closely in general. She wasn't telling him that though. After all, he wasn't really being followed.
He made the call to set things up, then stood for a long time, pacing, edgy and worried suddenly. Fearing prison no doubt. It would be good for him to do that. If Keeley hadn't been who she was and have her connections, it would be where he was really headed.
"I was going to take you with me. Send for you. Both of you..." It was a lie, a blatant one, but instead of calling him on it Keeley just agreed.
"I know. You wouldn't just abandon us. That would have been evil. Go now. I'll try to hold them off as long as possible. You can't contact us again, not until the statute of limitations runs out. Seven years I think, but make sure to check that out. A mistake now could be deadly."
He moved to hug Sherry, who let him, looking pained.
"I'm sorry... I guess I kind of messed up."
He didn't try to hug Keeley, which she was grateful for. After all, she didn't want to know how much he was lying. She didn't have any illusions there, but it was kind of too much at the moment. The cab came a few minutes later and he left into the dark of the night, Sherry standing next to Keeley in the front door of the house.
If he looked back she couldn't see him doing it.
After a minute they went back in, Sherry drying her eyes and looking around the rather nice house. The one that Coretechs had gotten them as a perk for Charles' job.
"Well. I... don't know what to do now. How will we survive?" The voice was little, lost sounding and sad.
Keeley shrugged.
"Don't worry about it. We can stay here as long as we need. Darla will make sure of that, don't worry. Even if we couldn't, she'd let us stay with her." Not that she had space for it at the moment, with all Keeley's people crashing at her house. Well, part of them.
Sherry didn't seem to think that was real and moved to start packing herself, which Keeley stopped rather firmly, taking the packing boxes from her hands and putting them back in the storage container.
"Mom... people are going to be here in a few minutes. We need to get ready for them. Perhaps some refreshments? I could use some food myself. I'm starving. I also need to make some more phone calls..."
"I... Keeley, what will we do?" She asked it again, sounding even more worried this time. It neared actual panic, meaning she was close to really losing it.
"Leave it to me. I have this one." She did, but it took a bit for her mom to go and finish seeing to the food. Her dad's favorite meal.
She called a few more people, her school's Principal, who was agreeable to the idea of dining with some notable people from the area, and the Mayor, who was surprised to be contacted at home by someone he didn't know, but wasn't against the idea of going out on a Tuesday either, especially if he didn't have to pay for it. Then she called Deborah Forbes.
"So seven tomorrow night. You and two dates are expected." She listed off who was coming and gave her what tidbits of information she had on each. On her side of things Deborah didn't ask how she knew to have two spots instead of one.
"The Mayor is a blank for me, but if you want to move up it can't hurt to have friends. I don't know, sleep with some of them or something. Walk their dogs or babysit the kids. It's generally better to do the raunchy stuff or break a minor law for someone though, since it will bind you to them faster." She wasn't really kidding, since it was a good way to get people to be friends, but it sounded so dull and lifeless that Deborah took a sudden breath.
"Keeley? Are you OK? Is something wrong, are you hurt or... The mugging..."
"Don't worry about it, nothing like that. I...had a fight with my dad, that's all. Anyway, Chez Andre at seven. The reservations are under Benson. Make sure to research everyone first." She hung up then, which was a little rude of her, but two cars had pulled up in front of the house.
The Coretechs people.
Sigh.
"Here we go mom. Get
He made the call to set things up, then stood for a long time, pacing, edgy and worried suddenly. Fearing prison no doubt. It would be good for him to do that. If Keeley hadn't been who she was and have her connections, it would be where he was really headed.
"I was going to take you with me. Send for you. Both of you..." It was a lie, a blatant one, but instead of calling him on it Keeley just agreed.
"I know. You wouldn't just abandon us. That would have been evil. Go now. I'll try to hold them off as long as possible. You can't contact us again, not until the statute of limitations runs out. Seven years I think, but make sure to check that out. A mistake now could be deadly."
He moved to hug Sherry, who let him, looking pained.
"I'm sorry... I guess I kind of messed up."
He didn't try to hug Keeley, which she was grateful for. After all, she didn't want to know how much he was lying. She didn't have any illusions there, but it was kind of too much at the moment. The cab came a few minutes later and he left into the dark of the night, Sherry standing next to Keeley in the front door of the house.
If he looked back she couldn't see him doing it.
After a minute they went back in, Sherry drying her eyes and looking around the rather nice house. The one that Coretechs had gotten them as a perk for Charles' job.
"Well. I... don't know what to do now. How will we survive?" The voice was little, lost sounding and sad.
Keeley shrugged.
"Don't worry about it. We can stay here as long as we need. Darla will make sure of that, don't worry. Even if we couldn't, she'd let us stay with her." Not that she had space for it at the moment, with all Keeley's people crashing at her house. Well, part of them.
Sherry didn't seem to think that was real and moved to start packing herself, which Keeley stopped rather firmly, taking the packing boxes from her hands and putting them back in the storage container.
"Mom... people are going to be here in a few minutes. We need to get ready for them. Perhaps some refreshments? I could use some food myself. I'm starving. I also need to make some more phone calls..."
"I... Keeley, what will we do?" She asked it again, sounding even more worried this time. It neared actual panic, meaning she was close to really losing it.
"Leave it to me. I have this one." She did, but it took a bit for her mom to go and finish seeing to the food. Her dad's favorite meal.
She called a few more people, her school's Principal, who was agreeable to the idea of dining with some notable people from the area, and the Mayor, who was surprised to be contacted at home by someone he didn't know, but wasn't against the idea of going out on a Tuesday either, especially if he didn't have to pay for it. Then she called Deborah Forbes.
"So seven tomorrow night. You and two dates are expected." She listed off who was coming and gave her what tidbits of information she had on each. On her side of things Deborah didn't ask how she knew to have two spots instead of one.
"The Mayor is a blank for me, but if you want to move up it can't hurt to have friends. I don't know, sleep with some of them or something. Walk their dogs or babysit the kids. It's generally better to do the raunchy stuff or break a minor law for someone though, since it will bind you to them faster." She wasn't really kidding, since it was a good way to get people to be friends, but it sounded so dull and lifeless that Deborah took a sudden breath.
"Keeley? Are you OK? Is something wrong, are you hurt or... The mugging..."
"Don't worry about it, nothing like that. I...had a fight with my dad, that's all. Anyway, Chez Andre at seven. The reservations are under Benson. Make sure to research everyone first." She hung up then, which was a little rude of her, but two cars had pulled up in front of the house.
The Coretechs people.
Sigh.
"Here we go mom. Get
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