2019-09-01 - More Findings

It's meeting time! Easton gets Magnolia's text that she has some answers for him on the financials that he asked her to dig in to and he's grateful for a distraction at this point from everything else going on. It's funny but possible underhanded deals with his business have taken a far, far backseat to the supernatural goings-on in town. But he does care. So tonight, dressed in a pair of dark jeans, faded black tee-shirt and a pair of scuffed up motorcycle boots he's outside the coffee shop. He has a cup of coffee in one hand and a light cigarette in the other. Yes he's waiting for Mags but he's also trying his best to soak in the summer night, focus on the immediate here and now and not get caught up in all of the things out there that are trying to make his life a living hell.

"Those things will kill you," Magnolia says as way as a greeting. The short blonde is dressed in similar attire -- worn-in jeans, a t-shirt that proudly announces that 'This T-Shirt is Professional' (literally, in white letters across the navy jersey), and her infamous converse sneakers that sport Lark's art on the toe-caps. She unslings her messenger bag and drops down into a seat across from him with a little flicker of a smile at her lips. "I mean, your choice, but just fitting in a quick little PSA."

"Yea well so will insurgents firing RPGs at you and apparently bacon but here I am." Easton doesn't seem bothered by the greeting but exhales over his shoulder and far away from her when she approaches. He doesn't mention IEDs because well, the leg, and it's a lot less funny that way. He then remembers something and says, "Oh, and congratu-fucking-lations on the PD paintball win. That was some mighty fine paintin' you did." A grin spreads across his face and he asks with a laugh, "Has Kevin recovered? I mean, that was ... sheer beauty."

The RPGs thing slips past, but Magnolia clutches at her nonexistent pearls. "Bacon? You shut your mouth." Then she settles more comfortably in the chair with her arms crossing in front of her on the table as she settles in. She beams at his compliment, her smile incandescent and dimpled. "I know, right? Who knew." Then she laughs once more -- an easy, genuine laugh. "I felt bad... I wanted him to keep going, but he took it well."

"Sadly I did not do the studies, but I would be glad to personally threaten those nutritionists on your behalf." Easton laughs at the thought of bacon riots outside of major universities publishing this heresy. He stubs out his cigarette, well before it's done, perhaps in deference to her. He gives her a skeptical furrowed brow at who knew, because he assumed that she did. He expected a little more bragging from her having taken him out, or at least helped take him out. "He seems like a good guy, and it was for charity. Though, if I went out early I probably would have sulked." He laughs, but really it wouldn't have been good.

"So. On to the real business. What kind of terrible shit am I up to my eyeballs in?" Easton's chipper attitude may have to do with the fact that he's pretty sure it's not worse than supernatural forces out to torture him until he commits suicide.

"Please do." Magnolia scowls in some random direction where surely some nutritionists are working. Then she is smiling back toward Easton at the comments about Kevin. "He's a great guy. We've been seeing each other for over a month now. I was Nerd Adjacent with the group back in high school. So, now I guess I'm more 'being dragged in via osmosis.'" At Easton's more honest words, she grins. "Oh, he takes things well enough, I think. His ego is pretty chill."

Then she is taking in a breath and reaching into her bag for her folder. "Well. I think that's going to be a matter of perspective..." And she hands him the folder.

Easton reads through the papers and keeps coming back to the summary where Felix's name is not even mentioned, it's just Person A because putting certain things on paper is a bad, bad, bad idea. He reads through them and nods as if this was along the lines of what he was expecting. He's not blown away or shaken. He looks up at her and says, "Do you have the name?"

Magnolia waits for Easton to process what's all in the folder, though she gives him some guidance as he reads. "Long story short -- Felix Monaghan is your man. He's been putting his business in your business for a while now. He's good... he runs the small-numbers-over-a-long-period game. By the end of it, he will walk away with a lot of your cash, Easton. It's a pretty slick organization. Things would have looked odd, but not enough to actually make anyone who wasn't looking bother looking. I think because your business is a familiar affair -- made it easier for you to kind of squint at what you were seeing."

"Ohh fuck." Easton's heard the name before. Most recently from Jay when they were discussing Bennie's loanshark issues. But in the past that name has been whispered in his house for time immortal. Not that Easton spent an actual large amount of time with his parents, except for ironically here in Gray Harbor on their summer sabbaticals. That name would inevitably come up, whispered like a threat in conversations that Easton didn't care to pay attention to that were happening when he was supposedly out of earshot. And now he's finding out yet again that he should have paid more attention to something.

"Okay." He breathes out. The time for cursing and self recrimination already past.

"Here's what I would like you to do. Please stop any investigation into this. Please give me all copies of everything you have done, digital or otherwise other than what is public record and I will destroy it. I will then pay you an extra thousand dollars in cash to forget what you learned. And I don't mean in the NDA kind of way wherein you don't speak of it, I mean very much in the even if called under oath you were not able to find anything suspicious about my business. My books were in order and I'm a sloppy drunk who can't add. "

He doesn't smile for once. There's no joke to soften those words or even the hint of humor. This is him enacting a plan to keep people safe, and he takes it dead serious.

