Chapter 5
Two FBI agents in black suits led Plant Manager Justin Booker to an interview room, while Athena watched from a distance. At forty-two, he was a tall, muscular man with dirty-blond hair and a down-to-earth quality about the way he moved and interacted with the agents.
“Well?” asked Detective Bach, looming at Athena’s side. “Aren’t we going to go ask him questions?”
She spared him an impatient glance. “Patience. Didn’t anyone teach you how to make an entrance?”
He frowned. Athena noticed he’d made time to shave during the lunch break. “I don’t generally ‘make an entrance.’ I’m not a diva.”
Athena smirked. “I am. Booker started working at Gulf Allied Chemicals straight out of high school. After a few years, he took a leave of absence to earn a management degree from the University of Houston and returned as an assistant manager. After distinguishing himself in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, he was promoted to general manager. He’s divorced and has three kids who live with their mother in Freeport most of the time.
My preliminary financial run didn’t raise any red flags. ”
“I ran him too,” Bach said, leaning on an open doorframe.
“No criminal record. The guy bowls and plays city league baseball. The fire department said he was frantic to get his employees out of the fire. He’d already pulled several people to safety by the time firefighters arrived and had to be restrained from going back for more. ”
“Now that we’re all caught up, let’s see what Mr. Booker can tell us about the fire.” Athena struck out, her heels clacking lightly on the tile floor. Bach hurried ahead to open the interview room door for her. She strode through like royalty, poised, head high, unhurried, in command.
Mr. Booker glanced up. Taking her in, he stood, as a good Southern gentleman should when a lady enters the room. “Good day, ma’am.” Not wearing a hat to tip, he nodded to her with a nervous smile.
They all took their seats. “Mr. Booker, thank you for coming in this afternoon. I know this has been a harrowing experience for you. This is Detective Bach with the Houston Police, and I’m Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bouvier with the FBI.
The evidence recovered after the incident at your office building at Gulf Allied Chemicals indicates the fire wasn’t an accident.
Someone placed a bomb in the generator outside and detonated it, starting the fire that killed three of your employees and a federal inspector. ”
She opened the folder she’d brought in and laid out four portrait photographs she’d acquired online. “Do you recognize these individuals?”
His face sagged, and he wiped a hand across his mouth.
His eyes watered as he swallowed. “Yes. Three are my—were my—employees: David, Patricia, and Pedro. The other is Inspector Nolan. EPA, I think, or OSHA. Both? He was there for a three-day comprehensive compliance audit on account of prior safety and environmental violations. It was his second day in the plant.”
“What exactly did he do?” Bach asked.
“He interviewed me and other employees, both in the office and on the line. He inspected the production process, the condition of the building, and how products and waste were handled, and he conducted a basic audit of our office records. That’s why he was in there.”
“Was he alone in the office?” Athena asked. “And if so, why?”
Booker shrugged. “He wanted to review records independently. That’s why I called the office meeting. I mean, we often have a Friday meeting anyway, to evaluate how the week went. But the timing was because Nolan wanted us all out.”
“And what had he discovered so far?” Athena followed up.
“I don’t know.” Booker rubbed the back of his neck.
“He just looked stern and never said anything. I know we had previous citations, but you have to understand. That plant is old. Things leak. It’s not like corporate cares.
Mr. Whitmore said it’s cheaper to pay the fines than to make the necessary improvements, and everything is about the bottom line with that man.
In the meantime, I have to work there every day, and so do my employees.
Please, Detective, Agent,” he said, passing a worried gaze from Bach to Athena, “tell me, because the fire department wouldn’t.
Were safety issues what caused the explosion and the fire?
Was it something stupid that should have been upgraded years ago instead of having a band-aid slapped on it?
Three of my people and the inspector died. I tried to get everybody out. I tried!”
On the table, his big hands curled into fists, and his eyes glistened again.
Athena didn’t flick a glance at Bach. She didn’t need to confer with him. The findings would soon hit the news reports if they hadn’t already. She lifted her chin, displaying no emotion.
