The alarm clock went off at seven o'clock. I'd slept in my own bed, with Jana down the hall in what had become her temporary bedroom. We'd talked well into the evening, about nothing in particular, except that she'd pressed me for my thoughts about who took potshots at us and then planted a bomb in my office.
And why.
I told her truthfully that I had no idea, although I had certainly been thinking about it. I knew that Stone and half a dozen other detectives were making regular appearances in Briggsdale. This was one time where, given their resources, the police were undoubtedly far ahead of anything I could have done. All we could do was wait, and try not to get killed while we were waiting.
When I arrived outside the offices of Adam Larsen & Associates, P.C., I found a couple of workmen repairing the door frame. They moved aside long enough to let me pass, and resumed their work.
Diana sat at her usual spot behind the reception desk. "Good morning. As you see, they're fixing the door. The plumber's here, as well. He's already assembling the new toilet and should be done in about an hour."
"And the burglar alarm?"
"Someone will be out tomorrow afternoon."
"Perfect," I said. "Will you tell Ann I need to talk to her?"
"Will do."
I spent the morning on the usual lawyerly phone calls and paperwork. Andrew had agreed to meet me at one o'clock. He actually showed up fifteen minutes early. I had Ann join us in the conference room.
After I introduced them, he turned to me, with his head hanging down like a dog being scolded for messing on the carpet. "I want to apologize again for my outburst at the last meeting with the union. It won't happen again."
"Are you kidding?" I said. "You were phenomenal!"
He peered up at me. "I was?"
"You're the CEO of Emerson Mining. You don't have to take abuse from a madman like John Raven." I added meaningfully, "You don't have to take abuse from anyone."
He blinked at me. "You mean what I did was okay?"
I smiled at him. "Everything you said was perfectly appropriate. You're the man in charge now, Andrew. Your mother's gone. And I repeat, you don't have to take any more abuse from anyone."
He let out a deep sigh, staring distantly out the window. "No, I guess I don't. I just wish there were some way of ending this."
I turned to Ann. "Can we do it?"
"I can't find anything that says you can't."
"And, knowing you, you've looked," I said.
"I've looked."
"Andrew, there is a way out of this. There are several ways. One is to negotiate with the union and cut the best deal you can. That--"
"I don't think they understand, Mr. Larsen. The company is in trouble. Nobody can get loans right now. Our banks are refusing to extend our lines of credit, and there's no money for raises or much of anything else. I'd be glad to talk to them about the safety issues. I actually agree with the on those. But--"
"Then let's talk about my alternate suggestion. I have a suspicion that your ongoing involvement with Emerson Mining has been, shall we say, a command performance?"
"What do you mean?"
"I sense serious reluctance on your part to run the company."
"Reluctance? I despise the place! From practically the day I could walk, my father was telling me that someday I would own the company. To me, it felt like being condemned to hell. I wanted to be an artist, not a business executive. Mind you, he never let me make any decisions, and he never gave me any real authority, but he always said I'd wind up running the company. When he died, Mother took over. It was the same way with her. No, it was worse."
"She's gone now. So is your father."
"I know, I'm stuck running the company, and I just need to suck it up and act like a man. Right?"
"No. Giving into something you despise isn't manly at all. And maybe you're not stuck running the company."
He regarded me with new interest. "What do you mean?"
"Have you ever considered disposing of the company?"
"You mean sell Emerson Mining?"
"It's an option. I have no idea whether anyone would be interested, but--"
"Are you kidding? The national companies have been after us for years to sell out, but Mother wouldn't even consider it."
"Would you consider it?"
"I don't know. I'd need to think about it."
"And discuss it with your sisters."
"Of course." I could see that he was already warming to the idea. "Do you realize what that would mean? I wouldn't have to spend six days a week behind that damn desk. I could do whatever I wanted to. Whenever I wanted to. I could paint!"
He was talking more to himself than to me, so I sat quietly and let him bask in the possibility of what his life could become.
Finally, I said, "What do you think?"
"I like it. But can we do that? Raven and his crew were always threatening to charge Mother with unfair labor practices. If we tell them we're going to sell the business--"
"From my perspective, as long as you truly intend to sell, and it isn't a ploy or false threat, there's nothing illegal about it." I turned to Ann. "Right?"
"Right," she answered, although she didn't seem as sure about it as I was.
Andrew slapped his thigh with an open palm. "Then that's what we're going to do."
