LITMIR.BIZ

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was wondering when you were going to get here.”

      Savannah turned to see her mother. As always Claudia Martin was ready for her close-up. Claudia, unlike Savannah was tall and still slender. Her skin was butter soft, the color of warm honey and so flawless the only makeup she ever used was lipstick and mascara. Both mother and daughter loved clothes by St. John and Claudia wore hers well. Tonight she chose a red jersey sheath with a matching jacket. Gold was her accessory.

      Savannah leaned up and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Richard had a last-minute project.”

      Claudia made a face. “What else is new? One of these days you need to tell him just where he can go.”

      “Mom!” Savannah scoffed and bit back a laugh. “He’s my boss and it’s my job.”

      Claudia waved off the comment. “Humph.”

      “Ladies, if everyone could take their seats we’re ready to get started,” Leslie announced from the small podium.

      Claudia grabbed Savannah by the arm and hustled her to the front. “I got us a spot on the antique loveseat.”

      The main room or ballroom of the brownstone was set up like an English parlor, with heavily decorated seating in a variety of brocades and velvets, crystal chandeliers, mahogany tables, gilded mirrors and a marble fireplace. It was like stepping back in time.

      Savannah and Claudia took their seats. After several moments of shuffling and jockeying, the rest of the women found seats and settled down. As Savannah surveyed the assemblage she was still intrigued by the array of women who made up TLC—everything from business executives to fashion models, housewives to single mothers and in all shapes, sizes and nationalities. To everyone outside of the elite organization TLC meant Tender Loving Care body products and its members were the equivalent of Avon or Amway sales reps. They were far from it.

      “The June meeting of The Ladies Cartel will now come to order,” Leslie announced. “We have a great deal to cover tonight—old business and new assignments.”

      Claudia squeezed Savannah’s hand with anticipation. Savannah felt the rush of adrenaline. If she was lucky she would get her first assignment. She’d only been with the organization for a little under a year but in that time she’d made great strides in learning the intricacies of the Cartel’s operation; self-defense techniques, surveillance equipment and how to shoot a gun if necessary. She’d been recruited by her mother and she couldn’t have been more stunned than if her mother announced that she was indeed Santa Claus.

      It was a Saturday afternoon; mother and daughter were in the local supermarket shopping for their annual Fourth of July barbecue. As they were loading their packages into Savannah’s SUV, Claudia out of the blue said that she was a member of a secret organization.

      “What?” Savannah laughed. “What secret organization, shoppers anonymous?” Claudia was a relentless shopper, her passion for clothes and home furnishings boggled Savannah’s mind.

      “I’m serious,” she said. “And I have been allowed to recruit someone and I want that someone to be you.”

      “Ma, what in the world are you talking about?” Savannah put the last bag in the car and got in behind the wheel. She put on her designer sunglasses and pulled off.

      “Just listen. Four years ago I met a woman in my exercise class, Dina Fleming. She told me about this group of women who are hired to perform a variety of jobs—mostly surveillance but sometimes it’s more involved. It could be anything from posing as a girlfriend to getting hired at a business to find out about illegal practices.”

      Savannah turned to her mother in disbelief, peering at her over the top of her shades.

      “I’ve done several jobs myself,” she said with pride.

      “Are you kidding me?”

      “No. Remember the big scandal about the child-care agency about a year ago?”

      Savannah frowned as she tried to remember. “Sort of, why?”

      “I worked that case.”

      Savannah tossed her head back and laughed. “Stop playing.”

      “I’m very serious. There are about thirty women who are part of the Cartel—in the New York chapter. For those outside of the circle they believe we are no more than a group of women who sell skin-care and body products. No one ever suspects us, that’s why we’re so successful at what we do.”

      Maybe her mother was getting senile, Savannah thought as she drove and listened to the absurd story. She’d seen her mother’s case of bath and beauty products hundreds of times. Now she expected her to think it was all part of some elite organization?

      “Do you really expect me to believe this? Is this some gimmick to recruit me to sell something?”

      “I promise you it’s not. I presented your credentials to the board and they want to meet you.”

      “Credentials?”

      “The fact that you work for a law firm and are familiar with the law, attorneys and the court system, we believe you could be a major asset to the organization.”

      Her head was spinning. This was nonsense, but she figured the least she could do was humor her mother. “Mom, I’m sure you really believe all this and if it will make you feel better I’ll meet your friends.” She patted her mother’s thigh.

      Claudia pushed her daughter’s hand away. “Don’t patronize me! I’m not some blithering idiot. And you should know better.” She folded her arms in a huff. “If I’d thought for a minute that you would react this way I would have never opened my mouth.”

      Savannah stole a glance at her mother and could tell by the hard set of her mouth and the deep furrow between her brows that she was dead serious.

      “I’m sorry if I offended you, Mom, but you have to admit this all sounds crazy.”

      “I know, I thought the same thing. But it’s real, very real. So are you interested?”

      “Intrigued, for sure.”

      “Good.” Her expression brightened. “I’ll set everything up.”

      And she did. Savannah met with Dina and Leslie and was grilled as if she were applying for a job with the CIA. Then they did a background check and when everything came back clear she began her training which lasted for six months.

      TLC was a secret society of highly skilled women who were hired to perform covert operations at the behest of scorned wives, jealous husbands, business executives, government agencies and families in dispute over inheritances. It came into being more than a decade earlier, having started in Langley, VirgiMia—home to secrets and lies. What began as a small investigative firm headed by Jean Wallington, slowly mushroomed into TLC with branches all across the country.

      Savannah was ready for her very first assignment and she hoped that tonight would be the night.

      “I want to begin by congratulating Tina and Marilyn for the excellent job they did with the redlining that was happening on Long Island,” Leslie said. “As a result of their hard work, the real-estate agency that was discriminating against single women home owners and black families has been closed and the owners are facing jail time.”

      A cheer followed by applause filled the room.

      “Brenda Levin has been promoted to level two for her hard work in recruiting the most new members in the past year.”

      More applause.

      “Tonight I want you all to give a warm welcome to three new recruits. When I call your names will you please stand? Margaret Jacobs, Mi Lin Chan and Denise Walker.”

      The ladies stood, smiled and waved at their fellow Cartel members to shouts of “Welcome aboard.”

      Leslie waited until the room quieted. She scanned the room. “As you

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