All That Sparkles (Siren Publishing Classic)

by D. Morrissey

  I pull into the parking lot at Stegner Chemical, taking my usual space at the end near the street because the dust doesn’t seem to be quite as thick here. The worst thing about this job, besides the noise, is the dust. Year long, there’s a blanket of white grit that covers everything, cars, trucks, trees, shrubs, and people. I wear a face mask most of the time to keep it out of my nose and lungs.

  I step out of my car, the familiar noise of the compressors almost deafen me. Looks like the hoppers are running on all cylinders today. I dig around in my lunch pail for my ear buds as I walk over to speak to Jamison. Suddenly, I freeze and slap my hand to my forehead. Oh crap! I forgot to get my debit card from that ditzy girl at the store!

  I walk up to Jamison’s window and he rolls it down so I can lean in. “Do you need these?” I yell, holding up my ear buds. I have an extra pair in the office.

  “No, I have some,” he yells back, holding his up in return. “What’s wrong?”

  “What?”

  He slaps his hand against his forehead, mimicking me so that I understand what he’s asking. “What’s wrong?” he repeats slowly.

  “Oh. I forgot my debit card back there at the store,” I shout. “I’ll call them when I get upstairs.”

  He nods. “You just go do your thing. I’ll be fine out here.”

  “Okay.” I step back, giving him a little wave, and then I turn and head for the office to clock in.

  I slide my finger through all the time cards on the little metal shelf, finally finding mine, and I pluck it out.

  “Hey, El!”

  “Hey, Johnny!” I slide my timecard into the clock and it punches me in. “How’s it going?”

  “Well, number three was down again all night. Seth just left. He had to come over and help me. We just got it fixed about an hour ago, which means…”

  I sigh. “That I’ll have to run all four of them tonight to make up for it.”

  He nods. “Yep. Also, the furnace on number two keeps stalling out. You’ll have to check it on every run tonight to make sure it stays on.”

  So much for having an easy shift! I notice that Johnny looks like hell, which is probably what I’ll look like in the morning when I finish my sixteen hours. He plops down in the extra chair in the control room, covered in white dust from head to toe, the dirty outline of his face mask clearly visible around his mouth and nose. His shoulders are slumped and his hair is caked with soot. He’s obviously exhausted.

  “How long have you been here?”

  “Since eleven last night. Just a double shift, but fuck if everything didn’t seem to break at one time.”

  I nod, full of empathy. “Sorry. That sucks. But thanks for fixing everything before I came on,” I tease.

  “Don’t get too cocky there, Miss Happy Pants. I didn’t have any belts to replace the one in the number four tower. That means that every few hours, you’ll have to climb up there and check the pins. If they’re jiggled too close to the furnace or whatever, you’ll need to change them out. Otherwise, they’ll melt.”

  “Geez, Johnny. You kind of buried the lead, there. Seriously? I’ve never done that before.” Actually, it scares the shit out me. I’ve always been able to talk the men into doing it for me.

  “I called Doug, but he was off today, somewhere out of town with his wife and kids. He said he’d bring a new belt over as soon as he gets back into town.”

  “When will that be?”

  Johnny shakes his head and shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine. But until he does, you’re stuck climbing the tower. Just remember, before you lean over to pull the old pins out or push the new ones in, be SURE you strap the safety harness on.”

  I nod. “Safety harness. Got it.”

  “And the gloves.”

  “Kevlar gloves. Yep.” I nod again.

  He smiles. “It’s scary the first few times you do it. But even if you did fall, there are safety switches all along the belt line.”

  I smile. “I know. It’s fine. Go home and get some rest. I’m sure Doug will be here before long with the new belt anyway.” I’ve watched the other guys do this a hundred times. Snap on the safety harness and pull on the Kevlar gloves, then simply lean over and reposition or change out the pins. Easy, breezy. Just don’t look down. The furnace and the conveyor belt connectors are at the very top of the tower, which is about a hundred feet and ten flights of stairs.

  “Okay. Good luck, kiddo.”

  “See ya!” I wave as he heads down to the locker room to shower and clean up before he goes home. I have a special locker room of my own, along with my own shower that I never use. I’ve never felt totally comfortable getting naked here at work. I usually just wash my face and hands and then cover my car seats with a beach towel until I get home.

  Alone now, I get up and put away my lunch, grab my book and my iPod from my lunch pail, and then settle in at the control panel to keep an eye on everything. I glance at the clock. I don’t need to do my first round for another hour or so. Good! I decide to check my phone before I start reading. Oh goody! A text from Cal! I start smiling before I read it even.

  From Cal @ 2:10: Who the hell is that strange smiling man next to my beautiful girlfriend?

  I giggle.

  To Cal @ 3:30: I might not have recognized Jamison either! At least we know how to get him to smile now. xxoo (that’s hugs and kisses for the new, inexperienced boyfriend)

  I set my phone to vibrate and then stuff it back in my pocket. It’s the only way I’m sure not to miss any calls with all the noise from the plant and my ear buds. I pick up The Lord of the Rings and begin reading while I listen to a few Coffee House ditties. A few pages later, my hip vibrates.

  From Cal @ 3:58: Petition to revoke bail was approved. As soon as we find Logan, we’ll lock him up again. He gave my guys the slip. Jamison notified. He’ll be patrolling now instead of sitting in his car. Don’t get scared if you see him lurking about. Can’t wait to see you. P.S. I know what hugs and kisses are. I just prefer the real kind.