"I think you need to talk to your sisters about this."
"I'll call them right now. I think I'll ask Jason, too. He's got good business sense."
Fifteen minutes later, after talking with his sisters and Joyce's betrothed, Andrew was pacing excitedly around my office. "This is great! I can't wait to see the looks on their faces. "
* * * *
The three union reps breezed into the conference room at a quarter to two, taking the same chairs they had occupied at our first meeting: Breckenridge nearest me, then his sidekick, John Raven and lastly, Donaldson.
When we were all seated, Breckenridge said drily, "It sure looks the same as it did last time."
"It took my staff and me most of yesterday afternoon to put it back together. But we have photos." I laid out the color copies of the digital photos Ann had suggested we take before we started the cleanup process. "This is 'before'. What you see today is 'after'."
Breckenridge quickly looked through photos. When he was done, he set them aside. "It looks like they made quite a mess."
"They did. More importantly, somebody tried to kill me Tuesday night. Your members have progressed beyond mere threats. I don't know why this is escalating, but it doesn't help anyone to--"
I would have sworn that, just for a fraction of a second, Breckenridge and Donaldson exchanged furtive looks. He said, "Why do you think the union has anything to do with all this?"
"Who else would be doing it?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Have you talked to the police about it?"
"Of course."
He turned to his companions. "Maybe that explains the sudden burst of activity from law enforcement." He looked back at me. "Larsen, I've heard you can be pretty damned tricky when you want to be. If this isn't on the level, I swear--"
"Oh, I assure you, it's on the level. And I want you to know, I don't appreciate it."
Breckenridge fell silent. I had a feeling there was more he wanted to say, but not in front of his clients.
Raven spoke up. "Can we get on with this?"
"Sure," I said, deliberately addressing Breckenridge and not his cohort. "We agree with you on most of the safety issues. Andrew feels confident that those can be resolved."
"That's good to hear," Breckenridge said, with a satisfied nod. "But what about the financial issues?"
"That's where we have a problem. We're in the midst of the worst recession since World War II. We--"
"We know about all of that," he said. "But our boys are hurting. We need--"
Raven slammed his hand against the conference table. He leaned forward, his eyes boring into Andrew's. "Let me make our position crystal clear. We are holding all the cards. All of them. We either get what we want at the bargaining table or we'll get it by going on strike." He paused, no doubt for dramatic effect. "This is the moment of truth, Andrew. What's it going to be?"
Our original game plan had been to make a few concessions at the outset, hoping to signal that Andrew was willing to be reasonable. However, we had already progressed beyond that. Raven was leaving us no choice.
It was time to drop the bombshell.
I let a smile slowly spread across on my face.
Breckenridge instantly sensed that something was happening, and he didn't like it.
"I'm afraid there's a slight problem."
"What problem?" he demanded in a voice as sharp as a knife.
"Andrew and the shareholders have made a decision. They're going to sell the company."
Raven jumped to his feet, overturning his chair. His hands were balled into fists. "Sell the company? What the hell are you talking about? We'll go to the NLRB so fast it will make your head spin! This is outrageous! This is--"
Breckenridge looked worried, despite the impassive expression that was pasted on his face. With a gesture of his arm, he silenced Raven.
"You're serious?"
"Absolutely. Emerson Mining is a tiny fish in a very large ocean. Andrew tells me the biggest reason the company has been resisting the pay raises and the other benefits the union wants is that the company can't compete in the global market. I've suggested that the shareholders might be better off selling the company and retiring from the mining business."
Raven blurted, "You son of a bitch! You won't get away with this. We'll fight you with everything we've got." He came around the table, headed directly toward me. Both of us thought he was going to throw the first punch, and I raised my hands, ready to defend myself.
But he never got to throw the punch.
The double doors from the reception area swung open and Joe Stone came bursting in, followed by two uniformed policemen.
The cavalry had arrived.
And we hadn't even sent for them.
Stone stopped in his tracks when he saw that Raven and I were squared off. "What the hell is going on here?"
"Labor negotiations," I told him cheerfully. "We've reached what is technically called an impasse."
I thought I detected a glint of amusement in Breckenridge's eyes. Raven let his hands fall to his side, and I did the same. He turned toward the door, ready to storm out of the room. "I'm out of here. We're done here."
"Hold it," Stone barked, stepping forward to block Raven's path. "Nobody's going anywhere."
I'd heard that tone before, and I knew he meant business.
