Chapter 26
Hard Questions Abound
TRE
I stroll into the town hall and scan the room. It’s nearly as busy as last month. All the seats are taken, but there’s more standing room available. When I check my watch, it’s ten to seven. I’m never here this early, so more people are likely to show.
Lucas notices me looking around and waves me over to join him.
He’s standing with Walt and Henry near the middle of the back wall.
They were at Betty’s this evening, but I closed extra early to make sure I’m present—and visible—before the meeting starts.
I stand next to Lucas, trying to gauge the feeling of the crowd.
Several dozen of those standing nearby were with us at the diner, so I know they’re riled up and ready to speak out. Many of the people in the seats are talking excitedly. I can’t make out individual conversations with so much going on, but the overall buzz is low and intense.
In addition to the usual deputies near the dais, there are two more in the back, flanking the doors. And that’s before the sheriff comes out with the council.
Of course the developers get extra protection, I fume.
The rest of us have been getting screwed for the last couple of years, and the sheriff’s department hasn’t done a thing, despite the injunctions against Henley and Montank.
But the instant these execs show up, the sheriff is ready to do his job.
I take a breath. If I can’t rein this anger in, I’ll get myself thrown out before I can be alibied.
Special Agent Connor Smith is standing against the wall nearest the dais. His posture is relaxed, but his eyes are roving over everyone. At least he’s not part of Jacob’s games. He’s out here early and doing his work in front of us.
I search the front rows for Fiona’s familiar chestnut-brown hair while distractedly agreeing with Walt on whatever he’s complaining about.
There she is! I spot her in the third row, but not near the center aisle like usual. This place must have filled up fast.
Now that I’ve found her, I recognize Ewan sitting next to her. She leans closer as she talks to him.
Everything is going according to plan. Just let it all play out, I remind myself.
I settle against the wall, continuing to scan the crowd.
My gaze repeatedly returns to Fiona, and we make eye contact several times when she turns to survey the room as well.
Heat flushes my face each time, and I commit myself to biting my tongue tonight, even if it raises suspicion.
I can’t slip up and be the reason she gets caught.
At precisely seven o’clock, the city council members file in, accompanied by Sheriff Morris, and take their seats. The sheriff stands next to them on the dais.
Jacob waits for the noise to die down and then addresses the room. “Thank you all for coming this evening. I’m glad to see so many friends and neighbors here with us tonight.” He gives the room a beaming smile as if that will make everyone forget their problems.
When the pause is filled with silence, he continues, “I imagine many of you are eager for an update on the investigation into the ecoterrorism of the Henley and Montank projects. We have—”
“We’re eager for them to speak to us themselves!” a man’s voice shouts from the crowd to my right.
“We have Sheriff Morris here tonight to brief everyone. We can all feel confident that the situation is under control and we have nothing to fear.” Jacob turns and motions to the sheriff, who moves to take the microphone.
“How about Henley and Montank destroying our town!” an elderly woman calls out from along the wall far to my left.
Jacob pulls back the mic. “I will remind everyone that there is a designated question-and-answer period reserved at the end of the meeting. Please hold all comments until then.” He passes the microphone to the sheriff, who steps to the forefront.
“My department is deploying its full resources to protect Kalomish from these terrorists. You’ve seen the patrols on the roads. We have a joint task force with the ATF dedicated to investigating the attacks. We will—”
“What about the pollution of the watershed after the Hay Creek development started? You investigating that?” a man seated in the middle yells.
Morris’s face turns to a scowl in an instant. Before he can respond, though, the man to my right from before adds, “Yeah! Did you arrest anyone from Henley and Montank for that?”
I don’t bother hiding my grin. It looks like I don’t have to speak out tonight.
“I’m not finished,” Sheriff Morris says. “We will provide all necessary protection so there are no more terrorist attacks. The criminals will be apprehended.”
“Why don’t you protect us from Henley and Montank?” a woman seated near the front shouts.
“Yeah, why do you only serve them, Sheriff? We’re the ones who elected you!”
“Do they run your department?”
The interruptions are coming from all around now.
