Lucky Charm (Lucky 1)

“Of course I did. The Corwin Curse!” George said, a little too loudly.

Gabrielle winced, glad Derek wasn’t there to hear. She drew a deep breath. “Since you know everyone, I thought I’d ask you about the families involved.”

George nodded. “You’ve come to the right place.”

“I was thinking about starting with the recent past.” The rest she could look up at the library or even on the Internet if any records of the curse had been kept. “Tell me what you know of the current Mary Perkins.”

Gabrielle already had personal knowledge of the Corwins, and what she didn’t know, she hoped Derek would share. Otherwise, she’d have to question his father and his uncles. And though she’d always heard Thomas was a reasonable man, everyone knew Edward was an unstable recluse living on the outskirts of town. And since Hank had been polishing a gun, at least according to Holly, Gabrielle didn’t think he’d be quick to answer her questions.

“So, you want to know about Mayor Mary Perkins…” George leaned closer to Gabrielle. “That woman’s one nasty piece of work. Not that she’d give you that impression if you met her. No, ma’am. In public, she’s so sweet, butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but in private?” He whistled through his teeth.

“What’s going on?” Sharon whipped her head around to see where the noise had come from.

Gabrielle laughed. “Go back to spacing out. I’ll be finished in a few minutes.”

Sharon glanced at the door. “How will I even recognize the guy if he walks in?” she asked.

Gabrielle patted her h

and. They’d discussed this all afternoon and neither woman had come up with any solid answer. They’d just have to see how the evening went.

Gabrielle turned back to George. “Actually, I met Mary the other night. She attended the lecture at the library.”

“And? What was your impression?”

“She was extremely polite. She even brought a book for me to sign. She didn’t seem upset by the fact that I was discussing something so personal to her family.”

“That’s Mary, all right. Saying one thing, plotting another,” George said. “Watch your back.”

“Dad, I’m not sure you should be telling tales.” Seth had come back to check on them.

“They’re only tales if they aren’t true. I’m giving her facts and you know it.” George waved a hand, dismissing his son’s concerns before turning back to Gabrielle.

“If Seth doesn’t want you talking about her—”

“What I want and what Dad does have never been the same thing,” Seth said.

George laughed. “Go back to mixing drinks,” he said to his son. “Now, where were we? Oh, yes. There’s one word to describe Mary’s attitude,” he said in a low voice. “Entitlement.” He shook his head. “Never seen anything like it.”

Gabrielle took a sip of her drink and listened. George was a gold mine of information.

“Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. Every year Mary comes into my bar and requests the use of the back room for her weekly staff meeting. She says she likes to keep morale high among her workers by feeding them. That’s a crock, though.” He shook his head. “More like she wants to keep an eye on ’em after hours and eavesdrop while they talk. Anyway, she always comes in like she owns the place. Then, sweet as sugar, she says that since I want to show town loyalty, she’s sure I won’t mind giving her use of the room. Giving.” He slammed his hand against the wooden bar. “Like I wasn’t earning a living for myself and my son.”

Gabrielle leaned forward on her elbows, closer to the other man. “So how do you handle her?”

“I tell her the fee for the room and the other costs. She reminds me that karma won’t look kindly on me and I wave her on her way. But I own this land and always have. She can’t do anything to me or my family, so I’m not scared of her. Wish I could say the same for some others.” He glanced at Seth, who spoke to the patron a few bar stools down from Gabrielle, then leaned closer. “But Seth gave in and damned if she doesn’t come here weekly. For free.” He scowled.

Interesting, Gabrielle thought. “Did Seth ever say why?” she asked softly.

George nodded. “He says it pays to do favors for people in high places. I don’t agree. He’s just caving like everybody else. For people who rent instead of own their homes? There’s a strong likelihood Mary’s family owns the real estate, so they cave in to whatever she asks. Miller’s Pharmacy? It was forced to close their doors just last year. A big-brand joint opened up not one month later.”

Gabrielle ran her finger over the rim of her drink, thinking about the situation, wondering if George was giving Mary’s power too much credit. “Unfortunately, a lot of mom-and-pop businesses aren’t making it anymore.”

George shook his head, dismissing the notion. “That may be true in some areas, but it’s different around here. A big chain came sniffing around and the Millers told them to take a hike. It’s not about money. Miller’s was a family-run business and had been for generations. They didn’t want to sell. Next thing you know, the landlord invokes some clause in their lease to increase their rent.” He snapped his fingers in the air. “In no time the Millers are gone. Mom and Pop Miller are out, Big Name is in.”

“And Mary Perkins owns the land?” Gabrielle guessed.

“A corporation owns the land. I bet a search of the records would show the Perkins family owns the corporation, but nobody looked. Nothing illegal was done. Immoral? You betcha. But Mary pulled some fancy PR by giving Mrs. Miller a clerical job in the mayor’s office and CVS hired Mr. Miller as their manager.”