Smoke Stack

by Andrew Gruse

  The taller man stepped forward, leaned down close to Zack’s face, grabbed the short hair atop Zack’s head, and looked him straight in the eye. “Don’t try a thing, PI, or I’ll let him have his way with you and trust me, you don’t want that. Understand?”

  Without provocation, the man knocked the back of Zack’s head hard against the dirt wall behind him, kicked Zack’s feet, and walked away. The shorter man followed. The ogre stared angrily at Zack and disappeared with them.

  Zack tried to move his hands and legs but realized he was trapped. He closed his eyes and realized how stupid he had been. They are going to go after Jules, and if I can’t stop them, we both will die. Jules, I’m so sorry.

  CHAPTER 37

  Julie listened and shook her head. “Don’t tell Molly the branch was cut off. She’s already stressed enough.” Julie took a deep breath to focus. Do the job. Worrying does nothing for Zack. “Orb, this morning, Zack and I received some information you might want to look at,” Julie said.

  Orb nodded. “Is any of it legally obtained?”

  “Not even remotely,” Julie said.

  “Then what good is it?”

  Julie shook her head. She was used to dealing with Zack and Dre and Michelle and Ted Barnes. The question of illegally obtained information from Michelle never came up. “It’s evidence. Zack is missing, we have mysterious fires, possible murders, missing kids, our car getting trashed, and a group of men meeting in the middle of the night. You really think nothing is going on here?”

  “Julie, we have no reason to think there’s a secret group of men conspiring about fires and murders and clandestine operations,” Orb said with a smile. “I think you and Stack read too many mystery novels. This is Clyde, for crying out loud. Things like that don’t happen here.”

  “They are happening, Orb, and you know it.”

  “The first thing we need to do is find that boy.”

  “You need to see what Michelle sent us first,” Julie said.

  “Why?”

  “We need answers. Bloom was at the school that morning. No one has questioned him about it,” Julie said.

  “Who is this Michelle anyway, and why do you have her researching this town?”

  Julie smiled. “Michelle would make a fortune working for the FBI,” Julie said. “But instead, she works for Zack as his office manager. Right now, she wants Zack to drive far away from this town and never look back, but because she knows Zack won’t, and because she cares for him, she put her talents to use to discover everything she could about Clyde. She started with the high school and the fire right after she finished hacking into Derek’s computer.” Julie shrugged. “If I were you, Orb, I’d sit back and let it unfold. Where is Principal Bloom?”

  “You two are full of surprises.”

  “Michelle is the best. It saves time to trust everything she finds.”

  “What about Zack?”

  Julie frowned. “Either he’ll turn up or he won’t. We can’t worry about that right now. He would want me to do this. If it’s tied together, maybe figuring the rest out will help me find him. Are you going to help me?”

  Orb nodded. “Ok. Show me what you got?”

  * * * *

  From Michelle, Julie already knew that Bloom was born and raised in Clyde and the rest of the rundown on him. Bloom was sixty-something and staring retirement in the face, if not by choice, then mandatory from a state system that wanted to save a few bucks by forcing early retirement to some of its longest employees.

  Bloom had no intention of retiring and was intent on keeping the Clyde School District functioning and improving and led the group that negotiated with the town of Hobby to merge the two schools. Of course, Clyde was to be the primary benefactor of that merger in Bloom’s mind.

  Michelle found a series of emails and names and computers that were not locked. The internet was a great invention, but to some, it was a painful reminder that privacy was another person’s conquest. All Michelle needed was for the recipient to open an email. And Bloom did.

  One planted piece of code allowed Michelle access to Bloom’s computer, and from there, she was able to access everything Bloom did from his laptop. She was into the school’s system. She saw invoices, orders, payments, inter-office memos, private messages and texts, and emails. Once seen, it was copied and sent to Zack and Julie. Michelle knew to send it to Julie, too. Zack sometimes skipped over the details to get to the prize. Julie did not.

  Finding Bloom wasn’t tricky. Like most of the townies, Bloom sat at the diner for coffee and a roll while discussing the world’s problems with other locals.

