Chapter 37
CHAPTER 37
While she waits for Jack to call her back Lizzie paces the office, straightens her desk and sits down and stands up at least a half-dozen times.
“Honey, it’s going to be okay,” her dad says, trying to reassure her. “Try to relax”
“I can’t,” she says, sorting her paperclips by size.
“I know how you feel, Lizzie,” Eric says, standing up himself. “I put it on my Twitter feed about five minutes ago, I’m second guessing my headline, you think it’s okay?”
“ Gobel and Green Dump 1000s of Gallons of Radioactive Waste in Florida: Insider Reveals New York Company Guilty of Massive Cover-ups Across the Country has a really good ring to me,” Lizzie says. “I think it might get people’s attention, just maybe.” She laughs, a little nervously, but it feels good to laugh nonetheless. Her phone rings, “Okay, it’s Jack. ‘Hey’,” she says, sitting down and looking at Eric and Peter. “So?”
“How long have you known about this?” He asks, “And how did you keep so cool? This is, I can’t even… I’m still absorbing it. It’s crazy–”
“I know, I know, it’s a lot to absorb, we couldn't believe it all either,” she says. “I hope you understand that I couldn’t say anything, I hated keeping it from you–”
“Oh my god, yes, I totally understand, you had to be completely professional about this. Where did you find this writer? Wow, he’s good!” Jack says.
“He’s a freelancer who’s living in Cranberry Harbor. Alexis knows him. I knew neither of us could write the story and have any credibility,” Lizzie says. “He really did his homework, Jack. Dad and I believe in him and what he wrote completely. We wouldn't have published it if we didn’t.”
“Oh, it’s clear it’s well sourced, and he backed every accusation up. I sent it to our lawyers, I expect I’ll be hearing from them…okay, they’re calling me right now, I’ll call you back.”
“Jack’s lawyers just called him,” she says, still holding on to her phone. “I wonder when ours are going to call us, or at the very least we’ll start hearing from people in town.”
“What the heck?!” Gabby comes running into the office,waving her phone. “So this is what you’ve all been working on? I can’t believe it! Eric, you are a fantastic writer, thank you for all your hard work. This could literally save our town.”
“You are being way too generous, Dr, Martin–”
“Eric, it’s Gabby,” she says.
He smiles, “Gabby, thank you. We’ll have to wait and see what the state of Florida and several other states have to say. If they decide to press charges or pursue other legal avenues. They have many high-up friends who’ve allowed them to get away with all these crimes for a long time.”
“It just makes my blood boil,” Gabby says. “The idea that these people have been polluting the planet for lord knows how long, killing wildlife, and threatening human health. They all need to end up in jail.”
“From your lips, Mom,” Lizzie says. “And you’re right, Eric did an amazing job. We’re very lucky to have found him, and that he had all these incredible connections. I hope we can take these guys down so they can’t hurt anyone else.”
“You and me both,” Peter says. “Gabby, how about we go get some dinner for all of us?”
“I’ll go, Dad. I’d love to get out. I’m feeling so antsy I need a project, and getting dinner for everyone sounds like a good one,” Lizzie says.
“Why don’t we go together?” Gabby says, picking up her coat.
“I’d love the company,” Lizzie says,
When they get to Bradford’s, Lizzie and Gabby make a beeline for the freshly made vegetarian entrees in the organic section of the store.
“Darn, I should have asked Eric if he’s okay with something like vegetarian lasagna or if he’s a carnivore who’d prefer something with meat, that wasn’t very thoughtful of me,” Lizzie says.
“You’ve got a few things on your mind,” Gabby says, choosing a few different things. “He’s a young guy who is probably thrilled that someone is providing food for him,” Gabby teases. “In my experience, unless it’s something like aspic, he will be happy with anything.”
Lizzie laughs. “I’m sure you’re right,” as she picks up a couple of salads.
“We can grab some dessert in case this feels too healthy,” Gabby smiles at her. “Ice cream sandwiches? Cookies?”
“I vote for both,” Lizzie says, heading toward the ice cream aisle. And then she sees him. Billy Taylor. Gabby wonders why Lizzie has stopped in her tracks and then sees him too.
“You have a lot of nerve,” Gabby says to him.
“Hello to you too, Doc Martin,” he says.
