Page 106 of Head Room

“I’ll say this, you have me thinking, you and Mike.You certainly have me thinking.”

****

Miracles do happen.

James Longbaugh had an opening at the same time I did.

I parked between the courthouse and sheriff’s department, leaving a short walk across the street to reach the sidewalk on the side street where James had his law office.

Before I started the walk, a figure came around the corner from the sheriff’s department.

“Hello, Jay—”

I needn’t have bothered.Jay Haus was already past.

He was two-for-two in ignoring me lately.That could hurt, except for the sleazeball factor.

With some people, you’re happy to have them ignore you.

Once at my destination, I had the odd feeling James Longbaugh would have liked to ignore me, too.But he was far too polite.

He said, “I am not, strictly speaking, representing the museum in this matter.More like acting as a...”

He gestured with one hand, indicating he wasn’t going to try to pin down what he was acting as with words.

Pinning things down with words was one way to describe my job.“Broker?Mediator?”

“More the latter than the former.But, instead of two parties both feeling wronged as usually happens with mediation, we have two parties who want to avoid feeling wronged later on.In that way, it’s rather refreshing.But—” I knew what was coming.I’d heard thisbutfrom James, as well as other lawyers, before.“—I can’t tell you more.”

Told you so.

“I can’t even tell you for sure if they — the veterans — approached a registered agent as they indicated they were considering at one point.”

“A real estate agent?”Even as I asked it, I knew I hadn’t misheard him.I’d heardregistered agents.

“No.Registered agent.Business entities in Wyoming have to have a registered agent in-state with a physical address as an official point of contact for the state or other legal or business transactions.”

“Business entities?”I could see how the museum qualified, but he’d said the veterans.“Like a partnership?”

He nodded.“Or other kinds of LLCs.The vets are debating forming an LLC.In Wyoming, it can be someone in the business, as long as they meet modest standards.Having an unrelated registered agent mostly comes in for out-of-state and international companies registering here.”

That set off bells in my head.Not a full chorus, but a coupleding-dongs.

Giving no sign of recognizing the clanging in my head, he went on.“For those businesses there are various levels of registered agents, including CPAs and lawyers.”

“You?”

“No.I don’t care to get into that.Plenty of other things to keep my practice more than busy.”

“And the veterans are using one of these registered—?”

“As I said, I don’t know if they determined that was the direction they wanted to go.I suppose I’ll hear their decision at our scheduled meeting next week—” During my honeymoon.“—but they haven’t told me and I can’t help you further now.”

I knew that tone.Polite, but firm.

I left the office without an argument, and walked down the side street toward the courthouse parking lot.I was almost to my SUV when I stopped.

A scene replayed in my head from before talking to James.