“What’s a viaduct, exactly?” Sarah asked Heidi over the dim. “I’m picturing the Roman water bridges.”
“You’ve got the right idea,” Heidi answered. “But in this case, it’s a large bridge type structure that will carry all the traffic up and over Main Street. Where the thing ties into the highway on this end of town and rejoins the highway on the north end of town will require massive demolition, including my house and many of the old neighborhoods.”
“Those neighborhoods north of town have been an eyesore for years,” Monique mumbled.
Sarah leapt from her chair as if she’d been jabbed, “I have several students who live in that neighborhood and it’s not their fault it’s run down.” She turned to Heidi, her face filled with worry. “Where will those families go? There isn’t much low-cost housing in town.”
Another roar of discussion erupted about the bad end of town and Heidi banged the gavel. The meeting was a shambles and she half considered walking out.
“I guess they’ll have to move to West Jefferson or New Jefferson,” Monique said over the din.
Sarah scowled and turned to Mildred. “Where is the original Jefferson?”
Mildred cupped her hand around her ear. “Sorry, can’t hear you. What was that?”
Sarah tried again, yelling louder. “There is a West Jefferson and a New Jefferson, where was the original Jefferson?”
The old lady blinked, considering the question. “I don’t know, I never thought about it.”
“Ladies!” Heidi yelled, banging the gavel. “Obviously, this plan is not acceptable and we need to discuss what we are going to do!”
The noise dropped a few decibels so she continued, speaking loudly. “Most of the houses and buildings slated for demolition on this end of town are on the state historic register, and the mayor should not be allowed to tear them down.”
The statement lowered the roar so she continued. “The only way he’s getting this viaduct built is by skipping steps in the process. He hasn’t submitted a survey of his project to the historic commission, that I know of, and he hasn’t bothered to issue city building permits either. None are on record.”
The women fell silent, each considering the building terms and construction process they didn’t understand.
“Now, I can still submit a demolition review request to the state preservation association,” Heidi said, “That should poke a stick in the mayor’s spokes, but depending on how he’s got this little scheme of his setup, it may not be enough.”
“What will we do?” Jessica wailed. “We can’t let him tear this place down and build a— a via—a bridge over Main Street!”
“Do you have a plan?” Sam asked, her expression serious.
This was the moment Heidi had been dreading. She’d spent the whole day thinking about how she’d word her explanation so the women wouldn’t get the wrong impression, but it was hopeless. They’d think whatever they’d think. She licked her lips and started with a confident voice. “Well, I’ve spent some time speaking with Mister Williams about it. Come to find out he’s worked in city planning, working with big construction projects and such, and—”
“Wait—one—minute,” Michelle burst out waving a nail file at Heidi. “None of us were able to get more than two words out of the man, and you’ve spoken to him about this project?”
“Yeah,” Sam added, her expression indignant. “I went all the way out to his house and he slammed the door in my face!”
Michelle wasn’t finished. “I’ve spent years learning how to get people to open up to me at the salon, and you get the most tight-lipped man in town talking?”
“When I tried talking to him at the grocery store, he looked at me like I’d lost my mind,” Mildred confirmed.
“Mister Williams is not a very talkative person,” Sarah said, agreeing with the other ladies.
“I’d never get his attention,” Stella added. “But back in the day, when I met Robert Redford...” Her gaze wandered off into space. “That man couldn’t keep his hands off me.”
The group rolled their eyes.
Monique whistled and all heads turned her way. When she had the women’s attention, she shook her head at them. “Are you all stupid? Maybe the man enjoys talking to Heidi.”
Mouths fell open and faces turned red. Ten seconds ticked by in silence, then all the women rushed to assure Heidi at once.
“Of course, he’d enjoy talking to you, why wouldn’t he?” Michelle babbled in near panic.
“You’re adorable, it—it only makes sense,” Jessica stuttered.
“You are pretty cute,” Sam said, then blushed. “You know what I mean.”
Heidi covered her face with her hands.
“Knock it off!” Monique yelled, coming out of her chair again. “Ya’ll back off and let the poor thing tell you what she learned.” With that, she dropped back in her chair, giving the group a dirty look.
Mayor Winslow peeked out the door of his office to make sure Rachel had gone to lunch, then returned to his desk. Looking over his shoulder, he released a latch to open the secret panel under the drawer. Carefully he lifted out the checkbook, keeping his ears perked for any indication that someone was nearby.
Muttering under his breath, he flipped pages until he came to a new, unused check. He knew this wouldn’t be the last check he’d write out from the secret Sugar Mountain checking account, and he was heartily sick of the situation.
Adam settled into his recliner and booted up his laptop. While he waited, he considered the conversation at Heidi’s house the night before. She was a sneaky one, looking so businesslike and proper, yet hiding all sorts of secrets. She had the kind of looks that didn’t necessarily turn heads, not in a traditional beauty kind of way. Her appeal was in her openness, her demeanor, her wit, her overall friendliness, and her—scheming, evidently.
He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Heidi’s son at her place. Had she mentioned how old he was?
