Brighton by Hadley Finn

Author:Hadley Finn [Finn, Hadley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-12-31T18:30:00+00:00

SIXTEEN

DOWN-HOME GOOD PEOPLE

ELIAS

The next morning, Bright takes off for her private client east of town about whom she’s said very little. I spend my time digging deeper into the issues that Reyes and the Judge will face in their reelection bids.

Reyes’ competition is stiff and, from the looks of it, well-funded in the extreme. Our old country county where a handshake is a contract and your word is your bond is all of a sudden seeing billboards on the highway and candidates hosting dinners to discuss challenges in the precinct. There’s another one tomorrow night, and I toy with going.

Early September means we’re less than two months from election day. Eight or nine weeks to protect Reyes’ seat and find a new judge. And it’s really just about this one issue, this one issue that few in town and even fewer in the county know about, but one that has immediate and personal impact to every resident.

Me: Can we meet for lunch?

Kimp: Sure. Everything okay?

Me: Yeah. Would noon at the Junction Diner work for you?

Kimp: Sure thing. Need anything else.

Me: Yeah. Can you bring Colt with you?

Kimp: You’re up to something.

Me: Yes, sir.

Kimp: We’ll be there.

I spend the next two hours seeing where the Judge’s weaknesses are and surveying the political landscape of the county.

When it comes down to it, Reyes is a fifty-fifty shot. His constituents love him. He represents them well. I don’t see him compromising his values, and his values mirror those in his precinct. The question is what would sway voters away from him. I’m hoping Kimp can answer that.

The Judge, on the other hand, is a true politician. He promises everyone exactly what they want to hear, always hedging. He’s financially solid, and fool that he is, he thinks his reelection is a shoo-in. That arrogance could work in our favor if he believes his own press.

Unlike most Commissioners, the power in the Judge’s position is considerable. It’s a stepping stone for higher level offices. Either way, it is the final say at the county level and holds its own prestige.

Because of that, the weight of public endorsements is huge and how the campaign is funded matters only to those whose livelihoods depend on the integrity of the winner and the ethics of the office. People like Kimp… and ranches like the Rangers’.

Lunch goes exactly as I’d hoped it would.

That is to say that we are constantly interrupted by people to say hi to Kimp, asking him about his kids, waving and speaking to Colt. It’s the opposite of the keep a low-profile strategy that Jon suggested. But it’s strategic nonetheless.

Kimpton Ranger isn’t old money or new money. He doesn’t do flashy. He doesn’t show off his wealth. He drives a three-quarter-ton truck that’s out of warranty, most of the time with the windows rolled down, and more often than he should, leaves the keys in the ignition. He’s down-home good people. He’s fried chicken and chunky mashed potatoes, and I want everyone to see that… to see him, and his son’s son, eating local, supporting local, in the community.

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