Limiting Liabilities: Book Two - The Martinique Files

by Colette Alaine

  The jewelry store is her world and she does not want Tawny in it. Sure, she’ll share a few fun moments with the guys at a night club or a birthday party but if it is between Billy and Drew, Jaclyn is going to push for Billy.

  Jake’s life of married bliss continues while Drew’s pursuit is endless. The two owners are now well-respected in their field and their business is thriving. Styles offers his son-in-law every incentive and every break but Jake graciously declines. He and his partner have made it this far and their independence from any outside factors had led to this success. Bringing in a third party or allowing Styles to make life easier is not appealing to either man. Friendship and hard work got this place going, well that and Julie Carlyle Bird, and that is how it is going to continue to flourish.

  CHAPTER 16

  W ill paces the floor for the hundredth time. It is his job. It is all that he knows. The mortgage is not going to be paid off for two years because his wife’s lung cancer took a chunk of their savings. Twenty percent added up quickly and Will paid off the debt. She’s been in remission for five years, thank the good Lord, but they have not been able to replenish the nest egg since she stopped working for three of those years.

  Both Dawsons strive to save every penny because in this economy no one knows what is going to happen. The kids are through college and have fairly decent jobs. Retirement is something they planned to start two years ago. Now they don’t even talk about it.

  Donnie’s father ran Chicago Electroplating Corp with a firm hand. A shark with the money he knew how to make it, how to invest it and how to share it with the people who worked to bring it to him. Known as Pappa to all, his passing is an enormous loss for the company and the industry but most of all it is devastation for Will.

  When Pappa died he left the business to Donnie. The best way to describe the boy is to call him the prodigal son. Only Donnie never returns home remorseful. He squandered most of his inheritance on gambling, women and booze. The only thing left is the company and he is quickly drying it up.

  Will feels the heat. He is responsible for running this place but even more than that, he hired most of these men and women. They trust him but Donnie owns the place and every time Will tries to talk to him or have the accountants discuss the financial plight of the company he dismisses them.

  “Will’s gonna figure it out. He always does.” It is the same answer every time and Will does his best to do just that.

  Disposing chrome plating sludge is expensive. No one wants the toxic substance because it is loaded with chromium 6. It is a carcinogen and after Helen’s cancer scare, Will does everything he can to avoid it but it is his responsibility to get rid of it.

  Upon Donnie’s suggestion and erroneously thinking it would break up in water and dissolve without harming anyone, Will arranged for tons of sludge to be dumped into Lake Michigan these past few years. In his mind he assumed it would be diluted immediately and if there were any remnants, the purification process from the cribs would clean it up. He only dumped in the colder months so that no one would be harmed if they swam in the water. It was a cheap and easy solution.

  Last May though put a halt on the dumping. Every newscast slammed the dumping as felonious and every one from the government to public policy groups vowed to destroy whoever did such a vicious act. Will nearly lost his mind deciding what to do. Donnie did not mention it and only a few guys know that CEC is the culprit.

  Will used his own men and trucks to dump. He kept it within the company family and now that family is protecting him as much as they are themselves. No one wants to be on the six o’clock news. It is October now and the sludge is piled high from the summer months. He has to get rid of it but Donnie demanded all the profits and there is no money to properly dispose of it.

  While contemplating his fate and his ethical duty his right hand man, Robbie Green, enters his office. Robbie is twenty years younger but is indebted to Will. Let go from a competitor thirty years ago for petty theft, Will gave him a second shot and he has never regretted it. Robbie is still rough around the edges and does not mind cutting a corner or two but he never stole a thing from Chicago Electroplating.

  “All the guys can see you pacing and it worries them. What’s the story?” Robbie is just as concerned but he tries to fake it.

  “It’s the same story. Donnie wants more and more money and I got piles of sludge that have to go.” Will tells his hard truth.

  “Even I won’t take it to Lake Michigan again,” he firmly states.