  Orb entered the diner first, and everyone stopped momentarily to look at him but returned to their conversations until Julie came behind Orb. The talk hushed to a low mumble before the patrons realized their attention had shifted to the outsider. Julie wondered if the locals already knew that her and Zack’s car was destroyed and that Zack was missing. Probably know where he is, too.

  Orb looked around and saw four elderly men sitting at a table in the rear of the diner. “There he is.” He pointed to the back. “Let me do the talking here, Ok?”

  “Get him outside, Orb,” Julie said. “I’ll wait.”

  Orb shrugged. “You got it.”

  Julie stepped outside and walked down the sidewalk so she couldn’t be seen from inside the diner. Orb watched her go out, straightened his belt, and walked over to the table.

  “William,” Orb said. “Gentlemen.” Orb greeted the other three men with a head nod.

  “Orb, what brings you here this morning? Don’t you get enough of your mother’s cooking at home?”

  Orb didn’t smile. It offended him, but he didn’t let it show. “You’re here four times a week, Walt, you must like it yourself. Say, how is Mildred? Is her niece coming to town anytime soon? Have her call me if she does,” Orb said, and that shut down Walt immediately.

  Walt’s second wife, Mildred, had knee and hip issues and could barely get around. Mildred’s niece came to town for a few weeks, took a liking to Orb, and the two spent a few memorable nights together, much to Walt’s dismay.

  Orb looked at Bloom. “Bloom, I was wondering if we could talk.”

  “Go ahead,” William said.

  Orb wiggled his shoulders a little as if he were trying to tip-toe around it. “Well, I thought it would be better if we could step outside and have a word privately.”

  The four men silenced and stared at Orb as if the proposition were preposterous. “Anything you have to talk to me about, you can say in front of my friends, Sheriff.”

  Orb smiled. “I have no doubt. But what you may have to say in return, you may not want to have your friends hear, William.” They stared at each other. “This will only take a moment. Gentlemen, coffee is on me while you wait. Let’s go, Bloom.”

  Bloom got up with an indignant look on his face and walked ahead of Orb toward the door. “This better not be a waste of my time, or you’ll be looking for a new job.”

  CHAPTER 38

  The two men stepped outside. Orb saw Julie to the right and pointed Bloom in that direction.

  “Julie, here he is,” Orb said.

  Julie smiled at Bloom and offered her hand. “Principal Bloom, hi, I’m Julie Fletcher.”

  Bloom looked disapprovingly at her. “Oh, you’re one of the outsiders,” he said, a tone of arrogance in his voice. He looked at Orbison. “I thought you wanted to talk to me?”

  “I do,” Orb said. “I want to hear what she wants to talk to you about first.”

  “What is the meaning of this? Have you forgotten who I am?”

  Julie cringed when she heard that. She knew Zack hated it when someone said that. Entitlement. A disease. Zack’s solution was a vaccine called a quick fist to the man’s face to solve the privilege Bloom displayed. Julie had a different plan.

  “I know exactly who you are, William. I also have a missing kid that was last seen at your school on the morning of his disappearance. Coinciden
tally, you were seen there, too. Now, do you want to drag this out or just let the lady talk?”

  Bloom’s face tightened with anger. He let out a deep, long breath through his nose and looked at Julie.

  “Principal Bloom,” Julie began, “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for the loss of the school. It’s a horrible, tragic ordeal, and I want to offer my help in any way I can.”

  Bloom squinted his eyes. “How do you think you can help?” Bloom ignored Orb entirely and looked at Julie. “Aren’t you and your boyfriend the investigators?”

  “Yes, we are.”

  “Well, nothing needs investigation around here,” Bloom said curtly.

  “I’m sure, Principal,” Julie agreed readily. She called the man principal intentionally. Julie’s attempt to show respect and thus gain favor wasn’t working. “But, with everything I’ve learned about the situation here in Clyde, I hoped you would allow me to interview you.”

  “Why on earth would I do that?”

