Laid Bare Ch. 03

Chapter Three - Pretty Pink Panties

Adele and Kimberly drove along the snaking back roads that led from the Peak property to Missionville which was a typical country town. Being the County seat there was a large municipal building across from the town common that housed the county courthouse, sheriff's department headquarters, hall of records, and the jail.

The town common itself was a small neat park out front of the municipal building with a Confederate memorial, two civil war era cannons, an obelisk and a memorial to the War dead.

Kimberly parked in a visitor's spot out front and she and Kimberly climbed the stone steps to the large wooden double doors and entered the building. A directory on the wall provided information as to where the various functionaries were located in the building. The place was busy for a small town, but whilst the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly, turn they must.

All of the County employees were well dressed, the men in suits, the women in skirts and jackets or smart dresses, if a little dated; the women all wore nylons and low heels and makeup and there was nary a pantsuit in sight but Adele stuck out like the veritable sore thumb in her European designed light-grey business suit with a fourteen inch skirt, the hem of which rested mid-thigh which is exactly where the bottom of her jacket came to. Needless to say both men and women turned their heads to look.

"Maybe you should wear your skirts a little longer while you're here in Silas County Adele," Kimberly whispered.

"Fuck 'em if they can't keep up with the times. Yeah I know, a quarter in the swear jar," Adele smiled down at Kimberly.

Adele studied the directory and then strode off in the direction of the hall of records which turned out to be a small stuffy office with a counter out front.

The counter was manned, or is that 'womanned' Adele thought, by an imposing thirtyish woman with a curvy figure and pleasant face. The woman seemed to have no inhibitions about showing off her buxom cleavage and voluptuous curves in a rather nice tight-fitting, low cut dress. She was one of the few women wearing high heels, her makeup was bright but heavy and her nylons shimmered in the afternoon sun streaming through the long narrow window.

"That's Patsy Tansit. She's widowed, but mom calls her the merry widow. Mom says if she paid as much attention to her work as she does to her looks the town records might actually be in some sort of order," Kimberly whispered.

"She also says that Patsy never has to sleep in a cold bed, but I don't know what that means," Kimberly said.

Adele gave Kimberly a wry smile and they stepped up to the counter.

"Kimberly Peak, don't you look glorious today; how is your momma sweetie," Patsy gave Kimberly a pleasant smile; her hair was permed, her face pretty and her skin was smooth in that way that some big girls have.

Momma's fine thank you Miz Tansit. This is momma's lawyer Adele Edwards," Kimberly announced proudly.

Patsy switched her smile from Kimberly to Adele.

"A pleasure to meet you ma'am, how can I be of assistance?" Pasty offered her hand which appeared to have a ring on every digit, including her thumb.

Her acrylic fingernails were long and painted bright red.

Adele shook the proffered hand and smiled just as sweetly.

"I'd like copies of some records relating to Mrs Peak's land holdings and copies of Mr Peak's birth and death certificates. There are also a few other documents I'd like copies of too if it is at all possible. I've made a list, and here is a letter proclaiming me as legal counsel for Mrs Tammy Peak," Adele offered the documents to Patsy.

"Well let me see here," Patsy's smile didn't falter as she scanned the pages.

"Well that all seems to be in order. It might take me a while to put all that together. Is that your cell phone number there Miz Edwards?" she pointed to the address block in the letterhead.

"Yes it is and that's Mrs Edwards thank you, but I'll answer to Miz if that suits," Adele smiled back.

"Well your husband is a lucky man if I may say so. Not only has he got himself a pretty wife but a smart one too," Patsy's smile never wavered.

"Can I call you when I have the documents you require?" Patsy asked.

"That would be perfect and very much appreciated," Adele replied.

"Well that's that then. I'll call you soon. Give my best to your mother Kimberly and tell her I'll drop by next time I'm out your way," Pasty's smile widened.

Adele and Kimberly turned away and went back to the entrance hall.

Patsy Tansit's smile turned into a scowl just as soon as Adele's back was turned. She walked over to the shredder and fed Adele's paperwork into the jaws of the machine page by page.

"Well that's that then," Patsy grinned wickedly and rubbed her hands together.

Patsy sat at her desk surrounded by stacks of unfiled paperwork; a romance novel or 'bodice-ripper' as her mother called them, was open on the blotter. She picked up the phone and fired by the gossip network.

