Contracts and Power

Claudette sighed. The two men at the table with her were still screaming at each other; both claiming to be the victim, both wanting some kind of retribution. She’d barely been able to get them to the table in the first place. She didn’t know that anyone else could’ve. Fredrick had called her about problems in his business. Word was traveling that she had no fear and there wasn’t much she was unable to find. Someone was skimming coin from him, and he wanted to know who.

The two men in front of her, Gaven and Dawson, were the most likely. High enough in the organization to be less suspicious, but low enough to be spiteful. She leaned back in her chair, drumming her fingertips on the armrests. She had thought they would tire themselves out by now, but they weren’t showing any signs of slowing down. They were giving her a headache.

She reached down for the briefcase she brought with her. She lifted it up and dropped it, opposed to setting it, onto the table. The metal slammed into the wooden table. Both men flinched and turned to her, the blush of anger all over Dawson’s face.

“This is what we’re gunna do,” Claudette said, immune to their glares. “Both of yall are going to put your butts back in the chairs. I’m tired of the way this is going.”

She looked at them both in turn. They wanted to defy her. She was new in this field, so it didn’t surprise her in the least. She held their stares until they lowered themselves back down to the chairs. She leaned forward and popped the latch on the briefcase.

“I know it was one of you,” she continued. “I thought maybe I could figure out which while sitting here. Alas, I cannot.”

“We both know it was him,” Gaven sneered. “I shouldn’t even be in this meeting! I’ve never done a single thing against Fredrick or his business!”

“Sounds like something a guilty person would say!” Dawson fired back.

“I have two contracts here,” Claudette said, as if they hadn’t spoken. “One is an agreement with me, that the money will all be put back by the end of next season. That gives whichever one of you did it, time to get the coin put together.” She slid the pair of contracts over the table to each of them. “The other is a contract you will sign designating half your pay for the next year to go into Fredrick’s fund for orphaned children.”

“I will not be signing anything!” Dawson yelled.

“I thought you might say that,” Claudette said with a nod. “So I brought these too.”

She lifted the lid to the briefcase again and pulled two folders out, plopping one down in front of each of them, gesturing for them to read. Claudette crossed her legs and leaned back, tipping her head to the side as she watched them. As they flipped through the pages, they paled. Gaven swallowed hard and wiped sweat off his brow. Claudette’s lips twitched into a smile.

She might be new to this business, but she wasn’t new to finding information. Becoming a problem solver was what got her off the streets. Becoming the best at it would keep her in her new comfortable life. Both of these men had gotten their fingers in a lot of pies. Fredrick would not be pleased. It hadn’t even been that hard to find, all things considering. People in taverns liked to talk, especially when you ply them with the drink of their choice.

“As I was saying,” she continued as they slowly closed their folders. “You will sign the contracts, you will eagerly donate to this worthy cause, and you won’t stir up any more trouble. Otherwise... I’m sure Fredrick would love to see these files.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Dawson growled. “You would never be safe in this town again.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and held his gaze, not even remotely threatened by him. She’d been up against men much scarier than the two in front of her. She wasn’t about to be afraid now.

“Try me, Mr. Lane,” she said, voice level. “I’m not the one with something to be afraid of.”

She pulled pens out of the briefcase and held them out to the two men, forcing them to lean toward her to take them. It was the small things that showcased power. They were both grumbling now, reading over each contract. Neither wanted to sign. It was expected. She knew they would with a little nudge.

“This offer expires in 60 seconds,” she said as she stood. “After that, it will be up to Fredrick.” She picked at her nails as they glared at her, trying to find a way out of it. “Time’s almost up.”

Dawson sighed dramatically and scrawled his signature over both contracts. Gaven let out a string of creative curses she had to give him credit for as he signed. She took the contract agreeing to repay the money, and left the agreement to donate their pay to charity for them to deal with.

“It would be best if you turned those in quickly,” she said, slipping the other contracts into her briefcase. “I’ll be watching.”

With that, she snapped the latches closed and walked out of the room. She could feel Dawson’s magic crackling in the air, but didn’t change her pace. He wanted to make her flinch, and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.