Now Magnolia's brows lift in curious, but restrained surprise. She's a professional. She doesn't let it show that she's surprised that Easton knows who she is talking about -- or at least that he has more info than she does on the issue. "Well, I can... that's not that hard, but -- " Then he's offering a thousand dollars, and her mouth drops open in more surprise -- now she can't hide it. "Easton, what -- " Then she carefully takes in his expression, and carefully adds it with his words.

"Alright. Case is closed." She even folds her arms in front of her. "So, you going to bring me in on this because Bennie is my friend, and I know where to bury your body if you're getting involved in something that will get her hurt?"

Easton's patient as he waits for her to process what he's asking. He is in full on tactical mode here, wanting to shut down a dangerous situation before people get hurt. He realizes that the money makes it more suspicious and his eyes narrow ever so slightly at his mistake. He overplayed it. Not that he's worried about spending the money but he's worried about making her curious.

"He's not a man to fuck with. He will bury you. He will bury me. He will absolutely bury Bennie. I'm not touching this. And please that thousand means you do not breath a word of this to Bennie. To Kevin. To your goddamn priest. No one."

Any care that he had about her not liking smoking is out the window as he pulls out the pack to light up again. He draws in the nicotine with a long breath before saying, "And part of that money is to apologize for any risk I might have put you in. Mags, I can't stress this enough. This is over."

It's not fear in Easton's voice or manners. It's resolve. He knows that he is outclassed and at least for now completely at the mercy of Monaghan. He needs time to process and to think about it, but most of all he needs to stay the hell off Felix's radar.

Magnolia leans back in her chair, arms not folding defiantly at her chest. Her eyes narrow at him, but that fierce expression dims slightly as Easton explains why he's at this place -- why he's freaking out. Why he's worried. She shifts uneasily in her chair now, and her arms loosen at her chest as she ticks a glance aside. "Alright."

She looks back to him after a long heartbeat, and that usual coarseness to her personality seems to have lessen. "You going to tell me when it comes time to do something about this? Because I don't do sidelines very well."

A long plume of smoke is exhaled as she agrees to his terms, as if he hadn't realized he had taken a pull and was holding his breath. Easton just nods at her. Gone is the joking and loud boisterous Easton that is all dick jokes and loud laughter, but at least this hardened version relaxes a touch too.

"I will. I need time to think. Time to plan, but in the mean time I need radio silence on this. Any attention would be a very, very bad thing."

He takes another pull on the cigarette and by sheer force of will, plasters a smile on his face by the end of the drag. "So. You and Kevin? Bennie nearly rubbed her face on his biceps when she saw him again all jacked, I imagine that makes for fun times."

Magnolia continues to watch Easton like she's waiting for a clue to drop on what the fuck is going on. He's good. He doesn't let her see more than she already knows. So, she takes in a deep breath and lets the conversation flow right onward. She hasn't forgotten, Easton. She will never forget. She's a goddamn elephant when it comes to cases.

"Apparently he found out that endorphins make you happy. I mean, I learned that from Elle Woods -- " Legally Blonde, " -- and I still don't exercise unless I have to. Besides, I look vaguely like a ripe strawberry when I start exerting myself." She shrugs her shoulders a bit. "But yeah. I mean, he's got a dork cute going on, and he kinda looks like that guy from Captain America. You know, but without the really hot beard."

Then she squints. "You and Bennie, huh? You know I know where to bury bodies." FRIEND THREATENING BOYFRIEND, initiated!

He knows that paying her money to 'forget' really means just kicking the can down the road. She's literally paid to be curious and find shit out, but he needs the time to figure out somethings with dear old Dad.

"Dude must be the happiest man alive." Easton grins and says, "True. Same ass." Look Kevin does squats at the same gym he works out at, just because he's not interested doesn't mean he's blind dammit.

"Yea we-.." Oh, that took a turn he wasn't expecting. I know where to bury the bodies "Yes ma'am. I wouldn't dream of hurting her."

There's a lot Magnolia could buy with a thousand dollars right now -- like at least five more weeks of groceries as long as she keeps using coupons. Or maybe a few coffees out -- she didn't, after all, get a cup of coffee before she sat down. So, she'll let it go -- for now. Until her curiosity gets the better of her. Hopefully, she will have spent all of Easton's money by then.

"He's pretty happy, I am too. He's great with Lark." And that counts. A lot. Then she settles into a warmer smile and she shrugs. "I know. She's mad for you. I'm just making sure you know whose in her corner."

Easton smiles more easily as talk returns to Kevin and Bennie. It's much more comfortable territory to cover. "I understand. And after that sharp shooting I will definitely take that into consideration."

He then stands and says, "I will drop the money off this week. Thanks for your help with this, sorry it ended up here."

As if he's eager to put the professional talk behind him and go back to only being social acquaintances, so he doesn't stick around. This was a business meeting. Maybe next time they can just hang out or something. Maybe. Easton gives her a final nod and then heads off.