Chapter 36
CHAPTER 36
As she’s driving to the paper she stops dead in her tracks. Thank goodness no one was behind her. There are many people bustling about the town green carrying plants, shovels, and there’s a big truck full of…she’s not sure what. Fencing? A new gazebo? Then she spots Jack in the middle of the action, papers in hand, talking to someone. She pulls over, after someone who has come up from behind her beeps, and parks. Jack sees her walking towards him and runs over.
“Hey!” he says, looking a little overwhelmed but excited.
“Hey, yourself, what’s going on?” She’s taking in the flurry of activity, trying to figure it out for herself.
They start walking toward the middle of the square. “Well, remember that idea you had about fixing up the town square, utilizing the crew I have sitting idle?”
“Yeah, that was like…last night! How the heck–”
“It was incredible, Lizzie, I made one phone call to the chair of the selectboard, and within an hour I had permission, I sent them some plans I’d roughly drawn after we talked, and by this morning the crew had everything organized, had gone to pick up materials, and were here by 8:30, it’s crazy!”
“Wow, from now on I’m going to have to be careful what I tell you to do!” Lizzie says, still incredulous at what’s happening all around her.
“Justine and Leah put the word out on their Instagram and apparently they’ve been organizing volunteers to come help later as well. I’m really overwhelmed.” He pauses and looks around. “I really thought everyone in town would be so mad at me, that they’d blame me for the lawsuit, that I was the bad guy,” he says.
“Jack, no one thinks that!” Lizzie is shocked he’d think that. “They’re all on your side, on the side of Terra Marique. Almost every person in this town voted for it, they’re not going to suddenly turn on you.”
He shakes his head, “I’ve let people down before, I didn’t know what they’d think.”
Those words are no sooner out of his mouth when several cars pull up, people get out, dressed in work clothes and approach him.
“We heard you need help,” says one young guy, “Just tell us what to do.”
Lizzie is near tears, she can’t believe how people have turned out. “I’m going to leave you to do what you need to do, though I am going to take a few pictures to put up on the Gazette’s social media.” She gives him a kiss. “I’ll talk to you later. I’m so happy for you!”
After grabbing a few quick shots Lizzie gets back in her car and drives to the paper.
“Dad, you’re not going to believe what’s going on,” she says to her father who’s focused on his screen. “Jack has everyone fixing up the town green, it’s incredible. There’s a bunch of his crew and more people from the town showed up to help as I was leaving. It’s amazing. Just when I think I couldn't love this town more, it does something even more extraordinary and tops itself.”
“It is a one in a million place to live,” Peter says, not even looking at her.
Lizzie sits down, “What’s up? You seem very distracted. Did something else happen?”
“No, just more of the same. Eric sent me a first draft, not even a whole first draft, to give us an idea of where he’s going with this. It’s shocking, and damning, that’s for sure,” he says.
“There’s more than what he told us?” Lizzie asks, feeling concerned.
“Yes, it’s incredible how high up this goes, his source claims that many people at the top levels of government knew this had happened, but since Gobel and Green are huge donors they didn’t say a word, lest that well dried up. I truly have no words.”
“Wow, that's unbelievable,” she opens her computer, “Did he send it to me too?”
“Yes, prepare yourself to feel very angry,” he says.
They both sit and read in silence.
“There truly are no words, Dad,” Lizzie says, getting up from her desk and pacing after reading the article. “I’m angry, furious, and I can’t deny, a little scared about all the attention that is going to come at us. Are we sure we want to be the ones to break this story? Not have Eric pitch it to a big, national paper?”
“I understand your trepidation, but I think this has to come from a local paper. And we’ve done due diligence hiring an outside journalist, a very well-respected one. It’s not like it’s an inside hit job on someone hurting our family. This is completely legitimate and well sourced. We’re good.” He walks over to his very nervous daughter and puts his hands on her shoulders. “I know it’s scary, I’m a bit nervous too, but we have facts on our side, and thanks to our investors, good lawyers who will support us.” He stops for a moment and a smile comes across his face. “And damn it, it’s a testament to the importance of good, thorough, local journalism and the value of independent newspapers. We’re still important.”
“You’re right, I was having cold feet and letting fear of these terrible people take over. But that’s what they count on, that they’re too big, and people like us are too small,” she feels riled up now. “But we’re not too small, this country needs little guys to push back against greed like this, and we’re going to win.”
“That’s the spirit!” Peter says, high fiving her.
They both laugh. “I don’t think we’ve ever high-fived before,” Lizzie laughs.
“Yeah it’s a little awkward, but well-deserved.” He goes back to his side of the desk and sits down. “Now we have to strategize. When are we going to drop this bombshell?”
“As soon as possible,” Lizzie says. “As soon as possible.”
