Chapter Twenty One

Two days later, there was an announcement on the local news. The Director of Public Works advised that the control panel for the electrical pumps failed in the main reservoir and the backup system failed to kick in. Why the pumps and the backup failed remained a mystery. The water is now back on, however the problem in Bridgetown has led to Ontario Health Services issuing a pre-cautionary ‘boil water advisory’ for the town on Saturday.

Jack and Susan looked at the television in disbelief. “The pumps and the backup mysteriously failed! Give me a break! Who are they trying to fool? I have to get out of this house, Susan. In- home water filters won’t help this problem.”

“Jack, the doctor said you had to rest for at least a week. Make some phone calls or something. I will do the legwork. What did you have in mind?”

Just then the phone rang, Jack reached for it. “Hello?”

“Jack, it’s Chris. The ministry has the entire road dug up at the north end of town. Apparently they didn’t find anything at the tractor plant, but there is an underground line of toxins running into the scrap yard and guess where it’s coming from, Jack? Martin and Schultz!” Jack glared at the phone.

“I knew it. Are they going to dig up the back lot again?” Jack gave Susan the thumbs up signal.

“I don’t know Jack, but Martin and Schultz Chemical is closed down, there is police tape all over the place and no one has seen Charles Martin. I’ll call you back when I know more. This is big, Jack.” The line went dead. Jack turned and gave Susan a big kiss before telling her what Christine had said.

“Finally Susan, finally we are getting some results. Now we just sit and wait.”

Across town, Sarah opened the door to the unexpected knock. “Will! Oh my God, Will! What are you doing here?” The handsome young man stood confidently on the doorstep smiling widely.

“I thought I would surprise you. May I come in?” She stepped back and allowed him to enter the house. As soon as the door closed he pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. She melted in his embrace. She was thrilled to see him.

After a few minutes they walked into the kitchen and Sarah prepared a cup of tea for them both. “This is such a surprise, I am so happy to see you.” Her hand went to her hair hoping that she looked her best.

“Well, I have more surprises up my sleeve. Can you pack a bag? We have to leave for Toronto in an hour.” She looked at him curiously.

“Toronto?”

“Yes, you have an interview tomorrow morning with my father’s firm. They have decided to offer you the position and the board of directors want to meet you.” He reached for the tea tray. “I wanted to deliver the news in person.”

Sarah was dumbfounded. She couldn’t speak. Finally she pulled air into her lungs and whispered, “They gave me the job?” Will set the tray on the table and smiled at her.

“Yes Silly, now go and pack that bag. I’m sorry about the short notice, but it took me over an hour to drive here from the airport. Now go. And make sure you pack something formal; you and I are going out on the town. I am back for two weeks and then I have to go back to Brussels to finish the last month of my assignment.” He laughed when he noticed her face, which showed confusion, happiness and wonder all at the same time. “Go!” She floated out of the room as if on a cloud. This was the happiest day of her life. Will poured himself a cup of tea and waited.

At the far end of town, Christine saw the police cars blocking the road, the trucks and equipment that continued to arrive and the dozens of townspeople that came to gawk. Something was going on and no one was talking. She stopped a man wearing a Ministry of Health uniform, “Excuse me sir, I am Christine Hill a reporter for the Bridgetown Banner and I wonder if you can tell me what is going on.”

He waved her away with a “No comment.”

The police officers tried to clear the people that were blocking the road. “Go home, all of you. We have important work to do here and you are just getting in the way. Your local news will give you all the information you need today. Please everyone, go home.” No one moved.

Christine wandered down the road, leaving the crowd behind. She walked out in a field and climbed to the top of a small hill. From her vantage point she could see that the back lot of Martin and Schultz was being dug up. She sat on the grass and watched. At least an hour later, she heard the sound of an ambulance in the distance. Straining to see where it was, she saw it coming up the road toward the plant. The police parted the crowd and the ambulance raced into the back lot. Curiousity got the better of her. Christine moved quickly through the field that separated her from the plant and the ambulance. Soon she was perched behind a hedge, in full view of the gaping hole in the parking lot. She aimed her zoom lens and snapped just as something was raised from the hole. It was a body. Snap, snap, she continued to take pictures. What is a body doing in the dump site? Snap, Snap, Did one of the workers fall? Snap. What is going on? And who is it? Her mind raced and her camera snapped picture after picture.