Adele's next stop was the clerk of the court where Adele and Kimberly were made to wait for nearly an hour in two hardback chairs in the hallway outside. Word must have got around about Adele's presence in the building because all of a sudden the hallway seemed to become very busy, especially with the male employees, some of whom gawped openly at Adele as they meandered past.

Kimberly had bought a book with her and buried her nose in it while they waited and Adele pulled her cell phone out of her handbag and checked her messages.

"Hope you don't intend to make any calls on that thing ma'am," a deep voice rumbled.

Adele looked up and saw a sheriff's deputy standing before her. He was tall and strikingly handsome, his two-tone brown uniform fitted him perfectly, the shirt contoured to his wide shoulders and narrow hips. The wide brim of his smoky-the-bear hat cast a shadow over his eyes and when he removed it, it revealed close cropped black hair and deep brown eyes. Adele was immediately reminded of Roy.

"I beg your pardon?" Adele was caught unaware.

The deputy indicted the chair beside Adele and Adele nodded.

The deputy folded himself gracefully into the chair, a man accustomed to his imposing height. He pointed to a sign on the wall.

"Cellular phones can't be used to make phone calls in the corridors of power of Silas County," he grinned.

Adele bet the young women of Silas county got a little damp in their pretty pink panties when the deputy turned that smile on them; maybe a few of the old maids too.

"I'm just checking my messages," Adele felt silly and awkward letting this man unsettle her.

"You get that I was joking about the corridors of power right? I'm Wayne Sutter by the way," he smiled at her and offered her his hand.

Adele shook it, her own hand engulfed by his paw but he squeezed her hand gently as they shook and Adele felt a shiver run through her.

'Whoa there Adele; let's keep our mind on business,' she warned herself.

"Adele Edwards, I'm representing Mrs Tammy Peak," Adele replied coolly.

"Hi there Kimberly; no school today?" Wayne beamed his smile towards Kimberly.

"No sir officer Sutter," Kimberly smiled back at him, the infatuation in her eyes obvious.

"Are you here to keep an eye on me?" Adele said curtly.

"No Mrs Edwards but I'd be lying if I didn't say your visit here today hasn't kicked up a little storm. Folks in these parts are used to lawyers and other types of investigators coming in from out of town to do what they are want to do."

"Not many of them are quite like you though, if I may say," Wayne's smile remained fixed.

"Look I'll be honest with you. We're a small community and we mostly rely on Brindle Coal and Power to provide the surrounding communities with income in one form or another. Whether you work directly for the mine, pump gas at the service station, wait tables at the diner, or work repairing the roads, your source of income comes from Brindle dollars," Wayne explained what Adele already knew.

"There are two camps in Missionville, those that vigorously support the mine and a smaller camp that just as vigorously oppose it," he elucidated.

"Are you man-splaining to me deputy?" Adele replied curtly.

"No ma'am. I already looked you up. You're way smarter than me," he smiled.

"So in which camp do you lie?" Adele asked.

"I'm neutral Mrs Edwards. I firmly believe that if Brindle has anything to hide then it should be bought to light. That said, the company has been thoroughly investigated a number of times and as far as I know they are squeaky clean. That said, my mother didn't raise a fool, I don't know how you can take the top off a mountain and rip out its guts and not hurt the environment, but I'm just a sheriff's deputy," Wayne grinned.

"Well if you have enough politicians in your pocket and are willing to build the folks a theme park I guess you can do whatever you want," Adele regretted losing her composure immediately.

"So let me guess. You're here to warn me off. Is this like some B movie where I get run out of town?" Adele kicked herself subconsciously again.

She was well aware that she using her sarcasm as a defence mechanism because she was attracted to this man.

"On the contrary, I'm an elected official with two years left to serve and I don't expect to be re-elected. My neutrality is my Achilles heel so to speak. I'm not here to warn you off but to advise you that Brindle Coal and Power pulls a lot of weight in this county so don't expect much in the way of cooperation."

"In fact be prepared for people to be downright obstructionist. There are also employees of the mine whose job it is to make visitors like you uncomfortable during your stay."

"I'm a peace officer as well as a police officer, that's my little cliché, and I want you to be safe, not that I'd expect any actual physical acts against you. But if you think you need assistance in that regard don't hesitate to call," He offered her his card.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not your friend or ally, nor am I here to help your cause, but I don't want you to underestimate in anyway what you're up against," Wayne Sutter stood, towering over them both.

