Into the Inferno by Earl Emerson

Author:Earl Emerson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Transportation, Hazardous substances - Transportation, Pacific, Fiction, Fire fighters, Suspense, Northwest, Traffic accident investigation, Suspense fiction, Hazardous substances
ISBN: 9780345445919
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Published: 2003-03-03T10:00:00+00:00

34. TWO-DOLLAR MAP, TWO-DOLLAR WHORE

Morgan had left a message on the machine saying she felt under the weather and could not baby-sit today. I could tell from her voice she was trying on a fit of pique over Stephanie. She’d done the same after seeing me with Suzanne.

With the help of Karrie Haston, Ben Arden, and Ian Hjorth, the three paid firefighters on duty that day, Stephanie and I set up a base camp in the officers’ room. In the end we had a computer with an Internet connection, three landlines, plus two cell phones. Karrie and Ben set up the office while Ian kept watch in the station and entertained Allyson and Britney with cartoon drawings on the blackboard. In a matter of minutes, Stephanie and I were fielding calls, Stephanie logging outgoing and incoming so that we didn’t duplicate our efforts.

There was still no sign of anybody from Jane’s. When I called them in San Jose, I couldn’t get through to anybody. It was as if the plant had closed down.

Stephanie contacted two doctors, one in California and a second in New York, both specialists in diseases transmitted by poultry, while I tried to get hold of someone else affiliated with the Chattanooga Fire Department. What I wanted was the down and gritty, a confirmation or confutation of Charlie Drago’s tale. Also, I wanted a confirmation that Jane’s California Propulsion, Inc., had had packages at Southeast Travelers Freight. I didn’t know that they’d had anything there, but I strongly suspected it.

Trouble was, the Chattanooga Fire Department was hosting a conference in town, and none of the administration or union people were in their offices.

Stephanie tried her aunt’s condo in Bellevue and then her office in Redmond. Marge DiMaggio was in a meeting and had left instructions not to be disturbed.

It was just about then that Karrie showed up at the door to the office. “Two suits to see you at the front door,” she said.

Stephanie followed me to the tiny watch office at the front of the station, where I met two short bald men who looked uncomfortable in their sport coats and brown slacks. Both men kept their hands in their pockets, although each had brought along a bulky briefcase and one had a laptop computer in a black bag. Their names were Hillburn and Dobson. They were pudgy and soft the way people who’d been indoors all their lives were.

“Morning,” said Hillburn genially. He was bright as a button, and I had the feeling he had as many years in universities as I had in the fire department. They both claimed they were already full of coffee but drank more after Karrie offered it.

Out the window across the street I could see what looked like a rental car. These were the two from Jane’s California Propulsion, Inc.

“Mr. Stuart said you guys would be here in three hours. That was yesterday.”

“Did he?” Hillburn and Dobson looked at each other. “Did he say that? Odd. He knew we had to be in Denver yesterday.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.