  “No, that will never do. Shouldn’t of done it in the first place. I really thought it would break up and not be a hazard. Guess I should’ve checked with someone who knew better.” Will scratches his head. He can usually get by with just about everything. This time he is in a tough spot. “You got any ideas?”

  “You know I do. I still talk to Stan over at Metcalf and when this all came up on the news we were talking about it. Course I never said it was us doing it. He said man I don’t know why they just don’t send it to the Nigerians.” Robbie provides valuable information.

  “The Nigerians?” Will is interested.

  “Stan says the government over there will take it for pennies compared to what we have to pay here,” Robbie informs his boss.

  “I need to find out about that. I was talking to our disposer the other day and he’s a little suspicious. Said he can’t believe we don’t have more sludge than we give him with all the work we do. I said we got it piled up but money’s a little tight right now.” Will’s been stretching the truth as far as it will go to cover himself. Everyone wants to report on the dumping culprit.

  “He believe you?” Robbie wants to know how well Will is keeping this whole mess quiet.

  “Think so. Donnie’s reputation isn’t a secret, you know.” Will cannot hide everything about his boss.

  “You know there’s like a reward if someone turns in the company that dumped in the lake,” Robbie reminds him.

  “I know, I know.”

  “You think the disposer was thinking we’re it?” Robbie is reading Will’s mind. It is not uncommon these days.

  “He might be fishing. It’s a nice chunk of change.”

  “I could use three hundred thous any day.” Obviously, Robbie is concerned that anyone outside the company who knows what happened will report and grab the money. Both men probably would if they were not the ones doing the dumping.

  Will becomes excited about this new prospect. “Can you find out more about this Nigerian connection? If it’s really that cheap I’ll ship it all over there. I don’t need the disposer snoopin’ round the shop anyways.”

  “Sure thing, boss. It would be better to get as far away from this area as we can. I keep thinkin’ they might be able to figure out it’s us, you know, if they examine the stuff in the lake and then talk to the disposer. If he’s all about gettin’ the reward money he’ll rat us out in a snap.” Robbie brings up a point Will never considered.

  “I never even thought that could happen. We’ll be doomed if we ever get caught. Unless Donnie kills the business with his partying.”

  “You can’t talk any sense into him?”

  “Robbie, he doesn’t care about anything or anybody. He wants the money. End of the story.”

  “I’ll see what I can find out about the Nigerians. I don’t wanna ask Stan too much cuz I don’t trust him. He’s a spender and three hundred thous would put him in a nice new truck. That’s all he talks about is getting a new F250. Don’t know why such a little guy wants a big ole’ truck like that. He won’t be able to reach the gas pedal.” Robbie laughs at his own observation.

  “Probably why he wants it. He ever find a girl?”

  “Nope. Been single forty years. Wife divorced him after one year and no one else is stupid enough to give him a try. I’ll see what I can find out without makin’ anybody suspicious.”

  “You’re a good man, Robbie. I gotta do something. Soon.”

  “Now stop your pacing. Makes peop
le stop workin’ cuz they worryin’ that they’s won’t be workin’ anymore. Crazy all the way round.” Robbie reprimands his manager. He knows how the guys talk.

  Robbie leaves and pretends like he is laughing to ease the tension on the floor. Will follows his lead and the crew settles down. None of them are sure what is going on with the company. Rumors fly from competitors and no one knows how much Donnie is siphoning off of the top. They trust Will but they all know Will does not own the place and Donnie is nothing like Pappa.

  Robbie returns to his own office and pulls out his list of numbers. Finding the one he wants, he sits back for a moment to figure out what he is going to say. He cannot let anything slip that would make anyone suspicious. He cannot go to jail and he is sure he would be the one to go. With Will, of course, but that is not going to do anyone any good. Robbie’s first wife left him after he got fired for stealing. It took him seven years to find another one and she is the best thing to happen to him.