He opened his email, found the one from her, and clicked to open it. She hadn’t been very willing to share the blueprint photos with him; however, he’d been able to convince her that the more he knew about the project, the more he could help. He’d asked how she got the photos but she’d been vague and uncomfortable answering so he’d let it go. What was she hiding? Something about this whole thing seemed strange. For one, why did she have photos of the drawings? That seemed weird. If she had access to the project or knew someone who did, why didn’t she just have a copy of the actual construction drawings?
Attached to the email were five photos. He ran a virus scan on the files, then downloaded them and opened the first one. The plans for dirt work on the project looked normal enough. Suspicious, he zoomed in to check the name of the engineering firm and then googled the company. They seemed legit. He opened the next photo. Just as he thought, it was the plan for underground utilities, drains, water pipes, sewer lines, buried electrical lines, and the like. The third photo was the main layout for placement of the foundations for the shopping center structure, and the final drawing was the plan for landscaping and lighting of the site.
He scratched the side of his head. It wasn’t like he knew a lot about Sugar Mountain, but he did know that tourists came here for the quaint shops and small-town charm of the place. What would they think of being dumped into a glitzy new shopping center after driving hours through the mountains? And what would the shop owners along Main Street think about new competition going in two blocks away?
He laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back to stare into the darkness over the computer. If he had to guess, the money trail for the shopping center would lead directly to the mayor. He’d seen it a million times throughout his career. The man had figured a way to make some money on the project, he’d bet on it. And a reputable city council would have put the kibosh on such a project.
A new idea came to mind. Had the mayor skirted around his own council, or was the council in on it too? How deep did this thing go?
His gaze came down to settle on the dog sleeping in his bed across the room.
Adam knew if he got all wrapped up in helping Heidi, he wouldn’t be able to behave himself. Oh, he wouldn’t be a clod and offend her, but could he keep his distance? He already liked her, and now she was in distress. The whole situation was the perfect recipe to screw up his uncomplicated life.
Heidi’s phone dinged in her pocket during the morning mail sort. She usually didn’t answer texts while she as at work, but with all that was happening, it seemed prudent.
The text was from Sarah. It read: New student in class. She says her daddy drives a bulldozer.
Heidi’s stomach wrenched. This was not good news. It may be unrelated, but she doubted it. Why else would someone come to town to drive a bulldozer?
The phone dinged with another text: Student’s last name is Winslow.
There it was—the confirmation that Heidi should panic.
The phone dinged one more time and she grimaced, not sure she could bear much more stress. The last text read: Student says daddy sleeps on the sofa because momma is mad at him. A surprised face and a laughing face emoji followed.
“Thanks, Sara,” she texted back. It was all she could do not to call Adam right that second and blurt out the news. This had to be pertinent to the construction project. But she’d be seeing Adam tonight, so she should wait. She’d have to wait. She knew she ran the risk of scaring the man off, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Not that she was chasing him or anything, she just needed his help right now, that was all.
The drunk man slumped on the bar stool and leered openly at Monique. “Hey lil lady,” he slurred, “Whas your name?”
Monique ignored the sloshed man and continued washing glasses. The guy was a pain. She’d tried to get him talking about why he was in town, but all he wanted to do was flirt with her. She was not the type to play along.
“Don’t ignore me, I’m talkin’ to you,” he demanded.
She rolled her eyes and headed into the back room to restock cups. When she returned the man was angry.
He leaned forward on his bar stool and scowled at her. “You’ll be sorry you were so rude when you find out who I am.”
She gave him a dirty look and put the cups in the holder.
“Lady, I got relatives in high places in this—” he hiccupped “—this town. I’m here to make things h—happen! You better watch out!”
“Be nice, Mister,” she warned the man. “I don’t take kindly to threats.”
He reared back, waving his hands in mock dismay. “Oh, what you gonna do about it, huh?”
In one slick motion, Monique reached under the bar and cocked the rifle. Before the man could blink, the barrel was shoved up his nose, nearly knocking him backward off his stool.
A pin drop could have been heard as all heads turned toward the bar.
The man’s hands came up and his eyes bugged, cross-eyed at the gun barrel. All his meanness and drunken bravado was gone. “Dow Lady, I didn’t mead nothid’. Please— put it dowd.”
“That’ll be $34 and you’re no longer welcome in here, you got it?” She breathed, barely above a whisper.
“Okay,” he replied submissively, reaching slowly for his wallet. With the gun barrel still pushing against his nose, he laid a fifty-dollar bill on the counter and carefully slid off the back of his stool. He swallowed hard, his gaze rising from the barrel of the gun to the anger in Monique’s eyes. He turned on his heel and ran for the door.
The door slammed shut and Monique calmly put the gun back under the bar. The locals returned to their drinking and conversations, unfazed.
“Hey, Monique,” a patron further down the bar called out. “Did you ever get the barrel of that old thing straightened after your old man ran over it back in ‘97?”
She tossed him a look and went back to work.
Heidi stared straight ahead as she drove. Her teeth ground in their sockets as she clenched the wheel.
“I’m not getting out of the car, I mean it.” Tyler insisted, his jaw set at an angle.
