Dig Too Deep by Amy Allgeyer

Author:Amy Allgeyer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-02-02T19:34:25+00:00

Twenty-Two

Twelve note cards, held together with a hair band, lie in my lap. Each is neatly printed with a topic and several bulleted notes underneath.

• health statistics in the valley (compliments of Dr. Lang)

• health statistics of MTR mining communities

• commonalities between the two

I toy with the green splint on my finger and try to concentrate on what I’m going to say. I need to be convincing but not inflammatory. I need to point out that jobs can’t take precedence over people’s lives. I need to sound less nervous than I feel. I need to breathe.

I look at the clock over the wood-paneled counter at the front of the room. 7:02. They should be starting, but the council is nowhere in sight. I’m sure I’m at the right place because there’s a handful of people sitting in the room with me, each with his or her own version of notes. No one else has a bright-green splinted finger though.

Someone drops into the seat next to me and I glance up.

“Hey, new girl.”

Dobber! I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life. “What are you doing here?”

He glances sideways at me, a half smile on his face. “Taking a stand.”

I remember my advice to his father and grimace a little. “Does Cole know you’re here?”

“Yep.”

“How’d that go over?”

“’Bout as well as you punching him in the face. But dammit, Liberty, Peabody screwed my daddy over bad.” His eyebrows pull together. “I gotta do something.”

“I understand.” In my mind, I see a frail old lady on a faded plaid sofa, clutching a bloody Kleenex. “We’re in the same boat.”

A door at the back of the dais opens and a group of men and women come through, the last two men deep in conversation together. The taller man, dressed in a suit I can tell was cut just for him, has Donald Trump hair and a lot of shiny, white teeth he manages to smile through even when talking. I recognize him from the photo at the town library. His library. Robert Peabody.

“Mother fucker.” Dobber’s hand tightens on the armrest.

“What’s he doing here?”

“You think he knows why you’re here?”

“No way. I didn’t tell the woman from the county what my business was.”

“That don’t mean he don’t know.” Dobber frowns at me. “You were talking about it at school.”

“Just to you and …”

We stare at each other, both wondering the same thing. Would Cole have told Peabody? Even with the black eye factored in, I just can’t see Cole doing that. It’d be like tattletaling on me. So kindergarten.

“No way,” I say. My voice sounds about as sure as I feel. Which is not very.

Dobber sighs. “Liberty, there’s something you should know. Cole—”

A gavel bangs and everyone in the room stands.

I raise my eyebrows at Dobber. “What?”

“Later.”

The meeting is called to order with the Pledge of Allegiance and an introduction of the commissioners. Robert Peabody takes a seat on the stage even though he’s not on the commission. I don’t like it at all.

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