"Bullshit!" Raven said. "You and your people have harassed us for the last week, and I'm not putting up with any more of it." He tried to bull his way past Stone. "Get out of my way."
"Bad move," I muttered.
Stone reacted in typical Stone fashion. But for once, it was a joy to behold. In a flash of movement, Raven was sprawled on the floor, with Stone's foot pressing hard against the middle of his back. One of the uniformed officers joined the fray. In less than ten seconds, Raven's arms were handcuffed behind his back.
"You're under arrest, Mr. Raven," Stone said. "For interfering with an officer in the lawful performance of his duties. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you desire an attorney and can't afford one, an attorney will be provided to you at no cost."
"I'm impressed," I told Stone, clapping my hands. "Do you boys ever put on exhibition matches?"
For a moment, I thought he was going to come after me, too. Instead, a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. I knew he was proud of what he had just done. "I'm here on official business," he said. "I'm here to serve an arrest warrant. Homicide, first degree. For the death of Helen Emerson."
That took even me by surprise. "You mean you know who killed her?"
"You're damn right I do! Mr. Donaldson, you're under arrest."
All of the color drained from Donaldson's face. His jaw started working, but no words came out. There was no bravado, no stoic look, no expression of defiance.
The big man was afraid. Terribly afraid.
He looked over to Breckenridge, as though pleading for help. Breckenridge just sat there, looking completely shocked.
Stone took a step forward. "Mr. Donaldson, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you. If you--"
"I don't need all that," Donaldson sputtered. "I didn't kill the Empress. There's no way."
Stone's expression was as hard as coal. "Tell it to the judge. Let's go."
Breckenridge finally recovered some of his composure. He cleared his throat. "Sergeant, how can you possibly believe that Mr. Donaldson--"
"We know all about the threats at the union hall. Two dozen people heard them. We know about the threats he mailed to Helen Emerson. We can prove they were typed on the computer in his office at Emerson Mining. We know he had unlimited access to the explosives. We know he murdered Helen Emerson."
Donaldson howled, "I didn't mean anything by those threats. I was just--"
Breckenridge said, "Shut up, Randy. And keep your mouth shut until we get you a criminal lawyer. Understand?"
Donaldson nodded dully.
One of the uniformed officers produced another pair of handcuffs. "Please turn around and face the wall."
The officer cuffed Donaldson's wrists together and patted him down, to make sure he wasn't carrying any weapons.
In the background, I heard the phone ringing. Diana was out in the reception area, telling someone, "He's in conference at the moment. Tonight? Of course. I'll tell him."
Breckenridge said, "Not a word, Randy. To anyone. You got that?"
"Come on," Stone said. He reached down and lifted Raven off the floor. "You, too."
Stone and the uniformed officers led their captives away.
Andrew Emerson shook his head in disbelief. "Of all the people... Donaldson!"
Breckenridge, now on his feet, looked like he was trying not to throw up. He gestured toward the phone on the little table in the corner of the library. "Can I make a call?"
"Help yourself," I said.
He touch-toned a number, which I presumed was his office. "Betty, we've got ourselves a situation. The police just took Randy Donaldson and John Raven away. They're both under arrest. They're being taken to--hell, I have no idea where they're taking them."
"Probably the Detention Center," I said. "It's at Fourteenth and Cherokee."
"Thanks." He spoke into the receiver. "Probably the Detention center, downtown. Get in touch with Melvin Jennings and see if he can get over there, post haste."
He hung up and went rushing out of the room.
Andrew looked completely overwhelmed by the afternoon's events. "Would it be okay if I went home? This is all too much for me."
"Of course," I told him. "But I'd like to meet with you and your sisters. There are some things we need to discuss."
"Okay, I'll tell them."
He looked like a man in a daze as he wandered out of the room. As he left, Diana appeared in the doorway.
"Who called?" I said.
"Jana Deacon." She added with a puzzled expression. "But the number that came up on the display was your home number."
"She's staying at Fort Larsen for the time being. It was the safest place we could think of."
"Convenient," she said approvingly. "Two birds with one stone, so to speak. Did I just see two men being led out in handcuffs?"
"You did. Stone arrested one of them for interference. The other one is being charged with the murder of Helen Emerson."
Her eyes widened. "You mean he's the one responsible for planting those bombs?"
"No," I said, not bothering to conceal my sense of frustration. "As usual, Stone's arrested the wrong man."