[Georgia 03] Fallen

up the mess Ricardo and his friends had made. And then Faith had killed him.
    Amanda must have known this, too, but she treaded carefully. “Your line of business isn’t without its risks. Mr. Choo understood this as well as anyone.”
    Julia Ling hesitated long enough to make Will worry for Faith, then finally let out a slow, “Yes. The cost of doing business. I think we’ll let Benny rest in peace.”
    Amanda appeared as relieved as Will felt. “I hear your brother’s coping with his new surroundings.”
    “Yes,” she said. “ ‘Coping’ is a good word for it. Roger’s never liked the heat. Savannah is practically tropical .”
    “You know, there’s a vacancy at the D&C. Perhaps I could see if they’ll take Roger? Might be nice to give him a change of scenery.”
    She pretended to think about it. “Still a little too warm.” She smiled. “How about Phillips?”
    “Well, that is a nice facility.” It was also where Ignatio Ortiz was serving his manslaughter rap. Amanda shook her head like she was very sorry to say that that particular holiday had already been booked by another family. “Doesn’t seem like the right fit.”
    “Baldwin is a better drive for me.”
    “Baldwin isn’t really suited to Roger’s temperament.” Most likely because the prison only handled minimum to medium security inmates. “Augusta? It’s close but not too close.”
    She wrinkled her nose. “With the sex offender release site?”
    “Good point.” Amanda seemed to think on it, though she must’ve already cleared the deal with the state attorney’s office. “You know, Arrendale has started taking in some maximum security prisoners. Only with good behavior, of course, but I’m sure that Roger could swing that.”
    She gave a chuckle. “Oh, Mandy. You know Roger. He’s always getting into trouble.”
    Amanda’s offer was firm. “Still, I’d think about Arrendale. We could certainly make sure his transition was a pleasant one. Evelyn has a lot of friends who want nothing more than to see that she’s returned home safely. Roger might as well get something for himself in the process.”
    Julia stroked the dog. “I’ll see what he says the next time I go visit him.”
    “A phone call might be better.” Amanda added, “I’m sure he’ll want to hear about Benny from you rather than a stranger.”
    “God rest his soul.” She squeezed Amanda’s leg. “It’s horrible to lose people you care about.”
    “It is.”
    “I know that you and Evelyn were close.”
    “We still are.”
    “Why don’t you get rid of Tonto here and we can comfort each other?”
    Amanda’s laughter sounded genuinely delighted. She patted Julia’s knee, then stood up from the couch. “Oh, Jules. It’s been nice seeing you again. I wish we could do this more.”
    Will started to stand, but then remembered the revolver. He put his hands in his pockets to keep his pants tight enough to hold it in place. All he needed was to break up whatever game Amanda was playing by dropping a gun through the leg of his pants.
    Amanda said, “Let me know about Arrendale. It really is a lovely place. The windows are four inches wider in the close-security wing. Lots of sunshine and fresh air. I think Roger will love it.”
    “I’ll let you know his decision. I think we can all agree that uncertainty is bad for business.”
    “Tell Roger I am at his beck and call.”
    Will opened the door for Amanda. They walked back through the shop together. The crew had obviously taken a break. The machines were idle, the stations vacant. The radio had been turned down to a low hum. He mumbled to Amanda, “That was interesting.”
    “We’ll see if she does her part.” He could tell she was hopeful. The bounce was back in her walk. “I’d bet my left one Roger knows exactly what happened at Ev’s house yesterday. Julia probably told him herself. She would’ve never let us step foot in here if she wasn’t willing to deal. We’ll know something within the hour. Mark my word.”
    “Ms. Ling seems eager to please you.”
    She stopped and looked up at him. “Do you really think so? I can never tell if she’s just being affectionate or …” Amanda shrugged in lieu of finishing the sentence.
    He thought she was joking, then realized she wasn’t. “I guess. I mean—” He felt himself start to sweat. “You’ve never—”
    “Grow up, Will. I did go to college.”
    He could still hear her chuckling as they walked toward the front office.