He used the word I expected Gordon to use. I’d heard him use it before, heard the naked contempt with which it came out of his mouth. I won’t say it out loud for you, Shelby, but you need to understand that this is how these men saw women. All women.

“I offered her two thousand bucks to quit. She turned it down.”

“Would more money change her mind?”

“I don’t care. I’m not crawling back to her with another cent. I told her to take it or leave it.”

“Do we have other ways of influencing her?”

“Maybe. She has a kid. No idea who the father is. I talked to the mine managers about whether we should work up a court action to get the boy taken away. Get someone from child services to pay her a visit. She’s a slut and a drunk, so with the right judge, we could probably get her declared an unfit parent. But the mine is concerned that the process would take too long, and in the end, we might lose. Plus, it could backfire and win her sympathy if our involvement comes out.”

“What do you suggest?”

“I think we need to look at a backup plan.”

There was a long pause where the managing partner said nothing at all. It made me think that the phrase backup plan had a particular meaning within the firm, and everybody knew what it was. Finally, the other lawyer spoke again.

“Is that absolutely necessary?”

“Well, if it were just a question of getting rid of this Thoreau bitch, I might say no. But it won’t end with her. If we don’t shut this down, the problem’s only going to get worse. Sooner or later, this will wind up in litigation, and the client could be looking at substantial liability.”

“Can it be done without risk of blowback to the firm or the mine?”

“I’m confident it can.”

“How do you propose to do it?”

“I’ve identified local assets. I’m meeting with them tomorrow.”

“Isn’t that a risk?”

“If necessary, I can deal with them. They won’t be missed.”

“All right. I’ll expect a report soon.”

“Leave it in my hands,” Gordon told the managing partner. “I’ll take care of everything.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

“A backup plan,” Darrell murmured. He took a bite of his hamburger and stared out the motel room window. “Did Penny know what that phrase means inside the firm? Has she heard anyone use it before?”

I joined Darrell at the window. Across the parking lot, I noticed that Penny’s car was gone. She was already on the road away from Black Wolf County on her way back to civilization.

“No, but she says the firm has represented clients in labor unrest and disputes for decades. The rumor is, they have a long history of using violent tactics for getting their way.”