The First Meeting

[Greywind]

The First Meeting

 

Jason entered his father's office. “You wanted to see me, sir?” Professional when others were around.

 

Marlene Palmer was sitting on the corner of his father's desk and leaning across it. “Initials here, here, here,” she turned the page, “here and here. Your signature on the bottom.” Marlene's skirt was pulled up by her stretching. The heels on her shoes were higher than must be comfortable to wear for an extended time. Her strawberry blonde hair hung in a loose ponytail to the small of her back. Jason closed the door.

 

Charles was nodding his head in agreement with what Marlene was saying. “Have a seat, son. And all is this for?” he asked.

 

“So that Marlene can take over the business, Dad.”

 

She cocked her head over her shoulder to look at Jason. “Only if you come with it,” she said with a wink and a smile. “It's just boring office stuff, Charles. The important stuff usually has you signing papers with lawyers present.”

 

Jason sat in the empty chair. From that position Marlene's outstretched leg dominated Jason's field of view. Her shoe was dangling loosely from her toes. Marlene handed Jason a thick report. “What's this?”

 

“We've got a situation that I want you to look into, son. Apparently there's been some illegal dumping of some chemicals and there's been an incident. The farm belongs to, ah,” Charles looked through his own copy of the report, his glasses balanced on the end of his nose, “Benjamin Asher. As I recall, he worked for your grandfather. I believe he knew your mother.

 

“Find out what you can. Find out how it happened. Find out what the Asher's need in recompense. Not what they want, Jason. What they need.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Protect the business?” Marlene asked.

 

Jason looked up from where he was reading. “No. Lawyers protect the business. This is to protect the family name. Can you call up a jet?” Marlene nodded. “Is there anything else?”

 

“Do you need to pack anything?” Charles asked his son.

 

“No. I keep a bag packed in the trunk just in case. You seem to keep sending me out on these little firefighting trips,” Jason said with a smile.

 

“Keeps your mind engaged, son,” Charles said with a wink. “When will you go?”

 

“As soon as Marlene lets me know the plane is ready, I guess.” Jason stood up.

 

Charles cleared his throat. “You could take Marlene with you on this trip. In case you need assistance wading through the papers and records.”

 

“What? And have the company fall apart because she has everything in code so that she's the only one that understands everything?” He gave Marlene a quick wink. “I think you need her here more, to keep you out of trouble.”

 

After the door closed, Marlene said wistfully, “I really wish he'd notice me.”

 

“Marlene, my son is a healthy young man. Of course he noticed. You're just playing the wrong game. He already knows you're attractive. Give him time. He's still a little raw.”

 

Marlene harrumphed. “She was my friend too,” she said.

 

“You lost a friend, Marlene.” Charles looked up at the painting of his dead wife. “Jason lost the woman that he thought he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Be his friend, Marlene. Be what he needs when he needs it. You'll get him eventually.”

[Greywind]

Re: The First Meeting

 

Warren

 

Jason drove cautiously down the pothole laden dirt road. The dark blue Crown Victoria was not the kind of car he was used to driving. He was glad that he hadn't brought his own car along. He probably would have had more problems with ground clearance with his Diablo. At least no one was driving a herd of cattle along the road.

 

Off to the left Jason noted a farm house. It was badly in need of upkeep. Windows seemed to be missing. What was left of the curtains blew freely out. Some of the fence rails were loose or missing. Half the barn had collapsed on itself. Hammered to the rail fence was a foreclosure sign.

 

Jason slowed looking for a sign, street numbers or a mailbox. Anything to let him know where he was. He glanced at the notepad with the rough directions to the Asher farm. “Abandoned farm, check,” he said quietly to himself. “Half a mile to the dead oak, turn right, then half a mile. 'Can't miss it', he said. Yeah, right.” Jason fed the engine a little more gas.

 

Within minutes he saw the dead tree and a another lane going off to the right. He noticed a young man in jeans and a black t-shirt, wearing a cowboy hat, hammering a plank in place on the fence. The man watched as Jason turned to the right.

 

Before long, Jason came to a gap in the fence where a private drive exited. Hanging from a pole arch was a sign with “Asher” carved into it. He turned down into the drive and slowly approached the farm house. A little girl, Jason estimated her age around five or six, was playing in the yard.

 

Jason stepped from the car and adjusted his suit coat before reaching for his briefcase. Coming from the barn was a young man dressed identical to the one that was working on the fence. By the time Jason had crossed the yard to the porch steps, an older man was waiting at the top of them.

 

“Jennie, lunch time. Your momma wants you to go clean up.” He turned his attention to Jason. “Can I help you?”

 

Jason gave him a friendly smile. “I'm looking for Benjamin Asher.”

 

“You found him.”

 

“Hey. What's going on?” the younger man from the barn asked.

 

“I was just fixing to find out, Warren. What can I help you with?”

 

Jason took his sunglasses off and slipped them into a pocket. “Actually, sir, I'm here to find out what I can help you with. I'm Jason Scott.”