Unseen, she hurried back to the hill and then to her car, just as the ambulance left the parking lot. She was panting by the time she dropped into the driver’s seat and turned the key in the ignition. Christine drove straight to the hospital. She found Missy and explained the situation. Missy rushed to emergency to make inquiries. It seemed like hours before she returned. Christine paced back and forth in the hallway.

“No one has been brought in, Chris. The ambulance went to the morgue and no one is talking.” Chris thanked Missy, told her to call as soon as she knew anything and left.

She called Matt and Jack and left both a message. Jack called her first. “Hi Chris, I was taking a nap and Susan went for groceries. What’s up?” She explained what she saw and told him she would keep him up to date as soon as she knew something.

Jack sat back on the couch, his mind racing. A body? What on earth is going on? I didn’t expect this. Maybe it’s Charles Martin; no I wouldn’t be that lucky.

Bernie was surprised when Missy called him at work. “Can you pick me up at six, Bernie? I don’t have my car and I need to see Jack right away.” He smiled widely, anticipating time with the lovely Missy.

“I will be there, see you later.” Bernie whistled as he finished his work for the afternoon.

Matt arrived home to find Christine pacing the apartment. “What’s happening, Babe?”

“Where do I start?” Christine looked upset and glanced at the box in his hand curiously.

Matt dropped the box containing a water filter system for the faucet, on the kitchen table. “I don’t know if this will help, but it can’t hurt. Oh, by the way, there is a ‘Sold’ sign on the Martins’ place. I guess he is off to Ottawa to climb the political ladder. Well, he won’t get my vote.” Matt headed for the bathroom. “Let me shower and then you can fill me in.”

“Make it quick, we are going to Jack’s for six.” He shot her a puzzled look and closed the door. She continued to pace. Her mind buzzed, There was a body at the chemical plant, the site had been cleared, but now they were digging again, the Martins’ house was sold? Missy called Jack and said she had information. What is happening to my quiet little town?

At six sharp, the little band met at Bernie’s apartment once again. Bernie and Missy arrived last. Everyone was anxious and the air was filled with excitement.

“What happened today, Missy?” Jack addressed the petite nurse first, wanting to get to the bottom of this. Susan held Jack’s hand; she knew he could barely contain himself.

Missy looked at the group, took a deep breath and began. “As you heard, a body was found at Martin and Schultz today.”

“Tell us it was Charles Martin and make my day.” Jack blurted out.

“Jack!” the others admonished in unison.

“Sorry, go on Missy.” Jack looked sheepishly at Susan, who swatted the back of his hand.

“Sorry to disappoint Jack, but it was Mr. Gerald, the foreman of the hazmat team. No one knows what happened, but he was found in the bottom of the pit. Wait, there’s more.” She put up her hand to the shocked group to stop any questions. “It appears there is an older layer of barrels under the original site and many of them have burst. That is all I know.” She sat down on the loveseat, as Bernie moved to his left to make room for her.

They all spoke at once. “More barrels, so that is the cause of the water problems?” “The foreman of the hazmat team is dead? But how did he get in the pit?” “Was it an accident?” It was mass confusion for a few minutes as the information sunk in.

“Okay everyone. Let’s settle down and try to make some sense of this.” It was Susan that regained order. “A man is dead. How did he die, Missy?”

“I don’t know. An autopsy is being performed and it is all ‘hush hush.’ I found out what I did because a friend of mine works in the morgue and he overheard the officers talking.”

“I am going to call my friend Larry at Environment Canada and see if we can get more info,” Jack injected. “Of course, he will be gone home now so it will have to wait until tomorrow. The good news is that the source of the contamination has been located and maybe now the leak can be stopped and the water can be cleaned up.” Jack squeezed Susan’s hand, he was very pleased. “Unless it has done some serious leaking into the water table,” he added.

