CHAPTER SIX – AHSOKA MAKES A BAD INVESTMENT

AHSOKA

"Sierra, we are in position now. Are you ready for us?"

"One more minute," she whispers, and then in a louder voice "Mrs. Frey? Could you check the time for me please?"

I check the time for myself. It's high noon, the exact time Frey leaves for her lunch break, where she takes the same route every day to a nearby sandwich shop. Routines are a con man's best friend.

There's a commotion and then Sierra speaks up. "Lux, she's on the move. I stuck my ID card in the door so I'm back in the office right now."

"Toss it, Sierra," Lux says, adjusting his cufflinks. "We need to find proof of those shady dealings. The loans don't prove that she's stealing budget cred."

"I'm working on it, but it's not like she has a file labeled 'Stolen Credits'," Sierra grumbles. "Just give me time. I'll find these damn things if it's the last thing I do."

Steela chuckles. "So, the thief gig is harder than it looks?"

"Shut up, Steela."

"Enough," Mina interrupts. "Lux and Ahsoka, my class starts in about a minute. Do you see Frey?"

I look over my shoulder. "Yep. She's coming in right now. I'm surprised the people haven't made her sandwich ahead of time."

"All right, showtime." Lux folds his hands on the table. "Starting in three…two…"

Frey walks in the door and gets in line for her sandwich, right next to Lux's and my table.

"Look, I get it," Lux says, having a little fun with a Mid Rim accent. "Just started college, everyone's rushing, you want in on the fun. You just need a little help with the dues. We can make that work for you."

"Thank goodness you get it," I sigh. "I asked my parents, and they said 'If you don't have the money, then you can't do it'. But it's college!"

Frey looks over the others in line to try and count, but she's getting nowhere. We're sure of that.

At the front of the line, Katooni flashes her biggest grin to Hutch, hands clasped in an angelic pose. "Daddy? Can I have ice cream?" she asks, her eyes wider than any loth-kitten's.

"And add on an order of ice cream for the little princess," Hutch tells the lady behind the counter, bouncing on the balls of his feet to entertain Molly, who's cooing in her little baby sling.

"Of course, sir. That's one bantha sandwich, fries, chocolate milk, a cherry pie, three cookies, apple slices with caramel, and an order of ice cream," the lady confirms.

"Hold on, we're not done here. Princess, do you want anything else? And do you have high chairs, ma'am? I can't eat with Number Two strapped to me here."

"Before you do that, are your apple slices organic? And your blue milk for the ice cream – that's locally sourced, right?" Hero asks. "I want her eating the best."

Behind Hutch, Hero, Molly, and Katooni, Rex and Steela sift through a binder stuffed to the brim with coupons.

"If we use this one, then we can get a free drink." Rex points out.

"But will we save more money with the other one? I wonder if they double up." Steela muses. "Better check all of them again."

Then there's Saw, staring at the menu and rubbing his chin in indecision. "Do I want milk or soda? They both look so good!"

And behind him is Tandin, holding Tav's hand and starting at the menu in despair.

"Do they have chicken nuggets?" Tav asks. "I want chicken nuggets."

Tandin doesn't answer. He's a shell of a man.

If we have anything to say about it, Frey isn't getting through this line anytime soon. She just has to stand right by our table.

"Exactly. It's college, and you want to have fun." he says. "What sorority are you rushing?"

"Well there are a few, but I got a bid for Phi Kappa Lambda." I readjust the fake spectacles on my face, hopefully large enough to make me look younger than 21.

Frey shifts just a little bit.

"That's a great sorority. They do lots of community service, and they know how to have fun. What are your dues?"

"They're about four thousand credits a semester."

This time Frey actually turns her body. I kick Lux under the table. She's eavesdropping.

"So, can you help me?"

"I can," Lux nods, grinning his best sleazy smile. "I can give you a loan for your dues, which you can pay back over three years. Thirty-five percent interest."

"Thirty-five percent?" I repeat. "I'm not sure. I don't know much but that sounds like a lot of credits, Mr. Mancini."

"It's an excellent deal, miss," he takes a credit chip from his wallet and hands it to me. "Here. If you'll excuse me, why don't you think about it and get yourself a treat?

"Okay. Thank you," I take the chip and get into line behind Frey, a line which is now miraculously moving. I order a drink and extend the credit chip to the cashier, when a hand swoops down and presses a card into his hands.

"Her bill is on me," Frey announces, smiling at me. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. You're pledging Phi Kappa Lambda?"

"Yeah, I went to a party of theirs last night. Thank you for the drink," I stick a straw in the lid and take a few gulps. "I can't wait to join, and I'm so glad Mr. Mancini is helping me with my dues."

Frey makes a concerned face. "Why don't you sit with me? What's your name."

"Rosie, ma'am." We take a seat at one of the booths.

"My name is Abitha, and I'm an alumna of Phi Kappa Lambda," Frey says, showing me her ring. "I'm going to make this quick before he gets back. That man is taking advantage of you. He's hooking you by buying your food, he's gouging you on that interest, and he'll demand you pay it back before you can afford it, maybe even while you're still in school. You'll be sinking in debt for the rest of your life."

I blink. "Really?"

"How did you find him?"

"He had an advertisement for loans – I can't take out any through the Empire, I need a private lender and I don't know what to do." I wipe my eyes. "I guess I can't do it. Thanks for letting me know, and thank you for the drink. " I swallow hard and gather my purse.

Frey swoops in like a hawk on a womp rat. "Didn't you hear about the alumni lending program?"

I blink. "What?"