  Before getting married he told her about the theft. She was not happy about it but she made him promise he would never do it again or anything else that was illegal. He kept that promise until Will asked him dump the sludge in Lake Michigan.

  He knew it wasn’t right of course but Will said it would dissolve and wouldn’t hurt anyone. Robbie decided not to ask questions but just follow orders. He could not lose his job and he knew how much Will needed him. It was a test of his loyalty toward Will and his wife. Will won this time and once he dumped it the first time, it became easier each time he was asked. He could ask his wife for forgiveness if he stopped after the first dumping. But now, there is no way she would forgive him. Not with all the news reports.

  Robbie is in as tough a spot as Will. His wife asked about the dumping and Robbie lied to her, saying he cannot believe anyone would do such a thing and that he knows nothing about it. Lying will never pass in his household. It is the only lie he told her during their marriage.

  It is not only his wife he cannot bear to lose. He is daddy to three little girls. How he ever became a dad is beyond his comprehension but he loves each and every one of those princesses. He cannot risk losing any of it. He has to figure this out and do it right.

  “What cha’doin’?” Eric intrudes on Robbie’s phone call as he opens the office door just as Robbie is dialing the number.

  “Talkin’ to a friend from the old place. Just shootin’ the breeze,” Robbie calmly replies as he replaces the receiver in its cradle on the antiquated phone. Some days he likes Eric, other days, not so much. He is eager and that’s the good part but he is not one of them, not a good ole’ boy. He has too much education. Makes them all feel a little dumb.

  “On company time? That’s not like you, Robbie. C’mon, let me in on it.” Eric is not going away and for some reason Robbie does trust the young manager.

  “You know sludge disposal is expensive, right?”

  “Sure, it sucks up a lot of extra cash.” Eric leans his head to the side as if he is wondering where this conversation is headed.

  “I’ve heard that Nigeria will take it for a song. I’m checking into it. We gotta stop paying the high prices around here. . .you know.” Robbie is dancing around the subject to see how Eric responds.

  “With Donnie gambling all the profits away? Yeah, I know what’s going on. I can see it. So Will’s interested in moving it to foreign shores?” Eric asks. Robbie tries to play Eric’s game to make him feel more important.

  “Uh huh. What do you think?” Robbie might as well get Eric’s perspective.

  “I’m not against it as long as it’s disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.” Eric stands by his principles.

  “You are such a tree hugger.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with protecting the planet, Robbie,” Eric corrects him.

  “We want to keep it on the down low, though, you know.” Robbie cannot tell Eric why because Eric has no idea about the Lake Michigan dumping and if he learns of it, he will probably report them. In a way he is their best cover. Everyone knows he is an environmental freak and no way would he be associated with such an evil act.

  “Why?”

  “Cause if we don’t do it we don’t want our disposer to get all in a huff.” It is a pretty good lie. Robbie is not educated like Eric and this time it works for him.

  “I don’t think we should worry what one of our vendors thinks but I won’t tell anyone. I can probably help though.” Lo and behold Robbie is going to get information from a source he never considered.

  “Really? How?”

  “I was just talking to Seth Stevens at Full Frontal Chrome. That’s still the dumbest name for a company I’ve ever heard.” Eric shakes his head in dismay.

  “They have great advertising though.” Robbie loves the girls they parade around in their stupid commercials. Everyone talks about it. How could they not with the name and the girls flaunting their stuff?

  “It’s a joke. Anyway, he asked if we were shipping to Nigeria and I said I wasn’t sure. I didn’t think we were but I wasn’t going to tell him. Seth keeps talking about how much money Full Frontal is saving and told me who they use and how to contact them. He even wrote down the contact’s name and number, like he was gonna get a referral or something.”

  “Are you serious?” Robbie cannot believe this news. It saves him a painful conversation of discovering information without giving anything away.

  “Seth was drinking but I think he just likes to run off his mouth. Like anyone cares if he’s friends with the Nigerians. If you want the information I kept it. Didn’t really have a reason to keep it but you never know in this business.” Eric has just saved Robbie a lot of hard work.

