The Real Macaw: A Meg Langslow Mystery

breath. “What’s up?”
    “You’re just in time, counselor,” I said.
    Rob’s eyes bugged out at the word “counselor,” but he was smart enough not to say anything. Or maybe just too surprised to speak.
    “These two gentlemen appear to be lost,” I went on. “They’re trying to survey some land where their employer is planning to build a golf course, and they wound up here by mistake. And they were just leaving.”
    “Look, lady—” White Hat began.
    “Because they really don’t want me to call the police and report them as trespassers,” I said. “Much less set my dog on them.”
    I glanced at Tinkerbell, who was staring fixedly at them. Which probably meant one of them had some food in his pocket, or perhaps had wiped greasy hands on his work clothes at lunchtime—I’d already observed that Tinkerbell was a chowhound, not a watchdog. But the two of them didn’t know her. They both looked anxious, and one of them took a half step backward.
    “Look, lady, we’re sorry.” White Hat again. I pegged him for the senior member of their team. “We thought you knew about the project. That’s what my boss said—that the mayor had informed the landowners whose property was affected, and we should go ahead and survey. But if that’s wrong, we can come back later.”
    “Just how—” I began. And then I stopped. If the mayor was involved, then something sneaky was afoot.
    I noticed that the llamas were creeping closer again. Apparently Tinkerbell’s presence didn’t bother them. Given her size, they probably just thought she was a new, rather odd-smelling llama.
    “It’s called eminent domain,” Orange Hat said.
    White Hat glared, as if he wished Orange Hat had kept quiet.
    “I’ve heard of that,” Rob said.
    We all looked at him. From the looks on the surveyors’ faces, they clearly didn’t think much of my attorney’s expertise.
    “That’s nice,” I said. I wanted to add that I was relieved to know Dad hadn’t paid all that money to a law school that would let him graduate without taking a single class in property law, but I held my tongue. No use showing the enemy that we had dissension in our ranks.
    “I meant I heard a rumor the mayor was thinking of using it,” Rob said. “I didn’t hear where,” he added quickly, with a glance at me.
    “But eminent domain is the government seizing private property if it’s in the public interest, right?” I asked.
    Rob and the surveyors all nodded.
    “Just how do condos and a golf course serve the public interest?” I said. “I thought eminent domain was mostly used to build roads and dams and such.”
    “Kelo v. City of New London,” Rob blurted out. He had a look of pleased surprise on his face, as if he wasn’t quite sure where the reference came from. “Went to the Supreme Court. They upheld taking someone’s property for redevelopment that would increase the city revenues.”
    “Economic development,” White Hat said. “Lot of jurisdictions are using eminent domain for that these days. Sorry, ma’am. Can we get on with our work?”
    “No,” I said. “Just because the mayor’s thinking about doing something doesn’t mean it’s done. For one thing, we’re not in town—we’re in the county, and the town and the county don’t always see eye to eye on everything.”
    In fact, the town and county were almost sure to disagree when it came to the subject of development.
    But the mayor knew that. If he had some kind of sneaky plan to get around the county voters’ longstanding passion for protecting the farmlands …
    “My boss isn’t going to be happy about this,” one of the surveyors said. “Can I have him call you to discuss this?”
    “No,” I said. “If he needs to discuss it with anyone, he can call my attorney.”
    They both glanced over at Rob.
    “Not me,” he said. “I’m just her brother. And not actively engaged in legal practice at the moment,” he added hastily.
    I had pulled my notebook out of my pocket and was scanning the pages where I kept useful names and numbers—specifically the several pages of lawyers who were either members of the Hollingsworths, Mother’s vast extended family, or had gone to school with Mother, or were otherwise indebted to her. I found the name and number I was looking for and scribbled on a slip of paper.
    “Here.” I handed him the paper, and was gratified to see his eyes widen. Yes, someone who worked for a property development company might well have