“I will go back to the plant tomorrow and try to get someone to give me some info.” Christine added. “Maybe Mr. Bernstein from the scrap yard can add something.”

“I can ask around at work. One of the crew has a brother on the police force. We might be able to get some information from him.” Matt added. They all wanted to help fill in the blanks of this mystery. “And I am sure Missy will have more info soon.”

“Did anyone call Sarah? She might have information from Dan about the water treatment plant. Of course, the way she defends Martin and Schultz, we probably won’t get far.” Jack looked at Christine.

“I called her earlier, but she wasn’t home. Her assignment is finished with them, Jack. Let me try again.” Christine went into the kitchen and called Sarah’s number. She wondered why she still felt obligated to defend Sarah, they had definitely drifted apart. The phone rang and the answering machine picked up. Christine hung up without leaving a message.

“I’ll drop by and see Dan myself on my way to work.” Bernie offered wanting to feel part of the group. “He and I are buddies and he might tell me something.” Bernie smiled at Missy wanting to impress her.

“Good luck Bern, he wouldn’t tell me shit.” Jack barked. Susan laughed at the group’s back and forth banter. This was a comfortable environment and she liked being part of it. The night went well and they all left feeling like they had finally accomplished something.

The next morning Christine sat in John’s office, the pictures of the body being retrieved from the pit, were on his desk. “I want to print these Christine, really I do, but I have been told that this is a closed investigation and we could be in trouble if they know you were close enough to take these shots.”

“I don’t care about a closed investigation. The public has been kept in the dark long enough, John. It is time to get things out in the open and start telling the people of Bridgetown exactly what is going on in this town. I see more and more ‘For Sale’ signs every day and now with the chemical plant closed down for good, many of our citizens are without jobs. Not to mention a man is dead. This is news, damn it!”

He looked at her carefully. She was filled with passion and she was a great reporter. What should he do? Of course everything she said was right and who really had the right to put a gag order on this? Freedom of the press, was it real or a fantasy? He pondered the situation for a few minutes. Christine bit her lip thinking she may have overstepped her bounds. She waited for him to answer, but her stomach was churning and her hands were perspiring.

“Alright Christine, go with it. But make sure you have all the facts. I don’t want to print anything that is not the truth, we don’t need a liable or slander suit.” She jumped up and hugged him.

“Thank you John, you won’t be sorry. I will have the article on your desk by noon.” She skipped from the room leaving him wondering if he had made a big mistake.

The story ran in the evening edition and it was the talk of Bridgetown. Matt was in the café when he heard people discussing it. He picked up a copy of the paper and gasped when he saw the pictures of the body and the headline. ‘Foreman’s body found in toxic waste dump-Bridgetown’s water jeopardized.’ The byline was his one and only, Christine Hill. He felt proud and worried at the same time. He ordered a coffee and sat down to read the article. Susan took a copy of the paper home to Jack and they sat together on the couch, reading it. Bernie read the paper in the car as he waited for Missy to finish her shift. He had finally gotten up the nerve to ask her to dinner. Professor Sayer and Doc Burns read the paper at the country club during their dinner meeting. Mayor Burton cursed when he read it and called the police chief ranting about the leak to the press and how was he going to explain this. Mr. MacIntyre grinned widely when he read the story. Dan and Edna read the paper in their kitchen and Edna reached for Dan’s hand in support. Only Sarah, who was in Toronto, didn’t know what was happening in Bridgetown. The truth was finally free.

Charles Martin stood on the balcony of his new condo in Ottawa, his wife soon joined with two glasses of wine. “This is a beautiful city and we have just begun to experience it.”

“Yes, my darling. This is where our future lies.” The phone rang and Mrs. Martin returned to the living room to answer it. As far from Bridgetown as we can get. Charles thought.

“Charles, it is the police!” Charles’ face turned white.