Free Peak Oil by Arno Joubert Page A

sweeping motion with his arm. “He employs the entire town. He’s kind of become the unofficial custodian of Dabbort Creek.”
    Alexa raised her eyebrows. “He employs the entire town?”
    Harvey gave a couple of jowl-bouncing nods. “Yep, at the Refatex refinery, thirty miles out of town. If he pulled out, this town would die. He's sort of our guardian.”
    Neil studied the man’s face with a calculated look. “Does he employ you as well?”
    The deputy shook his head and gave a throaty laugh. “Nope, that would be impartial, wouldn’t it?” He leaned back and steepled his fingers on his stomach. “The state of Texas does.” He winked. “But we do get some generous benefits.” His chair protested as he rocked back and forth. “Mr. Fitch looks after his own.”  
    Alexa looked amused. “How?” she asked, brushing her long bangs behind an ear.
    Harvey stood up and sauntered to the window, staring outside. “He subsidizes our gas bill. We only pay twenty percent of the standard rate,” he said with his back to them. He turned around to face them, his thumbs hooked into his belt. “Plus he funds Saint Josephine’s, the best damn hospital in a hundred mile radius.”
    Alexa folded her arms and tapped her lips with a forefinger. “Does he fund the academy as well?”
    “Yep, he built it. It has a fantastic library and a history of oil museum. You should visit it sometime.” Harvey unhooked his thumbs from his belt and marched over to his table and then flopped into his chair. He pulled a notepad toward him, picked up a ballpoint pen, and then cleared his throat. “In fact, he subsidizes the majority of the businesses in the entire town.”
    Alexa smiled at his nonverbal “would-that-be-all?” cue. “When is he expected to be here?”
    “Day after tomorrow, at noon. He’ll visit the refinery and then stay over at his ranch for a couple of days. Then back to HQ in Houston, I guess. Same old.”
    Neil cast a quick glance at Alexa, and she nodded. It felt like they had overstayed their welcome. They both stood up.
    “Thank You, Deputy.” They shook hands and said their good-byes.
    Tony gave them a friendly wave on their way out, and Alexa almost felt relief as the warm blast of Texas air heated her skin. They climbed into the rental and sat in silence for a moment.
    “It seems as if Fitch is doing a lot for the place,” Neil said.
    Alexa nodded thoughtfully. “Well, his refinery payrolls the entire town. I guess happy residents make for happy staff.”
    Neil cranked the ignition. “Should we pay the refinery a visit?”  
    Alexa leaned back and placed an arm over her forehead. “Can’t do any harm. I’m straight out of ideas on how to proceed. We need more intel.”

     

They drove past the shop fronts and the bus depot. A mile down the main strip, the concrete sidewalks gave way to green lawns as they entered suburbia. The houses were luxurious and well-maintained, built on large sprawling plots of land.  
    Neil glanced at Alexa, a naughty grin on his face. “Do you know what Mary-Lou asked me this morning?”  
    She cocked her head, interested.
    “She wanted to know if you would be her mommy.” He smiled. “Apparently you remind her a lot of her mother.”
    Alexa frowned, momentarily taken aback, and then smiled slowly. “What did you say?”
    He looked at her then back at the road and shrugged.
    She punched his shoulder. “What?”
    “I said that you hated kids.” He flinched as she punched him again, harder this time.  
    “You did not.”
    Neil chuckled. “No, I asked her where her real mommy was, but she shut up like a clam.” His lips pressed together and he cast her a conflicted glance. “She just stared at me.”
    Alexa looked straight ahead. She could see that his interaction with the kid had upset him somehow. She turned in her seat as she noticed a patrol car with flashing lights in front of one of the houses. “Slow down.” She craned her neck. “What’s this all