"Alumni can lend money to pledges to cover their sorority dues. It's a five percent interest rate, and all you have to do is sign a few contracts and the loan is yours." She smiles, her face beaming nothing but confidence. This woman doesn't just endanger her students, she's sleazy enough to pick up victims from a sandwich line with no remorse. I'm filled with a sudden desire to do exactly what Mina wants: ruin her life.

"Do you know how I can get them?"

"I have them right here," she pulls a few sheets of flimsi from her briefcase. "You can return these to me at the Imperial Academy and I'll transfer the credits over."

I breathe an audible sigh of relief. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I'll bring those over as soon as I read them over," I beam.

"I'm glad I was here," Frey says and gets up, grabbing her sandwich to take with her. "Phi Kappa Lambdas always help a sister in need."

…

"This is bad," I state the obvious as I slide into the booth with the rest of my crew. "She is hands-down one of the cockiest people I've seen, and I knew Anakin Skywalker and Grand Moff Tarkin."

"I want to punch her," Katooni says before stuffing the last of her ice cream cone past her lips.

Hero looks up from rifling in her diaper bag to find snacks for Molly. "Katooni, don't say that."

Katooni switches to caramel apples. "Okay," she says through a mouthful.

"You've had a lot of sugar today," Hutch notices. "We're going to box the rest of these sweets up for later."

"Apples are healthy, Dad!"

Saw cranes his neck. "Hutch, you want me to tell you how many grams of sugar are in this caramel?"

In response, Hutch seals the caramel up. "Katooni, eat your sandwich. You can have the rest of this later. Back to the con?"

I flip through the contract. "This doesn't say anything about where the credits are coming from. Sierra still needs to find the cuts or the shell companies."

Just then Sierra walks through the door, a scowl on her face. She plops down in our booth next to her brother.

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear," Sierra grumbles and reaches for Lux's chips. "There was nothing in Frey's office and I can't get on her computer because I can't guess the password. I tried everything."

"That must be where the records are." Lux muses. "Hutch?"

"No can do, Bonteri. She's locked up tighter than a Hutt's fist." Hutch stashes Katooni's treats away. "What are we going to do now?"

"Ahsoka, go through with the contract and get your hands on those credits. We can use then," Lux orders. "Sierra, keep cracking at the expenses; the rest of us are going to check the school for clues. Mom's students might know something and not realize it. Katooni, don't drive Tandin to drink."

"Oh, I won't," she says sweetly. "Lunchtime is what drives him crazy."

"Mommy, Grandpa Tandin wanted to have hot dogs yesterday." Tav says, as if Tandin had proposed eating toxic slime.

"You like hot dogs. Hot dogs are yummy." Lux prompts.

"No," Tav corrects, licking ketchup from his chicken nuggets off his fingers. "Chicken nuggets are yummy."

Across the table, Tandin whimpers.

MINA

"I brought you a drink, Fiona."

Fiona sits up in bed, careful not to disturb her elevated ankle. "Thank you, Mrs. Devon."

"It's the least I could do. You say Naya's bringing you lunch?"

She nods, pursing her lips around the straw when she notices who else is in the room with me. "Oh! Hello, sir."

"Fiona, meet Mr. Mancini," I introduce Lux, gesturing for him to come in. "He'd like to ask you a few questions; do you mind?"

"Me? No." Fiona grunts and readjusts her position. "What do you need to ask me?"

"You're not in trouble," Lux clarifies. "We're just trying to figure out how this accident happened and how to prevent others. Do you understand?" Fiona nods. "Good. Now has your school recently switched brands for any of its supplies recently, or have they been late replacing equipment?"

"They replaced the water heater after that thing with the showers, but they haven't gotten new computers after those cadets got shocked in the lab," She says. "They'll need to get a new pull-up bar now."

"When was the last time that bar was replaced?"

"I don't know. It's been here longer than I have."

Just then Naya pops her head in. "Sorry Fi, the board says it's bantha burgers for lunch today."

"Darn," Fiona sticks her lip out. "I was hoping for noodle soup."

"Can't get everything you want," Naya steps all the way in. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Devon."

Lux sticks out his hand. "Mr. Mancini. I'm Mrs. Devon's son and we're just trying to understand Fiona's accident."

Naya's gossipy streak shines through at exactly the right moment. "We're going to have to put this one on the list of accidents. It was only a matter of time before the pull-up bar went. It rattled when we used it."

Lux makes a mental note. "And your nurse isn't available?"

"Not right now. Everyone's been really helpful, though. Naya's been a lifesaver, and Sayid bought me breakfast this morning." Fioma swallows. "I still don't know what I'm going to do."

"Don't worry about that," Lux says. "There are programs that can help people in your situation, Fiona.

Ahsoka's voice crackles through the comm. "Lux, I have the credits and Hutch is trying to trace them, but we're hitting a brick wall. Someone needs to get their hands on real business records."

I organize the collection of items on Fiona's footlocker. "All right ladies. If you think of anything related to the accident or if you need anything, then just let us know. Mr. Mancini and I need to speak in the hallway."

…

"You're telling me the loans aren't yielding?" Saw gripes.

Ahsoka's trying hard to keep her voice happy. "Not for the dirty money, no, but we're four thousand credits richer."

"The gym equipment is a good start, but we still don't have anything," I say. "Lux, we need to hurry. Fiona said the faulty electrical equipment wasn't replaced!"

"How? Frey is cocky, but she's smart about it. She's not going to just hand us incriminating records."

Lux cracks his knuckles. "Then we'll have to force her hand. Sierra, I want this woman angry and I mean steamed."

Lux should know better than asking Sierra to anger someone. Like we saw in the last story, sometimes she's a little too good at her job. I guess we'll have to wait until Wednesday to see if they sink in the quicksand for it.

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Until next time,

LS