  “Definitely, yeah. Can I get it now?”

  “Sure. I’ll be right back.” Eric leaves Robbie’s office and Robbie quickly calls Will to give him the good news.

  “Eric’s great but you know you have to be careful.” Will is too nervous to hope this might actually work out.

  “I know Mr. Clean can’t find out about the dirty stuff. He won’t but he’s on board with this Nigerian thing. He might even be able to help us get a great deal. He said Seth didn’t keep anything quiet.” Robbie is overjoyed at the prospect of getting this deal done.

  “Seth is the biggest mouth in the industry. If Eric got pricing it’ll help me negotiate. I gotta a lot of sludge and more coming.”

  Eric returns with the number and sits down.

  “Are you gonna sit here while I call?” Robbie really does not want to be watched.

  “Yes. I want to make sure we’re not doing anything that harms the earth.” Eric is not nicknamed ‘Mr. Clean’ for nothing.

  Robbie wants to roll his eyes but thinks better of it. Dialing the number he gets in touch with the proper person. Explaining his need for toxic sludge disposal, the Nigerian representative on the other side is eager to provide information. Robbie even asks if their methods are environmentally friendly.

  “Everyting and everybody is friendly.” The voice on the other line mistakes the question but Robbie gives Eric the thumbs up that this is an environmentally responsible group. Robbie makes an appointment for Will to meet with the representative and then calls his boss to tell him the same.

  Will rests a little easier that night. He may have a plan to properly dispose of the sludge and save money. Once he figures out that problem he needs to face another. How he is going to get Donnie under control is a mystery to him but he has to find a way.

  Two days later Will inks a deal with the Nigerian government and his sludge problems are over. He has his men haul it to a barge that ships it down river eventually to a port that loads it on a tanker to be sent overseas. The deal saves Will a fortune and he is eager to get the local disposer out of the way.

  The local guy is furious. This is the third company he lost business to the Nigerians. He believes that Will has been using the Nigerians to take the other sludge and is cutting him out of his due. Will decides to let him holler away,
never correcting him but happy that there is an alternative reason for the lower amounts of sludge he provided these past years. It almost assures his secret dumping in Lake Michigan remains unknown.

  Grateful to Eric he gives him a few nice words the next day. No reason to keep it all to himself. Eric may become a bigger asset to Will than he originally thought. He just needs to make certain that Eric also never finds out about the dumping. Robbie will never tell and as long as the other four guys want their jobs, they won’t tell. Besides, they all figure they will go to jail if they turn in Will and he does not make them any the wiser.

  CHAPTER 17

  S pending a week in Florida and then three weeks in Chicago preparing discovery documents for Billy, Tawny wants to go home.

  “Aren’t you going home for Thanksgiving?” Billy must be wondering what is happening in Indiana that Tawny wants to see her family in late October.

  “Sure, but it’s so busy during the holidays. I want to ride my horse.”

  “Okay.” Billy is such a city boy he has no concept of what it means to ride out in the fields on a beautiful autumn day.

  “I want to take a few days of vacation. I haven’t taken any and I don’t want to lose it. Besides, I haven’t been home since the fourth of July and my family is worried about me. They think I’m working too hard.” Tawny relays her mother’s fears more than anyone else’s. Mostly, she wants to ride Dusty before it gets too cold and the snow falls.

  “You are but I appreciate it,” he says with a bit of sarcasm and bit of a pout.

  “It’s okay then?”

  “Go ahead. Just don’t fall off your horse and break a bone. I need you on this HenKov case.” Billy is always thinking about himself.

  “I won’t. I’ve been riding since I was three. Dusty isn’t up to any exciting runs anyway. She’s an old horse but I still love her. Can I leave tomorrow?” It is Tuesday and she is pushing for three days but will settle for two, which is exactly what Billy gives her.