  “Well, there is bound to be suspicion. There was a major farmhouse fire right before the school fire with a man inside that may or may not have been killed by the fire. We may never know that. Also, a student was at the school before he disappeared,” she paused, “and hasn’t been found yet. Plus, the school is set to get an insurance payment of seventy million dollars. People will ask questions considering the situation,” Julie shrugged her shoulders. “This would be a good time to get in front of the story instead of letting it form with no control.” Julie’s eyes never left Bloom’s.

  Bloom’s eyes widened but almost refused to meet her stare.

  “Look, Mr. Bloom, there have been some pretty incredible events lately in Clyde.” Like my fiancé being missing! “Questions will be asked. There’s a lot at stake here. I’m trying to help you.” Julie’s eyes didn’t stray from the gray, tired, shifting eyes of Bloom.

  “Miss Fletcher, I appreciate your concern, but I will tell you, it is unnecessary, and I suggest you mind your own business. Accidents happen,” Bloom replied.

  Did this little troll of a man just threaten me? Oh My God! Did I hear him correctly?

  “You mean like our car this morning?” Julie asked.

  “I mean,” Bloom said after he heard himself, “accidents happen. Not everything is intentional, and the fire of the school certainly was an accident.”

  Bloom eyed Orb. Julie noticed that Bloom’s hands shook.

  “Zack, my fiancé, who wanted to be here but is investigating elsewhere,” she began more to try to intimidate Bloom than anything else, “said that when he was inside the school saving Molly Lockett’s life as it burnt to the ground,” Julie paused to see any reaction, “he wondered how a school would burn so quickly? I mean, it’s brick, asbestos, more concrete, and tile. He’s right. Not exactly flammable materials.”

  “It was an old building.”

  “I’ve been in plenty of old schools, Mr. Bloom,” Julie said. “Zack is right.”

  “I didn’t build it. I don’t know what materials went into the walls and ceilings. All I know is that it was old, and we needed to do something.” Bloom stopped. His face tightened and changed colors. He looked at the sidewalk and shook his head. “We needed major renovations. Plans were in place. It’s just unfortunate that an electrical fire destroyed the school first.”

  Julie stood straighter and acted surprised. “Electrical fire? That was the cause? I wasn’t aware the crack investigator Gary announced his findings.” Julie moved slightly closer to Bloom. “Principal Bloom there never has been a better time to tell your side of the story,” Julie said. “The politicians don’t tell your side, only their side, which is long on hyperbole and short on facts. This is an opportunity for you to show the public what it is really like to manage a school that is horribly underfunded and outdated. You and every other school district like this need help.”

  Bloom wiped his forehead and looked angry. “I don’t want your help. Nor does this town. I appreciate your concern, but there is nothing to report here.”

  Julie looked at Orb. “Ok, we’ll go a different direction,” she said. “A missing kid meeting with one of your teachers that morning is worth reporting. Orb sent out the APB nationally. It’s only a matter of time before it’s picked up. I can see to that. Instead of one reporter, you’ll have fifty here, all asking the same questions. You need to get ahead of it now and not wait.”

  Bloom shook his head and looked back at Orb. “This is really what you drug me out here for?”

  Julie and Orb stared at Bloom without saying a word.

  “I’m going back inside.” Bloom turned to walk back inside.

  “Oh, Bloom,” Julie called out. “One last thing.” Bloom paused. Julie continued. “Let’s discuss the purchase of large quantities of flammable chemicals and explosive substances authorized by you and delivered to the school shortly before the fire.” She offered her hands to say, I don’t know. “For a school your size and this close to the end of the school year that raises red flags, doesn’t it?”

  “What?”

  “Mr. Bloom, our research found that large quantities of methyl and ethyl alcohol were purchased recently along with quantities of acetone, hydrogen peroxide, and acetic acid,” Julie said. “The fuel oil tank for the school boiler had been filled as were the fuel tanks for the buses. The timing compared to other years seemed really off.” Julie shrugged. “We call that coincidence. And we don’t believe in coincidence.” She wished Zack were with her. He loved this part.