“I noticed the poor condition of the aging facility when I visited it this morning. But to answer your question, no. While it’s possible Inspector Nolan was preparing additional citations, the blaze and ensuing fire were not accidental.
Tell me, Mr. Booker, did you implement the required corrections from your last failed inspection? ”
“What?” He blinked, a blank expression on his face. “Not an accident? What do you mean—someone did this on purpose?”
Booker was clearly distracted. He seemed to have missed it the first time, or maybe just took a beat to process.
“It appears Gulf Allied Chemicals has an enemy,” Bach answered. “But back to Special Agent Bouvier’s question. Did you correct the problems?”
“We tried,” he said, clearly more interested in the revelation regarding the cause of the blaze.
“I mean, I take my orders from the board, particularly CEO Whitmore. That’s where the money comes from.
Now, I took what measures I could: reinforced some tank supports, replaced the leakiest pipes and hoses, and held a job safety seminar that all employees were required to attend.
But when it comes to big budget upgrades, those are out of my hands.
Do you mean to say someone attacked us? Who? ”
A muscle ticked in Athena’s jaw as she took in Booker’s account. She tilted her head at him. “We were hoping you could help with that. Have you received complaints or threats? Have any employees been fired or laid off recently?”
Booker relaxed and leaned back in his chair.
“Complaints and threats? All the time. But I’ve been able to keep the payroll pretty steady.
We’ve had a small turnover in the past several months, but all voluntary—found a better job, wanted to move, things like that.
No terminations, and I don’t know of any workers disgruntled enough to do this. ”
“But enemies?” Bach asked.
Booker folded his hands on the table and looked him in the eye.
“Plenty. Competitors, people who complained about the smell, the smoke, the noise. Most are harmless. The Green Resistance, Enviro Warriors, and Save Our Planet have staged protests, smeared us on podcasts and online. Then there’s Lone Star Industrial Materials. ”
Athena was familiar with the name of Texas’ other major chemical products manufacturer. “Why would Lone Star blow up your generator?” she asked.
He let out a rough chuckle and shook his head.
“Besides the fact that the Kerringtons and Whitmores have been vicious rivals for decades, both companies are currently in the running for a major government contract. I’m talking millions.
Even though it wasn’t the disaster it could have been, this incident pretty much knocks us out of the running.
The time and expense the repairs will require, plus the scrutiny and perceived safety issues, mean Gulf Allied is no longer competitive for this contract. Bet Whitmore’ll blame me.”
He dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders slumping. “Now I have to take care of grieving families who lost their husband and dad, or wife and mom. Sure, there are inherent dangers of working with these chemicals, but employees are rarely killed on the job.”
Athena made a note of the organizations Booker named. She’d put it off as long as she could, but she’d need to call in her team. She wanted all these groups checked out, and there wasn’t time for her and Bach to get to them all today—especially if she was going to make that date with Flash tonight.
This was one reason Athena hadn’t put much energy into finding or trying to keep a boyfriend or girlfriend before this year.
But Flash’s schedule wasn’t much better, and she understood.
Still, Athena wouldn’t let her job be an excuse.
She had to make a real effort to put Flash first, or at least on equal footing with her cases, because she wanted their relationship to work.
Flash was amazing. What’s more, Flash thought Athena was amazing too.
“Thank you, Mr. Booker,” Athena said as she gathered her papers into a neat stack. “We’ll be in touch again soon. Please continue to stay locked in your home and avoid the media. If you don’t feel safe, we can assign officers or agents to a security detail at your residence.”
“Oh, I don’t think I was a target,” he said with a bashful smile. “I’m nobody, and teams on my bowling league settle their differences with balls, not bombs. But thanks for the offer. Hey, when can the plant reopen? We still have deadlines to meet.”
This time, Athena turned to Detective Bach and raised a questioning brow.
“The crime scene unit and the fire marshal’s department are still collecting evidence,” he said, “and we have a structural engineer slated to come out tomorrow. As soon as he makes a determination, we’ll let you know.
But as far as the rest of the facility not impacted by the fire, production might be able to resume on Monday if the regulatory review allows it. ”
Booker nodded. “OK. Good. Well, let me know what else I can do to help.”