His utility belt and the Colt .45 on his hip were at Adele's eye level as was his crotch which Adele studiously avoided.

"That said; just give me a minute," he turned away and hammered on the door to the law clerk's office.

"Darleen! You stop playing online poker and let this lady into your office; don't be rude and give our good county a bad name," he called though the door.

Darleen was a dumpy woman in a wrinkled suit and the way she looked at Wayne Sutter Adele knew that her pretty pink panties just got damp.

"I was just finishing up with some filing Wayne, I wasn't deliberately keeping Miz Edwards waiting," she looked up Wayne with a dreamy expression on her face.

"Enjoy your stay in Silas County ma'am," Wayne tipped his hat to Adele and walked away.

Adele met briefly with Darleen Wright, the County law clerk for the two presiding judges, and enquired as to the exact procedure for filing a law suit in Silas County, artfully dodging Darleen's enquiries as to what said suit might entail.

She sat in her BMW and considered the day's events; Kimberly sat in the passenger seat watching the passing parade of townsfolk going about their business.

"Wayne Sutter is so dreamy, all the girls in my class have a crush on him," Kimberly finally broke the silence.

Adele was not about to articulate that she was thinking the same thing.

"Mom says he's one of the few good guys," Kimberly extrapolated.

"He's law enforcement. In my line of work they are usually the bad guys," Adele smiled at Kimberly.

"And girls your age are far too young to be thinking about men like Wayne Sutter that way," Adele grinned.

"Bullshit Adele. You were so taken with him that you didn't even realise that your panties were peeking from under your skirt the whole time you were talking to him," Kimberly giggled.

Adele blushed deep crimson. She was totally unaware that they were.

"I see London, I see France; I see Adele's underpants!" Kimberly chanted.

"Pretty pink ones too," she teased.

The irony was not lost on Adele.

"Enough of that Kimbo, you cheeky monkey," Adele knew that using her mom's pet name would embarrass Kimberly.

"Don't call me Kimbo! Can we get ice-cream?" Kimberly gave Adele a conciliatory smile.

*****

Adele checked into the only motel in town. It rented little cabins by the day or the week. Adele took one, paying in advance for a week and lugged her luggage inside and immediately called Celia who called Michelle DeLong into her office so they could turn it into a conference call.

"Well Missionville is just what I expected. I don't expect to make any allies here and I'm studiously avoiding the local interest group who are set against Brindle; it will do no good aligning ourselves with their cause," Adele began.

"I requested the documents you wanted Michelle but I'm sure the Kirsten Vangsness lookalike at the hall of records will dump my request for information in the trash," Adel stated.

"You aren't deliberately making enemies down there are you?" Celia cautioned.

"What? Sweet little me? Anyway I'll email you everything I have so far including the convoluted procedure for lodging a claim in the Silas County court," Adele continued.

"We might have one ally, although he claims to be neutral; sheriff's deputy Wayne Sutter. He's a cold fish but seems to be a straight shooter," Adele explained.

"Look at you talking all buckaroo," Celia teased.

"Is he dreamy? Does he have a big gun?" she continued to torment Adele.

"Don't be stupid! He's very professional and polite," Adele blushed and was glad that they weren't using FaceTime.

"Too late... I Googled him. Check this out Celia," Michelle's voice came through the phone and Adele winced.

"Wow!" Michelle gasped.

"He can put me in handcuffs anytime he wants," Michelle snickered.

"Professional and polite eh? Well you just keep your relationship with him professional and polite," Celia taunted Adele.

"Ok... moving on to more serious matters. Tammy Peak is in worse condition than we thought. She told me she's terminal so we need to move quickly," Adele steered the conversation back on course.

"Any chance we can use her as a co-plaintiff, make a case for both Maurice and Tammy?" Michelle asked.

"Too complicated; let's just go with Maurice's wrongful death," Celia said.

"I agree. How are things going at home?" Adele asked.

"The information we took from the flash drive is invaluable. IT Guy was able to remove all traces that source it to the offices of Dewey, Howe and French. We gave the information to our researchers who say that they now know exactly what to look for and where to look and they will have a brief for us in two days," Celia replied.

"Does anybody actually know IT Guy's name?" Adele asked absentmindedly

"Steven Baker," Michelle interjected.