Heidi knew her son was pissed off and she didn’t care. He’d hardly come out of his room for months except to go to school, and it was high time he rejoined society.
“I can’t believe you brought me with you on a date,” he spat, knowing full well he was pushing his mother’s last button.
“Tyler James Collinsworth, not another word,” she warned angrily. A date? She huffed angrily at the thought. This was in no way a date.
He scowled and hunched his shoulders, glaring out the passenger window.
They drove in silence until Heidi calmed down, then she tried again. “I told you, Mister Williams is helping me with the house project, we are not dating.”
He turned back to glare at her. “Is that what they call it now, a project?”
“You better adjust your attitude, young man, or you won’t be playing video games for a month.”
“And how will you stop me when you’re off working on your projects?”
She tossed him a look. “The internet has a password, doesn’t it?”
His mouth dropped opened, then closed and he turned back to the window.
Heidi sighed. She and Tyler never fought like this, and they’d certainly never threatened each other before. What was it about teenagers that made relationships so hard? She cleared her throat and tried again. “It’s very simple. Mister Williams has been helpful to me, helpful to us,” she corrected with emphasis, “—to save the house. And now he needs some help, so of course I assured him we would be happy to lend a hand.”
“What can I possibly do to help this guy?” he asked her in a snarky tone. “I’m a kid.”
“You are a very capable young man.”
Tyler rolled his eyes and stared silently out the window for the rest of the trip.
Chapter Ten
Heidi tossed Tyler a warning look as she rang the doorbell. “You be nice,” she whispered.
Tyler rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
The door swung open and Heidi was surprised to see the dog push in front of Adam. When she’d seen the dog the day she’d come to check Adam’s address, he hadn’t been very willing to engage.
The dog trotted out onto the porch to sniff Tyler, who to his credit, put his hand down for the dog to smell. Then, against his better judgement, Tyler crouched to ruffle the fur along the dog’s collar. “Hey boy, what’s your name?”
Heidi watched Tyler, pleased to see him interacting with the dog. When was the last time he’d looked so happy? She couldn’t remember.
“Hi,” Adam said, with his eyes also on the dog and the boy. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that dog wag his tail.”
“I’m glad the dog likes him,” Heidi said. “This is Tyler, by the way.”
The teen straightened, keeping one hand on the dog’s head. “Cool dog” he offered in greeting.
“Yeah… he is,” Adam drawled, unable to hide his disbelief. “Come in.” He stepped back out of the doorway and motioned for them to enter.
They moved through the door and Heidi glanced curiously about the little house, taking in the bare walls and sparse furnishings. “Nice place,” she said, offering Adam a smile.
“Thanks,” he muttered, still studying his dog as he played with Tyler.
“So,” Heidi said, “What is it you needed help with? Something about painting a Jeep?”
Mention of the Jeep drew Adam’s attention. “Oh, right, the Jeep. Follow me.”
Heidi and Adam headed through the kitchen, and Tyler and the dog followed. Once in the garage, both Heidi and Tyler stopped to stare in amazement at the chaos of the place.
“Dude,” Tyler blurted, moving into the mass of vehicle parts, tarps, tools, auto body pieces, and stacked crates. “What happened
in here? It looks like a junkyard blew up.”
“Tyler,” Heidi admonished as she stared at the conglomeration. Compared to Adam’s spotless house, the place was pandemonium.
“Here’s the Jeep,” Adam said. “It needs to be turned over, so I can—”He realized his guests were in a state of shock.
Tyler worked his way through the room to stand by Adam. He stared down at the Jeep body. “That’s a Jeep? It doesn’t look like a Jeep.”
Adam scratched the side of his head, trying to see it as Heidi and Tyler did. “Okay, it’s the body of a Jeep.”
“Where’s the rest of it?” Tyler asked, reaching out to touch the frame.
Heidi joined them and cocked her head to one side. “What did you do to it?”
“It’s all here,” Adam explained, choosing to answer Tyler instead of his mother.
“Why did you take it all apart?” Tyler continued with youthful interest.
“Don’t be rude,” Heidi scolded. “It’s none of our business.”
Adam grinned, happy to have conversation flowing. He’d been more than a little concerned about how the evening would go. “I don’t mind, it’s a good question.” He turned to the boy. “When I bought it, it had tons of rust everywhere. The only way to fix it correctly was to take it all apart and get rid of the rust.”
Tyler stared hard at the Jeep frame for a few moments longer, then his attention wandered. He headed toward the shelves lining the back wall of the garage. Boxes, tools, and fenders blocked his way. “Is all this stuff for one Jeep?” he asked, incredulous.
Adam chuckled. “No, some of it’s for other projects.
Tyler whipped around to face Adam. “There are more cars in here?”
Again, Adam laughed. “Not right now.”
“What do you need us to do?” Heidi asked.
Adam watched Tyler assess the many tools on his tool bench. He wasn’t the best at cleaning his tools and putting them away. In all honesty he was happy if they just made it back to the bench. Embarrassed at the state of his garage, he decided to get on with it. “I need you guys to help me turn the frame so I can paint the underside.”
Trouble on Main Street Page 10