“We will,” Bach assured him.
While an agent escorted Mr. Booker out, Athena addressed Bach.
“I’m calling in my team so we can divide up these extremist environmental groups.
I’m all for clean air and water, but some of these outfits behave no differently than criminal gangs.
They recruit young people who feel alienated and hunger to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Then they indoctrinate them into an ‘us-them’ mindset and praise them for making a difference.
Often, the leaders are just narcissists who crave having followers.
Altogether, mob mentality can override unsuspecting members’ sense of right and wrong.
I’ve seen it happen with gangs, cults, and every kind of fringe organization. ”
“I’ve got four uniformed officers doing follow-up visits with the plant employees, including those absent from the fire yesterday,” he said.
“I’ll send you the interview notes as soon as I get them.
We’re hoping somebody saw something or someone, even if they didn’t think it was suspicious at the time. ”
“Good. That will be helpful. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to make some calls.”
Bach nodded with a half-smile. “I’ll just admire your fine elevator lobby while I wait.”
Athena wanted to roll her eyes at him again, but the fellow was growing on her. She’d rather be stuck with a flirter than a snarky misogynist any day.
Half an hour later, her agents trickled in.
It was no surprise that Karen Shoops, the eager freshman on the team, was the first to arrive at the office.
Athena glanced up as the shy, nerdy agent with her mousy brown hair in a tail and wire-rimmed glasses that hid half her face blushed, listening to Detective Bach turn on his gumshoe charm.
Sean Campbell strode in next, dressed as if he’d come right off the golf course, sweat glistening in his ginger hair.
The muscle swaggered in last, in the form of duo Travis Ice and Samuel Hernandez.
The taller, blond-bearded Ice and the black-haired family man Hernandez, both built like linebackers, at least bothered to wear dark suits and polished shoes.
They introduced themselves to the police detective.
Athena exited her office with assignments in hand.
Passing them out, she said, “This can’t wait.
A federal agent was killed. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the case notes on the way to interview these individuals.
If they give you the slightest trouble, bring them back here and put them in the box. ”
Wide-eyed, height-challenged Karen rocked on her toes, hands clasped around the folder Athena handed her, reeking of nerves.
“Campbell, what’s this?” Athena glared at him.
“It’s supposed to be my day off,” he answered. “Or did you want me to drive all the way back across town to shower and change clothes rather than hurry over from the seventh hole?”
Rather than respond, she continued with their assignments.
“You and Shoops take Venus Lebsack and Save Our Planet. She’s a spoiled rich kid who wants to embarrass Daddy.
Ice and Hernandez, you’ve got Charlie Ray Hughes and the Enviro Warriors.
He’s a grizzled old veteran of the First Gulf War who suffered too many explosive concussions.
Detective Bach and I will hunt down Cody Rivers of the Green Resistance. ”
“Be sure to get corroborating witnesses or evidence if they give you an alibi,” Bach said.
“We also need a list of their members so we can run background checks on them all. Considering the small scale of the explosive and its placement, the intent was probably to intimidate or cause physical damage rather than kill people. There were much bigger targets to detonate if that was their intention.”
“All three groups sent threats to Gulf Allied Chemicals and publicly accused them of everything from killing baby sea turtles to causing every case of cancer in South Texas,” Athena added.
“Any of these leaders or their followers could have escalated from threats and blame-casting to violent action.”
“Yes, ma’am,” came Shoops’ sharp reply.
“I wish I had time for a better briefing than the emails I sent you, but I don’t. We’ll meet back here for a recap and then pick up tomorrow.”
Hernandez groaned.
“I know it’s Sunday,” Athena acknowledged. “You’ll just have to attend early mass. Now, get out there.”
Her teams headed for the elevators. “Do you have the address?” she asked Bach, who was looking at his phone.
“Just pulled it up on GPS. Let’s hope Rivers is at home so we don’t have to hunt him down on a golf course.”
My sentiments exactly, Athena thought as she stepped into the full elevator car. She had no intention of missing a night with Flash after two weeks apart.