37

GEORGE RYDER GOT HOME early on Friday afternoon. In the negotiations that day, some grudging progress was made on a few small items. The Union committee took a two and a half hour caucus over lunch, only to announce on returning that they were quitting for the day. Brad Hanley urged them to go back to work in the plant for the remaining ninety minutes of the shift, but John Morelli rejected the request on their behalf.

“No way,” he said. His voice was hardly able to contain the anger he felt. “The Union’s paying them for the day and they’re all done.”

Ryder opened the liquor cabinet in his den, hesitated, and took out a bottle of vodka. He returned to the kitchen and added some tonic water to the glass that was filled halfway. After several sips, he telephoned Amos Woodrow, president of Woodrow Associates, a financial investment firm in West Warwick. Ryder attended a free seminar given by Woodrow a number of years earlier, and the two men became friendly. Occasionally, Woodrow called to see if he was interested in some new public offering coming on the market.

“Amos, is your brother still in the private investigator business?” Ryder asked. He had successfully represented the younger Woodrow in a discriminatory discharge case referred to him by Amos. The back pay Ellison Woodrow received in the settlement was large enough to encourage him to open his own office.

“He sure is, George. And he’s got another investigator working for him full time. Business is great.”

Ryder got the address in North Providence and the telephone number. He called Ellison Woodrow, chatted for a few minutes and arranged to meet with him the following morning. Satisfied, he continued working on the glass of vodka.