 

Ben gave him an appraising look. “You're Stacy Lane's boy? You've got her look about you.”

 

“Yes, sir. I've been told that I favor her.”

 

“She was a pretty girl. Used to spend her summers on her daddy's farm. How is she?” Ben asked.

 

A cloud passed over Jason's face. “She's gone, sir. A car accident about five years ago.”

 

“I'm sorry for your loss,” Ben said.

 

“Thank you, sir.”

 

Ben indicated the door. “Would you like to come in and talk?”

 

“If you wouldn't mind.” Jason looked at Warren. “Is that your twin working on the fence?”

 

“No. That was me.”

 

Jennie giggled as she went up the steps. “My bubba runs fast!”

 

“You run track?” Jason asked.

 

Warren gave Jennie a warning look, which she ignored with another giggle as she went through the door. “Something like that.”

 

The inside of the farm house was about what Jason expected. The cabinets, while looking new, had a rustic look about them. A wood stove took up one corner, while a newer range was part of an island in the kitchen. The dining table looked to be handmade and the styling was at least as old as the house. The chairs arrayed around it seemed homemade as well. Jennie sat on a booster seat eating what looked like a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich.

 

“Mr. Scott, this is my wife, Mary. Mary this is Stacy Lane's boy.”

 

Jason smiled warmly. “Ma'am. Just 'Jason'. Any time someone calls me 'Mr. Scott' I end up looking around for my father.”

 

Mary Asher was about forty to Jason's estimation. She was an attractive woman, reminding Jason a bit of his own mother. “Then Jason it is,” she said with a smile. “How is your mother? I haven't seen her in ages.”

 

“She's gone, ma'am. Bad accident a few years back.”

 

“Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean...”

 

Ben stepped in. “What did you want to see me about?”

 

“I'm here, sir, doing an independent investigation into the dumping that occurred on your land,” Jason told him plainly.

 

“So what?” Warren asked, a little heatedly. “You want to cover it up? We can hire a lawyer and sue.”

 

Ben gave his son a scolding look. “Warren, stop, son.” He turned his attention back to Jason. “I'm sure you have all the information already available.”

 

Jason nodded. “Yes, sir. I do. And I'm getting the reports from the EPA as fast as they get to my father's desk. He's the one that sent me out here. I'm not looking to cover anything up. I'm here at my father's behest to look into the matter. I am authorized to make whatever reparations to you and your family I deem appropriate. As your son pointed out, suing the company is entirely within the realm of your options. Now, you know as well as I do, that any legal action will be time consuming and even if you did win such a case, it can break you financially. Farms aren't known for making farmers rich. Any losses you may have suffered recently that could be tied to this event would be difficult to replace in the short term.”

 

“So you're just here to pay us off and call it good?” Warren was agitated.

 

Jason glared at him. “No. I am here primarily to find out how my property ended up being dumped on your property. I intend to find out what it was that got dumped, where it came from, and whether or not it did any damage while it was where it wasn't supposed to be.” He took a moment to calm himself and turned his attention back to the older man. “I am not here, sir, to 'pay you off'. If there is anything my family can do for yours in reparation of this accident, I would like to do so.”

 

“Out of the goodness of your heart, I assume,” Warren snapped.

 

“Warren!” Mary admonished. “Why do you go back to fixing that fence.”

 

“It's already done,” Warren told her.

 

“Then why don't you go do the rest of your chores?”

 

“They're already done.”

 

“Warren, don't talk back to your mother. Go outside.”

[Greywind]

It was a little more than an hour later when Warren watched from the barn as his family and Jason stepped out on the porch. He couldn't hear what was being said, so he started walking towards the house.

 

His father put his hand out to the younger man. “You remind me of your grandfather,” Ben said.

 

Shaking hands with the farmer, Jason said, “I hope that's in a good way, sir.”

 

“It is.”

 

“Thank you, sir. I'll be in touch.” Jason turned and Warren glared up at him. “Mr. Asher,” Jason said stepping from the porch. They all watched as Jason got into his car and drove off.

 

“Why was that man sad?” Jennie asked, one arm wrapped around her mother's leg.

 

“So what happens now?” Warren asked his father.

 

Ben looked at his son. “He wants to know if there were any accidents.”

 

“And?”

 

“What do you expect, boy? I didn't tell him about your bath and that freak accident with the lightning on top of it! I told him we lost five head and we were waiting on the vet's report to find out why. The EPA already has that acreage fenced off and our herd in quarantine. That man made some promises...”

 

“Guys in suits always make promises. The farmers always get the bad end of the deal,”

 

Ben was exasperated. “Warren, if that man is anything like his grandfather, he'll keep his word. Until I have reason to doubt him I'll trust him to keep it.”

[DusterBoy]

Interesting way of handling this, narrative-wise... I assume Warren got his "origin story" from the chemical dumping?

[Greywind]

The plan is to go into more detail with Warren's accident in flashback when he explains to Jason.