Celia gave Michelle a questioning look.

"Well a girl's gotta do what girl's gotta do to get the results she wants, when she wants them," Michelle smiled mischievously.

"I think we will have suit ready to file by the end of the week and that's really rushing it. There will be just enough evidence to support a prima facie case and we can keep digging during discovery. We have Maurice's autopsy report and evidence that leads to the chemicals that caused his cancer being present in the water and soil of his property."

"We will need you to go all Nancy Drew and take samples but we already know what the results will be. We'll get our investigators to take samples from the mine, the runoff and the overburden in the valleys around the Peak's property," Michelle concluded.

"Ok our plan is to move fast before Brindle Coal and Power can bring their big guns to bear. They know we are going to file a case, they just don't know what it is yet," Adele stated.

"I'll stay down here until we are ready to file and then Celia, you come and join me for the filing; let them know we mean business. Any other questions?" Adele wrapped things up.

"Yeah; you didn't answer the question regarding Wayne Sutter's big gun," Michelle giggled.

Adele cut the connection.

Adele had stopped at the store after dropping Kimberly home and purchased some essentials which included a bottle of Jack Daniels, a six pack of cokes and a carton of Marlboro Menthol Lights. She poured herself a drink and then took a long shower.

She was sipping her drink and about to turn on the seven o'clock news when she became aware that there was movement outside her chalet. She went to the door dressed only in her fresh panties and bathrobe.

Wayne Sutter dressed in jeans, short-sleeved shirt and cowboy boots had her BMW jacked up at the rear; the nearside tire lay on the gravelled ground, obviously flat.

"What the fuck?" she came out onto the little porch.

"I told you that you wouldn't be popular in these parts. Looks like someone put a shiv in your tire," Wayne wiped sweat out of his eyes.

"And you just happened to be passing and decided to change my tire?" Adele glared at him.

"No ma'am. I was on my way to Jennings and decided to drive by to see if you were ok," he smiled at her.

"I'm gonna need you to open the trunk so I can get at the spare. I carry a hydraulic jack in my truck which is better than the puny jack that you have in this Kraut pocket rocket," his smile widened.

Adele looked at the commercial hydraulic jack under her car and the four-way lug-wrench he had used to remove the wheel. She went inside and got the fob to her car and popped the trunk. She sipped her drink and watched him change the tire, admiring his rippling muscles through his tight shirt.

"All done ma'am," he gave that smile that men reserved for when they had achieved something that they thought a woman would be incapable of doing.

"Well I guess you had best come in and clean up sheriff, and stop calling me ma'am like I'm some kind of damsel in distress in a B-grade Western," Adel opened the door wide.

"Only if you stop calling me sheriff while I'm off duty and call me Wayne," he gave her that killer smile and smacked the dust off the knees of his jeans.

Wayne went into her bathroom. The sheer pantyhose and pink nylon panties she had worn that day hung from the shower rail to dry and he tried not to gawp.

"I'll put the word out to those who need to know that I won't tolerate this kind of behaviour," he called from the bathroom as he washed his hands and forearms.

"So you know who did it?" Adele called out.

"No but I have a good line up of suspects, metaphorically speaking of course," he called back.

Wayne came out of the bathroom drying his hands on a towel.

"What's in Jennings?" Adele raised her drink to lips and finished it.

"The Lazy Ace saloon. I go there because it's across the County line and I can relax, take a drink or two; maybe dance with a pretty girl if I'm lucky," he replied with a glint in his eyes.

"You dance?" Adele gave him a wry grin.

"Two pitchers of Kentucky Common with a couple of Jack chasers and I kick up a storm," Wayne grinned.

"Hey you wanna come with?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Is that allowed?" Adele frowned.

"Hell you're a married woman and I'm a deputy sheriff. We ain't sneaking off to some boondock speakeasy; we'll be out in the public eye eating chicken wings and drinking cold draught. Maybe we'll dance; at a respectful distance of course, what the hell is wrong with that?" Wayne chuckled.

"I'll need to get dressed and do my makeup, can you wait that long?" Adele smiled at him, teasing him a little.

"Hell if I had back all the time I spent waiting for women to get ready for a date I'd be three years younger. And if you don't mind sharing a nip of that Jack and a cigarette I'll gladly wait on the porch while you do," he replied.