“Deputies,” Morris begins, but realizes there are too many people shouting. He doesn’t have enough deputies to remove them all. The two who are flanking the dais reflexively touch their hands to their belts.
Many of the voices are now directing their anger at the council, bypassing the sheriff entirely. Some people in the seats stand up with calls of “Where are Henley and Montank?” and “Do they run the city now, too?”
I fold my arms and enjoy the show. Hopefully they’ll keep this up all night. Council members are covering their microphones with their hands and talking intensely among themselves until Jacob bangs a gavel repeatedly.
Why does he have a gavel? I wonder. What a prick.
“Order! Order! Everyone calm down or we’ll cancel this meeting!” he practically yells into his microphone. This temporarily overpowers the noise of the crowd, and everyone falls silent. The tension in the air is palpable, but nobody sits down.
“The council has heard your numerous requests since last month’s town hall. As always, we serve the interests of the people of Kalomish.”
“We didn’t want them—” a man speaks up, but Jacob swiftly cuts him off.
“We have invited representatives from Henley and Montank to join us this evening.” Jacob pauses with a benevolent smile at the nodding and murmuring passing through the audience.
“This council has only authorized contracts that will benefit the people of Kalomish and contain strong provisions for the protection of our environment and resources.”
He turns and signals a staffer behind him, near the door the council entered through.
“At this time, the members of Henley and Montank who are overseeing the projects will share some prepared remarks. After that, we will hold the open question-and-answer session where you can address your concerns in an orderly fashion.”
Two new people step onto the dais and stand in front of the council seats. A thin man well over six feet tall smiles and waves to the room, while a short woman receives a microphone from Jacob. She turns to the crowd and offers a matching smile.
“Good evening. First, I want to thank the Kalomish City Council for kindly inviting us to join you all tonight. We’re very grateful to have this opportunity to connect with you directly.”
“Get to the point!” a voice calls out from the standing section, but I can’t tell who it was.
Unbothered, the woman continues, “We’d like to introduce ourselves. I’m Henley and Montank’s Director of Operations for the Western Division—”
“You ruined Hay Creek! How are you going to fix it?” the man standing to my right interrupts. I should find out who that is. I bet we’d get along great.
Jacob responds before the corporate execs. “We have warned you repeatedly. The time for comments and questions is reserved for the end. Deputies, please escort Mr. Trowbridge out.”
The people standing near Mr. Trowbridge step closer and form a wall around him, then a woman in the front row yells at the execs, “You’re here to make money off our mountains and rivers.
When your condos fail because you ruined everything, you’ll just write it off from your skyscrapers.
We’ll be the ones dealing with the mess forever! ”
There’s a commotion near the door along the back wall. When I turn to look, the deputy stationed there is pushing his way through the crowd to the exit. The deputy on the other side is already gone.
Other voices have started barking angry demands at the dais.
Jacob is looking expectantly at the deputies, but they’re looking at the sheriff, who is standing off to the side, animatedly talking into his phone.
Both of the execs are standing awkwardly, unable to respond to the gaggle of anonymous people shouting at them.
After another difficult minute passes, the sheriff beelines to Jacob.
They confer briefly, but the room is far too noisy to hear anything.
I’m not left wondering for long, though.
Sheriff Morris leaves his two deputies at the dais and marches down the aisle, his face a storm cloud.
He glares at me as he heads for the exit, and behind him Special Agent Connor Smith pushes away from the wall, his eyes narrowed as he follows.
“The remainder of this meeting is canceled,” Jacob announces. “Thank you all for attending. We will meet again when we can all act responsibly. For now, please make way for our first responders as you leave. We’ll see you at the next town hall.”
With that, the council members stand and exit, bringing the corporate executives with them.
The shouting skyrockets as nearly everyone in the room joins in. Those who weren’t angry at Henley and Montank before are now pissed about being dismissed without discussion or having any chance to be heard.
It’s impossible to make out Fiona in the crowd, so I slip out while most people are busy yelling after a council that’s never listened. At the end of Main Street, a cruiser speeds out of sight, lights flashing.