“Okay, so we both need to get to work right now putting our pieces together to run with this. And also introducing Eric to our readers so they know we trust him and they should too,” Peter says. “Why don’t you write a short piece about Eric, his background, and how well-respected he is? Sound good? And I’ll work on the background piece, making sure everyone is up to speed with the history of the project Gobel and Green wanted to build, the town’s rejection of it, the vote for Terra Marique and the purpose of this particular project, how the town will benefit etc.”
“Sounds like I’m getting off easy. I can contribute to that piece, Dad, gather the stats from Town Meeting?”
“Thank you, that would be great, and I’m going to need your excellent editorial eye as well to make sure I don’t drift into opinion here, which would be very easy to do,” Peter says.
“Yeah, it’s going to be really important we don’t give these people any ability to say we’re being prejudicial in any way,” Lizzie agrees.
And with that, they both grow silent and get to work. Lizzie’s piece about Eric is done in about an hour. “I sent you my piece,” she says, stretching. “I’m going to run out and get a sandwich before I get to helping you, you want me to get you something?” she offers as she stands up.
“Anything healthy that your mom would approve of,” he says, still typing. “Basically nothing fun,” he smiles.
“Got it, nothing fried, or that had a face,” she says. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
As she steps outside she’s surprised to see Eric pulling into the parking lot, she stops and waits for him to get out of his car.
“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Lizzie says. “How’s it going?”
“Good, I think I’ve got the whole first draft done for part one,” he says.
“Wow, you’re fast,” Lizzie says, impressed by all he's done.
“Yeah, I got a call while I was at your house, and there’s more. Apparently they’ve been dumping toxic waste all over the country, a factory in New Jersey, one in Pennsylvania, and another in Oregon,” he says.
“Whoa, but this was the only radioactive one, right? The others were just, you know, normal poison?” Lizzie asks, shaking her head that this is even something she’s asking.
“Yes, these others were just run of the mill poisons they dumped into various waterways. I can’t believe they got away with this for so long with no one looking into it,” Eric says.
They’re both leaning against his car. “How could they do that?” Lizzie asks, feeling a little naive.
“I was surprised, though I shouldn’t have been, that they have ties all the way up to the EPA in the past administration,” Eric says. “I guess I’m glad that I’m still shocked at how corrupt things can be. I haven’t totally lost my belief in goodness and doing right.”
“Seriously, how do you keep believing in anything, Eric? You do lots of stories uncovering the terrible things people can do, I couldn’t do it.”
“It’s not always easy, but I take solace in knowing I’m doing some good in uncovering the bad things, and holding people responsible,” he says. “That helps keep me going. That and doing some feel-good stories too.”
“You’re very brave, Eric,” Lizzie says. “And I hope that if you’re up for it that maybe you’ll want to do more stories for us, I can promise you we have lots of feel-good stories here.”
“I’d really love that.” He moves from leaning on the car. “But for now, I have this not-so feel-good story to finish.”
“I was running out to get us some sandwiches, what can I get you?” she asks him.
“Wow, um, anything really, I’m easy, thank you.” He reached into his pocket.
Lizzie shakes her head, “No way, this is on us, I’ll be back soon,” Lizzie says, opening her car door and getting in.
After lunch, they move at breakneck speed pulling the special edition together. Lizzie has teased that a special issue is coming on their Facebook and Instagram pages, and comments have been adding up. The people of Cranberry Harbor are well aware that the Gazette hasn’t put out a special issue since 9/11, so there is tension building.
Peter has been with the same printing company for so long, they have told him they will print the issue whenever it gets to them, and by 4:50 pm, holding his breath, Peter hits send.
All three of them exhale loudly at the exact same time.
“Dad, when do we put it up online?” Lizzie asks. “I’m sure most people will read it that way, not the hard copy. That seems like more of a formality than how we’re going to get the story out there.”
“You’re right,” Peter says. “I’d say as soon as we know they got it, and it’s going to print, we post it online. You agree, Eric?”
He nods. “Yeah, and I’d make sure to tag all the people you want to make sure to see it. The Selectboard, the Sentinel, Washington Post, New York Times, the Terra Marique team, our backers, anyone you think is going to do something with the story.”
Lizzie is on her computer working away. “Okay, I’ve got this ready to go when you give me the word, Dad.” She sits back and rubs her hands on her knees. “Wow, I’m really nervous.”
“Me too,” say both Eric and Peter.
“But I’m also excited, is that weird?” Lizzie says.
Eric laughs, “No, I’d say that sounds about right, I feel that way every time I file a story that calls people out.”
“Okay, I just heard from the printer, they’re going,” Peter says.
“Here goes nothing,” Lizzie hits publish, and then the posts she has ready to go on social media. “It’s out there.”
“Now we just wait for all hell to break loose,” Peter says.
Lizzie picks up her phone and calls Jack. As soon as he answers she stands up. “Hey, go to our website and read the special edition we just put up. It’s big, Really big. After you read it, call me back. I love you.”