Follow the Money

Two marshals met us in Jyn's office within the town hall, the same two burly men who earlier hauled Damion away, but this time they came for the Broker and his henchmen. Walt rose from a chair to shake hands and greet them both like they were friends.

"Here we are again," said the first marshal, sporting a classic waxed handlebar mustache. A blue buttoned shirt with a silvery badge pinned to one pocket stretched over his barrel-like chest. "What is it with Olympus and trouble lately?"

"Hard to tell," Walt replied, shrugging.

Walt cast a quick sideways glance at me, and a slight smirk grew on his lips, implying in a teasing way that I might be a contributing factor. Well, maybe I was. I drew my lips into a tight line and glanced upward.

"Anything on our arsonists?" Walt asked.

"We issued lookout bulletins and still checking known associates. Only a matter of time before we catch them."

"Good."

The second marshal, a tall man with gray-streaked brown hair, let out a long breath. "Walt, I hate to do this to you, but we have to serve a legal notice." He glanced from Walt, then to me. "For Mavis Jones, too."

I gulped as a million butterflies took flight in my stomach. This can't be good.

The marshal reached into a pants cargo pocket and extracted a com-viewer. "Put your thumbs here, and I will transmit the notice." Once we did, legal documents jumped to our com-viewers with a beep.

"What the hell?" I blurted out while scrolling through the document. My eyes shot up to Walt. "We're bein' sued!"

The marshals stood up, and the first one dipped his head. "Sorry, Walt."

"Not your fault," Walt replied, standing. "You're just doing your job. Let me take you to the prisoners. We're glad to be rid of them."

As Walt led the marshals to the holding cells, Jyn leaned across her desk and held out a hand. "May I see?" I handed her my com-viewer.

Jyn transmitted the document to a larger, wall-mounted viewer and scrolled through the document. "Hmm... The Mars Land Bank is plaintiff. They allege fraud in your land grant acquisition, let's see... Specifically that you and Walt falsely claimed to be married in order to obtain more favorable terms." She wrinkled her forehead. "That's not true. Is it?"

"Umm..." I answered, my throat constricting. "We kinda fibbed on that part."

Jyn's mouth dropped, and she just stared at me like I was an idiot — maybe she was right. Finally, she let out a breath and said, "That's unfortunate."

"What could they do to us?"

"Repossess your farm. And perhaps criminal repercussions."

Leaning over, I put my head in my hands, and an icy dread washed over me. "Oh, no..."

"There's another lawsuit, directed at only you, Mavis. The Land Bank, who administers the emigration program, alleges breach of contract, specifically the requirement to, oh," Jyn's eyes widened, "to marry the man selected for you. Was an arranged marriage part of the contract?"

"Yeah," I answered in a weak voice. "But I kinda didn't read the fine print when I signed, then when I figured out the hitchin' part, I, umm, kinda ran away. That's when I met Walt."

"I see..." Jyn's blank expression cut through my heart. "They claim the cost of bringing you to Mars plus punitive damages."

"I could never afford that." A heaviness came over me as I rocked back and forth. "This is bad, isn't it?"

"To be honest, Mavis, it's not good." She stood, then sat down beside me and put a comforting arm around my shoulders. "Let me study these and see if something that might be done. If you wish, I offer my services as legal counsel."

Walt and I said nothing as we drove back to the farm, and silent tension hung thick in the air. We could lose everything we worked for. And it was my fault.

Foul guilt rose from my depths like swamp gas. Wrapping arms around myself, a tear traced my cheek as I broke the silence. "I'm sorry, Walt. If you want me to leave..." My voice trailed off.

I almost yelped as he hit the brakes and pulled over onto a patch of blackened grass, skidding to a stop. A shuddered overtook me as Walt turned his gaze me, and I feared what he might say.

But his eyes held no anger. "Mavis," he said in a gentle voice, "we are in this together, no matter what. Okay? No more talk about leaving."

My heart lifted more than a little. "Really?"

A sun-shiny type of smile brightened his face. "Really."

I scooted across the bench-seat and leaned into Walt, letting him wrap me with an arm. Maybe he was a keeper, and maybe I could have married him from the get-go, and maybe I should have been more careful stirring things up. 'Woulda, coulda, shoulda,' my Pa used to say.

*****

Jyn came by the house next afternoon, and for some reason, wanted Riya to be there, too. Elena and Amahli fixed tea and joined us around the table at my invitation.

"First," Jyn said, taking a chair, "I have some news about Damion Barnes." As Riya stiffened, and her eyes went wide, Jyn continued, "He agreed to plead guilty to all charges in return for jail time already served and probation."

"That's all he got?" I blurted out, jumping up. "For what he done?"

"I know," Jyn sighed. "It's disappointing, but the reality is that he has an influential father. But there is more. Damion also agreed to never go near Riya again and not oppose the marriage annulment. Riya, per victim rights, you may object to these terms, if you so wish."

Riya shook her head. "I just want to be rid of him, once and for all."

"I understand. Sign here to decline objection."

Riya pressed a thumb against Jyn's com-viewer to record her response.

"Now, to other matters," Jyn said, taking a swig of tea. "The plaintiff's cases are strong, I'm afraid to say, but the reparations are excessive, in my opinion. We might reduce the penalties."

Walt shook his head. "But we have a negative net worth as it is, and I doubt the Land Bank will loan us any more money."

"You can be sure of that. And likely, they already cut your existing line of credit. Pushing you into default is likely the intent."

Anger boiled up from my core. "I'd bet Fleming Barnes is behind all this!"

"You may be right," Jyn responded. "But proving that is another matter, which brings me to another option — we go on the offensive. If we can prove the lawsuits are punitive, the arbitrator would likely dismiss them. I have to tell you, though, it's a long shot at best."

"I say we stick it to Fleming!"

Walt, being the logical and cooler-headed one, asked the appropriate question, "How do we do that?"

"We file a countersuit," Jyn replied. "But we have to establish a pattern of wrongdoing with direct links to Fleming. For one thing, after the fire, the Land Bank began foreclosure on two of our farmers who lost everything in the fire. And get this, a mysterious investment company stepped in, offering to buy them out at a fraction of the land value. If we could link this to Fleming, it would show misuse of his position as Land Bank manager, perhaps criminal."

I added, "And he might be still getting back at me for his son's arrest."

"True, but proving that will be difficult."

Walt continued the line of thought. "And if we could catch the arsonists and get them to implicate Fleming..."

Jyn nodded. "But none of this will be easy, and you can be sure the plaintiff lawyers will resist every step. We have fifteen days until the preliminary hearing before an arbitrator."

Walt added, "And I think I know where to start. As the saying goes, to catch a crook, follow the money."