“Mom, it’s not worth it,” Lizzie says, putting her hand on her mom’s shoulder. “Let's go.”
But Gabby, like a mother lion won’t be deterred. “Have you seen the special edition of the Gazette, Billy? Do you see who you’ve sided with against the people here who you’ve known all your life?”
He shrugs, and looks down at the floor. “Yeah, I saw it.”
“And what do you think?” Gabby says, stepping closer to him.
“I think, I think you’re son-in-law-to-be punched me, and that he…” he trails off.
“And you did nothing to deserve that? You weren’t taunting him? You weren’t trying to ruin the project he and the whole town want?” Lizzie is impressed, her mother the doctor is sounding more like a lawyer. Lizzie, arm through her hand-held grocery basket, folds her arms across her chest, enjoying the show.
“Okay, so I told him he was a tree-hugging loser who was going to ruin the town and bring in a bad element with his,” and then he uses air quotes, “‘green community.’”
Gabby tilts her head and furrows her brow. “By ‘bad element’ do you mean farmers, craftspeople, people who work…here,” she says, gesturing to the young staff in the store. People who aren’t millionaires, or who didn’t, like you, inherit a family home, who just want to live and work here? Those ‘bad’ people?”
Lizzie is enjoying this. It seems, she thinks, that Billy is actually getting smaller as her mom talks and she’s loving it.
“Places like that attract elites,” he counters. “Snobby folks who think they’re better than us.”
Gabby shakes her head. “Did you not listen to anything at Town Meeting? Or read one piece in the Gazette, Billy? These are locals, local chefs, artisans, tech people, people who want to live in Cranberry Harbor and make it better. You think Gobel and Green really want the best for Cranberry Harbor? For the Cape? They’re criminals.”
For once in his life, Billy has nothing to say. Lizzie is speechless herself. Her mom, one of the kindest people in the world, can also be formidable. Especially to a guy who grew up with her as his doctor.
“Doc, I didn’t know,” he finally says, actually looking remorseful.
“You can do the right thing, Billy,” Gabby says.
Lizzie’s mesmerized by her mother’s power of persuasion. She’s purposely staying silent so as to not break the spell. She glances down at the ice cream sandwiches in her basket, and thinks, after this is done she’s going to exchange them for another box.
“You mean like drop the charges against Jack?” he says.
Gabby nods. “You could be the hero here, Billy instead of the villain.”
Lizzie sees his face visibly brighten, “Hero?”
“Yup,” Gabby says.
“We’d even want to do a story,” Lizzie says.
“You think everyone would stop being mad at me? That I could go back to Sea Coast? I miss Miss Hope’s cookies,” he says.
“I will personally make sure that you can go back to Sea Coast, Billy,” Lizzie says. “If you drop the charges that is.”
“You’re getting married soon, right?” he asks.
“We were, but all of this forced us to postpone our plans,” Lizzie says.
He looks down at his feet. “Fine, I’ll do it, but you two better be right about me being a hero and everything.” He’s quiet, they can tell there’s something more, finally he clears his throat. “I’m, I’m…sorry.”
“Thank you, Billy,” Gabby says. “Shall we give you a ride to the police station?”
“No, I’ve got my car, ma’am, I mean Dr.Martin, thank you,” and without another word he walks to the exit and leaves.
“Mom! You missed your calling! You should have been a hostage negotiator! I have never witnessed anything like that!”
Gabby lets out a deep sigh. “I have no idea where that came from, but I saw him and, I don’t know, it just came out.”
“Well, I always want you on my side no matter what the situation is! You were amazing, Mom! Thank you!” Lizzie puts down the basket and gives her mom a big hug.”Until we know for sure, let’s not say anything, okay?”
“Deal!” Gabby looks at their basket. “I don’t think we can put these ice cream sandwiches back, but we should get another package, don’t you think?”
Lizzie nods and gets another quart of ice cream, and they walk to the check-out. After they pay, and are walking out Lizzie stops her mom and begins singing to her, “ Did you ever know that you're my hero and everything I would like to be? I can fly higher than an eagle. For you are the wind beneath my wings,” They are both laughing so hard people are looking at them. They manage to get to Gabby’s car and get in. “Boy, it feels good to laugh,” Lizzie says.
“It sure does,” Gabby agrees, fastening her seatbelt. “Let’s go back to the paper and wait for the good news.”