Wed June 5 2019

They agreed to try and make a mining claim of their own. The next morning they met at Uncle Joseph’s office. It was in the back of a shopping mall and was in a small windowless storeroom with a TV and an old chair beside a bar fridge. The only door was propped open. There was also a table with a magnifying light and fly tying stuff. They entered through the partly open door and Joseph hugged them both and they all sat down at the table. Trixie explained what they wanted to do.

Joseph smiled. “You know I’m always willing to stick it to the man.” Trixie got Joseph’s business number and they left to make their claim. Joseph had no business phone so Trixie and Bobbie stopped to pick up a cheap burner phone at the local drug store.

They arrived at the office of Natural Resources and Bobbie learned that she knew the receptionist. “What a surprise! Hi Mary, it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you.” Mary was about six years younger than Bobbie and when Bobbie was 15 she was her babysitter. “How your parents? They ran the Clipper night club and seemed so exotic and cool compared to Mom and Dad. Of course it meant we couldn’t get away with sneaking into that nightclub when we were under age.”

“They are fine Bobbie. They spend winter where it’s warm and come back hear in the summer. They sold the Clipper a few years ago.”

Trixie smiled. “I like the Clipper. Not getting in when we were underage probably kept us out of trouble but to be honest; Mary we’re in a bit of trouble now. We’ve learned that Peabody mining co. wants to reopen the Rook Mountain mine and Bobbie owns the access road and the motel right at the foot of the mountain and wants to stop development.”

Mary frowned. “I can’t just block Mr. Peabody from making a claim. He’ll say he’s making jobs for the locals and has the support of local politicians.”

“We aren’t just blocking anyone; we represent a legitimate mining company, showing Mary the paperwork, and want to make a claim first. Bobbie’s motel would be ruined and she’s employing a lot of locals too.”

Mary shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

Bobbie couldn’t hide her disappointment.

Mary lamented. “Peabody practically owns the place and has my boss in his pocket and it is never going to be fair!” Then she perked up, narrowed her eyes a bit and asked them to wait just a minute. She took their claim, stamped it and started the processing; all it needed was the boss’s sign off. She got up, poured a coffee, grabbed some sweets and picked up a pile of papers. Mary distracted the boss with coffee and a cookie and had him sign the claim without even telling him what he signed. She brought the pile of papers back and pulled out the claim. “I’ll print you off a copy and file this. Congratulations Ladies you now own the rights to a mine.”

“Wow Mary, you should be running the place.”

Out by the cars Bobbie frowned. “Was that even legal?”

“It was just as legal as what your Rick was trying to do; welcome to the mining business Bobbie.”

They got in their respective cars and Bobbie headed back to the motel. Against her better judgment she found herself at the hospital.

She walked up to reception and asked to see a Rick Dawson.

“Well he’s quite a popular fellow. That mining guy was up to see him and so was the local member of parliament (MP).”

“Well I’m just a friend, thanks for the room number.”

She found the room and stood in the doorway. “I guess your boss is pretty pissed at you eh?”

“Bobbie thanks for saving me. I’m so sorry I lied to you. I should never have agreed to work for Peabody. My life has been pretty bad for a while. I was desperate.”

“I’m pissed too. A mine on Rook Mountain would have destroyed my business and my home.”

“I surveyed that site myself. There wasn’t anything to mine near the surface. I don’t know what he wanted it for. There are traces flourspar, but a mine like that would just lose money from the start. Maybe he wanted to suck some government money away and write off some losses. He was probably going to launder some money too.”

“Well, you were helping him.”

“I don’t know who spoiled his plans but Peabody is out for blood. If you know, you should tell them to lay low.”

Bobby saw her sweater at the end of his bed.“I’ll just take this and I’ll see you around Rick.” She turned on her heel and felt a little better for calling him out. She did take his warning about Peabody seriously though.

Johnny was still staying in one of the bachelor suites so she knocked on his door. “I have some ribs I’ve started cooking and need to finish them on the grill, do you want to come over for supper?”

“Sure. I can bring wine.”

Around nine, Bobbie and Johnny were done dinner. Bobbie told him about the mining claim. They watched the sunset and were bringing in the dishes when Trixie arrived at the door.

“Bobbie you’re never going to believe what’s happened. I got a note from Mary and Peabody is in town and went on a rampage and now Mary is head of the department of mines. They forced her boss to retire.”

“Wow, Peabody is dangerous.” I stopped at the hospital to see Rick and he said whomever scooped Peabody should be careful.”

“Rick’s probably right. Oh and Peabody called that burner phone I bought for the business. He was in a lather for sure; demanding to talk to the company owners. I didn’t know what to say so I pretended to be the answering service and told him they weren’t taking calls and were leaving the country tomorrow. He insisted so I went to talk to Greg to see if he could put him off or something and he had the world news on so loud that I couldn’t get his attention. Honestly I think he’s going deaf sometimes. He didn’t even need it so loud, they were talking to a foreign diplomat so the story was subtitled.”

Bobbie smiled. “Well, did you hang up on Peabody?”

Trudy nodded her head. “And I ditched that phone.”

“Good!”

“This is too much drama for me ladies, I’m turning in.” Said Johnny and he left.

“You just want to get out of dish duty.” Trixie called out as he went.

They stayed up late and drank a little too much trying to decompress from the day so Trixie decided to stay over.

Bobbie looked at Alex’s picture after she got in bed and told him about how they saved Rook Mountain and thought about how he would have laughed and played along.