  Bloom stood straight, and his face hardened. “How did you come by any of that information?”

  “Public record,” Julie said. Straight up lie. It came from Michelle.

  “That’s impossible,” Bloom snapped but caught himself. “Those compounds are commonly used in our chemistry labs and consequently are purchased frequently.”

  “Yes, I know that, and we found past purchases of those chemicals. But the amounts purchased all year seem incredibly high for a school the size of Clyde.” Bloom stared at her. “And then the large purchase made two weeks ago was absurd, really,” Julie said. “I thought chemistry teachers were advised to stop showing what they call the Rainbow Flame due to the flammability of the materials, and you must be aware that if the chemicals are improperly stored, what is known as flame jetting can occur. I’m not sure what happened or how the fire started, but having those chemicals in such large quantities seems really odd.”

  Bloom struggled to hide the tremor in his hands. “I really think you have faulty information.”

  Julie pulled out papers from her back pocket. “Aren’t these invoices to the school?”

  “How did you get that?” Bloom snapped. “I’ll have you arrested for invasion of privacy!”

  Fluster. Bloom was all of that. His hands shook, his face tightened, and flushed red. Sweat showed on his forehead, and his breathing quickened.

  Julie spoke. “Mr. Bloom, I suspect there is a bigger picture here, and it involves a company named Ag Cen. Does that ring a bell?”

  Principal Bloom stared, speechless.

  “William,” Orb said, “is any of this true?” Caught with as much surprise as Bloom, Orb didn’t know what to believe. His short existence with Zack and Julie told him to trust that information, though.

  Silence.

  “William, do you have an explanation for any of this?”

  “Yes,” William said at length. “My explanation is that you don’t understand the inner workings of a school district and therefore whatever you think you uncovered, as illegal as you did and as untrue as it is, you don’t understand. If you want to jump to conclusions, go right ahead. But please keep me out of your conspiracy theories. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am rejoining my friends inside.” With that, he turned and walked away.

  “So, where are we now, Julie?”

  “Can it be both illegally obtained and untrue?” Julie asked. “That’s the one who will crack.”

  CHAPTER 39

  Time. The
dark tunnels with only the dim light of a faded yellow 60-watt lightbulb didn’t change. Time had no meaning. Zack sat, his legs stretched out, occasionally he’d bend his knees to his chest, but his arms couldn’t move. Nothing changed.

  Thirst, hunger, the need for a bathroom, all encroached slowly upon Zack. The duct tape on his mouth forced all of his breathing through his nose, and the damp, musty tunnels activated his sinuses.

  He didn’t feel fear. He felt disappointed.

  And a lack of oxygen.

  Each breath was a struggle and not enough to satisfy him. Zack fought to stay calm and breathe slowly. Panic would only exacerbate the issue, but he weakened. It was only a matter of time.

  Stay calm. I wasn’t trained by the military to give up and die. Of course, I missed the day in Basic where they taught me how to get out of duct-tape bondage and oxygen deprivation. Think, Zack. This isn’t that hard.

  He heard creaks and drips echo in the tunnels. He heard a door open and shut. He heard distant footsteps, slow and steady with a drag and scuffle of one of the feet. Zack guessed that was Pigface, the name he generated for the ugly man. Ugly man seemed too condescending in Zack’s mind. Several hours alone, tied up, in a barely lit underground tunnel, gave him a lot to think about it.

  Who were the three men in the forest and the tunnel? Or was it four? There were too many figures darting around from every direction to just have been three. How did they know where I was in the dark? They knew exactly my every move. How?

  That started his mind. Eventually, with no answers, he decided to name the three guys he saw. The taller man he chose to call String Bean. Tall and thin, looked fit at first but Zack wondered if it were the clothing that made him look more prominent.

  The shorter man he named Weasel. Because he likely was a back-stabbing weasel. Short and scrawny with a Napoleon complex, Zack decided. Which left the ugly round-headed pock-marked face man.