Chapter 12: The New Normal

The remainder of the morning passed quickly. Dr. Richards had Elspeth researching several issues concerning the neighborhood. Elspeth’s subscription to the Boston Globe helped, but her family tree helped more. Elspeth thought she was getting a grip on things when Dr. Richards dropped the bomb―they were going to meet Veronica.

Stories about Veronica made her seem almost superhuman. Dr. Richards freely admitted that the first ring in her nose came from Veronica. Symbolism rarely gets more clear. Yet, the actual person was a disappointment. Veronica was a sober alcoholic, trying hard to balance business and the thought of the next vodka martini.

Fortunately, Elspeth had notes to take, so it was easy to hide her reaction. The meeting was in a bar, but it was as official as any boardroom and almost as staged. Like many board meetings, much was discussed but little was decided. Afterward, Dr. Richards called Syd Rice at MBC&L, telling him that she had established contact with the objective. When Syd demanded more details, Elspeth asked for the phone. She told L. Sydney Rice JD that Dr. Richards was on a first name basis with Adele Cabot, to give Dr. Richards the respect she had earned, and to respect his elders.

With a satisfied smirk, Elspeth returned the cell phone. Dr. Richards’ smile was more affectionate. An hour later, over dinner, Dr. Richards laid out her plan for the coming month―Elspeth would go north and babysit the Concord office while keeping an eye on the Manchester bridge project. Dr. Richards had an apartment in Hooksett, halfway between Concord and Manchester. She gave Elspeth a key to the apartment for the duration. Elspeth already kept a change in the guest room, but it was a nice formality.

What began as a plan for a month became the new normal. Dr. Richards spent half her time on the road between Boston and Concord, while ran the business in Concord. Elspeth moved out of her sublet apartment, into the larger one in Hookset and seriously considered taking over the lease. However, things again changed when Dr. Richards stopped over in Nashua. In addition to a tank of gas, she picked up several real estate listing books. Hooksett was halfway between Concord and Manchester, but Nashua was halfway between Concord and Boston. Elspeth could read the writing on the wall.

Sure enough, Dr. Richards started investigating Nashua, first the real estate market and then the community at large. Before long, Elspeth was introduced to a number of the important ladies of Nashua, a small but noticeable fraction of which were relatives. This was not unexpected, since Nashua served as a bedroom community for greater Boston, but Elspeth was surprised by the comfort she drew from the familiarity. It did not hurt that the ladies treated Elspeth like royalty.

Elspeth was already spending more time in the Hooksett apartment than Dr. Richards. Soon, Dr. Richards would only stop for a shower and change of clothing, while en route from Boston to Concord or vice versa. Elspeth took over running so much of the Concord business so that Dr. Richards could get by with an occasional personal appearance while focusing on Boston. Underneath it all, both were spending more and more time in Nashua―Dr. Richards in person, Elspeth electronically.

Despite the neglect, the Concord business was flourishing. FD Consulting had a solid reputation on both sides of the Paroles and Pardons (P&P) table. During the summer, the Governor quietly asked if Dr. Richards wished a seat on the P&P board. The implied honor thrilled Elspeth, though she was certain Dr. Richards would refuse, which she did. None-the-less, September marked their tenth P&P client and October finally saw the completion of the Manchester project. That check turned the first profit, even though the staff had grown to seven. Elspeth would have felt better if she were not certain more change was coming.

A clear sign was Dr. Richards renting an apartment in Nashua. Elspeth let her Concord sublease end in June and moved the rest of her things to Hooksett or storage. For the moment, Elspeth could sit the remainder of the Hooksett lease and plan to find a new place when things began to resettle. In the meantime, Elspeth focused on work and tried not to worry about the amount of time Dr. Richards was spending near her old flame, Veronica van Kampen.

That was the point when Lars Gunter chose to reappear. Dr. Richards’ fiancé had been stationed in Japan for over two years. He came to the United States to pay tribute to Georg Karl. The longtime manager of Siemens’ North American interests was retiring, triggering changes that marked the end of Lars’ tour of the Far East. After the formalities, Herr Gunter would transfer to the Siemens home office in Berlin. While her fiancé was available, Dr. Richards tried hard to get pregnant, with no success. That may have figured into her decision to accept an offer from Nashua County.

As in any other sphere, money made Nashua politics function. The County owned some land that it wanted to sell. The problem was three-fold. First, a covenant required the land to be sold as a unit. Second, there was a large house that had to be included and could not be removed. Finally, the property was quite difficult to approach except by boat. Although the value was excellent, so far no one even seriously nibbled. After one look, Elspeth knew that Dr. Richards would grab the opportunity with both hands.