The Bootlegger
Chapter 17

Copyright© 2019 by MysteryWriter

I didn’t feel great during the week after the doctor’s visit, but I felt better when I worked. When I wasn’t running the lawn equipment, I was working in the field. I stayed busy until late into most evenings. I slept like a rock, but I also slept alone. It was strange at first, but as the time clock ran, I got more accustomed to it. After a short while, I assumed that Lucy wouldn’t be coming back. I even got used to the idea that her getting the STD was just an excuse to dump me.

Lucy was smart that was for damn sure. She took only enough cash not to look like a drug queen, if she got stopped by some highway patrolman or a hick Sheriff. She had robbed one of the cash stashes of nine thousand dollars. We capped each one at about that amount, which was why we had so many of them around the area. She knew where most were, so I moved them after she left me. I tried to keep the cash in play, but I failed miserably even before Lucy left. No matter how hard I tried the money piled up.

I had over half a million bucks in the off shore account which was fine. The problem was really that we had over a hundred grand of dirty money on hand. That money really worried me. When I thought about it giving Lucy 50k of the dirty money would not be a problem. That seemed like a fair settlement for her three years working with me. If she wanted more it might be a problem, but unless Amos pushed her, I doubted she would ask for more. The truth was I would love to have her back as the manager of the farm.

Farm manager had always been her real function. Sure we were lovers and that was good, but it had always been secondary to the farm’s operations. If the truth be known, I would be glad to take the rest of the business, and give her a lease on the pot farm. Make Lucy and Ruth tenant farmers. Hell I would even cut down on the output of the farm, if that was what it took.

I sure as hell didn’t need so much money. Hell, almost all my time was spent trying to figure out ways to clean it. What time I didn’t spend washing it, I spent on hiding what I couldn’t wash without buying the whole damn town. Truth was that it was hard to spend the kind of money I was making. I guess I couldn’t get off on accumulating money, just to have it. While I was on the prison farm I dreamed of having money, and all the things I could do with it. After I was out a while, the things I dreamed of inside didn’t hold so much interest for me after all.

If the truth be known, the money in the off shore account could go up in smoke, and it wouldn’t make a bit of difference in how I lived. I could lose all the cash and do just fine. When I realized that, is when I thought hard about the real future. I decided that I would make Lucy an offer, if she ever came back. I would give her the farm and half the clean cash in my accounts. The cash was to hold her over till she could form her own laundry plan. I wanted the lawn equipment, the motel, and half the clean cash in my bank accounts. I planned to keep all the money in the off shore accounts. She could call it the lease payment for the next ten years. As of thanksgiving day, I would no longer be involved in the operation of the farm, if she accepted my offer.

I expected her to change the distribution of all her pot to Amos. That might spark a pot war, but it would not involve me. I wasn’t sure that I covered all contingents, but I felt as though I had.

As I expected Lucy came down after two weeks. Her excuse was that she missed Paris, and I believed her. She tried to return about half the money she had taken.

“Keep it,” I insisted. “We need to work on a permanent plan to end our partnership, So think about what you want to do. If you want, you can consult with your new boyfriend in the Holler.” When she didn’t deny it, I knew it was a fact.

It took her a couple of days to decide. In the meantime she moved in with Ruth and Paris. As I said, I had gotten used to sleeping alone during the two weeks she visited the holler, so I was fine with it.

“Ty do you have a plan for dividing the assets,” she asked after a couple of days.

“Yes this was my grandfather’s land, I want to keep it. I will lease it to you at the going rate for farm land, you can pay me with dirty money if you want, or I’ll take the off shore money. We can’t use it anyway. I also want to keep the Motel, so I can clean money there. I want my landscape equipment, but you can have the Dodge to deliver your product. You can also keep the estate cleanup business, if you want. Since the 2nd Chance store belongs to Trina, you need to work out your deal with her. Our lease will state that you will have full access and the use of all the buildings and equipment left on the site.

In other words Lucy, I’m giving you the business. If you want to continue on the farm fine, if you want to move back to the holler that is fine as well. So think about what is a fair split of the money. Take into consideration the real value of the farm’s lease.”

“I’m going to need a while to think that over,” she suggested.

“Let me know before thanksgiving,” I suggested.

Surprise, surprise, I didn’t get invited to the Thanksgiving feast that year, but I did get a text message. ‘All the dark funds I can find, and half the clean funds in the bank.’

I texted back, ‘You tell Wayne, Marty, and June they need to head on back to the Holler by Christmas and you have a deal.’

I knew where there was at least thirty grand stashed and maybe more, which Lucy didn’t have a clue about.” I was happy to give up the rest. I informed our book keeper that I would be opening a new account in December. To prepare a final bill for the old account. I didn’t need to launder money, so things would be much easier on her in the future. I couldn’t tell her that though.

 
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