  So, good news and bad news. Logan’s heading back to jail. But they have to find him again first. Sneaky bastard. I shake my head and go back to my book.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The red light on the control panel blinks again and I close my book, sighing as I toss it on the table behind me. This is the third time in the past three hours. I get up and grab my hat, heading out to the plant to climb the stairs up to tower two and restart the furnace. It’s late enough, I decide to go ahead and check on the other towers, as well.

  “Dammit!” I lean over and kick the front of the boilerplate closed as I rake through the clumpy clay. I’ll have to rerun everything now before I can eat my lunch. My stomach growls as if in protest. I walk over to the wheelbarrow on the catwalk and put the shovel inside, pushing it back toward the conveyor. When I get to the furnace, I grab the shovel, use it to hoist myself into the bed of the wheelbarrow, and then I start shoveling.

  Suddenly, two hands grab my ass from behind. I shriek as my heart explodes, and am about to swing my shovel around and chop someone in half, when I see Cal.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” He can’t hear me over the noise of the plant. But I know he can read my lips.

  “Here! Let me help you!” he yells, standing there looking all lawyerly in his immaculate suit.

  I shake my head no, pointing to my hard hat and steel-toed boots. Then I point to him and the stairs. He looks kind of pissed, but he nods and steps over onto the catwalk while I finish shoveling out the clay.

  Several minutes later, I’ve cleared out most of the raw, wet stuff and I push it back over to the hopper and restart it. After I dump it, I run back around and kick the boiler again, watching to make sure everything runs through all right. I put the shovel back in the wheelbarrow and push it back toward Cal on the catwalk. I walk down the stairs, signaling for him to follow me.

  After closing the door to the break room, I pull out my ear buds and remove my hat. “What are you d
oing here?”

  “I thought I would check on you and bring you some lunch. I didn’t know they’d have you at the top of Mount Vesuvius digging ditches.” He’s apparently unhappy about something.

  “What’s wrong with you?” I look at him, confused. “Are you mad about something?”

  He glances around the control room and sighs. “This is no job for you, Ellie. Hell, it’s no job for a man, much less…you could get seriously hurt.” He stops, realizing that he’s probably overstepping, which he is. But then I think of Caroline.

  “Cal.” I put my hand on his arm to soothe him, and then I see how dirty it is. Oh shit. I jerk it away and rub it on my jeans, which really aren’t much better. “It’s normally not like this. I promise. We’ve just had a few problems today with some of the towers.”

  He stares at me, which makes me nervous since I know my face is probably filthy, too. “I can’t make you quit,” he says. “But I don’t like it.”

  I nod. “Duly noted.”

  His face softens and he leans over to kiss me. “But at least I can feed you.”

  “I have a sandwich.” I point to my lunch pail.

  “A sandwich from the Quick Stop?” He shakes his head. “I talked to Scott.”

  “Scott?”

  “Officer Jamison.”

  “Oh yeah.” I giggle.

  “Here. I brought you a salad and some real food.”

  My stomach growls and I smile. “Bless you.”

  I wash my hands and my face in the break room sink and then scrounge around for a plate.

  “Judge Lyons agreed with me on the petition,” he says as I inhale the salad that he brought for me. “But my guys lost Logan this afternoon when he was heading out toward Hot Springs.”

  I nod, chewing.

  “I think he’s gotten wind of the order and he’s hauled ass out to Skokie County to lay low.”

  “Well, that’s good, isn’t it? At least we don’t have to worry about him trying to come after me.”

  “I’ll relax once we have him again. I have a few guys out there knocking on doors now. Until then, Jamison or Phelps will be here with you while you’re working. And when you’re not, I want you with me.”

  I smile. “For my protection?”

  “No. For mine.” He grins. “I might lose my mind if something happened to you.”

  I lean across the table and kiss him just for the hell of it. The break room door opens and Jamison pops his head in.

  “I’m back,” he announces.

  I look at him curiously. “Where’d you go?”

  “I ran out and got a bite to eat while Cal was here.”

  “Thanks, Scott.” Cal stands up. “I’m going to head home now so I can take a shower and change. But I’ll be working from my office there. So call me if you need me.”

  “Will do. So far everything’s been relatively quiet. Well, from my perspective, that is. This place is anything but quiet. I’ll go take another walk around the plant now. Take care, and I’ll talk to you later.” He nods at me and closes the door. I look at Cal.

  “Are you just now getting off work?”

  He smiles. “I didn’t have any reason to leave any sooner. My girlfriend ditched me for work.”

  “I’m sorry. You really should go home and get some rest. I’m sure she’ll come and visit you tomorrow when she gets off.” I grin.

  “Ah. But will she stay? She never answered me before.”

  “I’m sure she’s just thinking it over really well because she’s a good, level-headed young lady who doesn’t want to rush into anything.”

  I smile and walk over to the door, leaning against the threshold. I don’t want to lean against him and get dirt all over his nice suit.

  “Come here.” He pulls me to him, dirt and all, wraps his arms around me, and kisses me. “You should be at my house now, too, soaking in a nice, hot bubble bath, and getting ready for a back rub.”

  “Mm.” I close my eyes. “That does sound nice.”

  “Come with me right now and we’ll make it happen.” He grins.

  “Believe me, you don’t know how tempting that is.” I laugh. “But I can’t do that to the guys. I’ll be fine. I’m almost half-way through my shift already.”

  “Fine. Call me if you need me.” He kisses me again. “For anything.”

  I sit back down to finish the meal that Cal was so thoughtful to bring. I really wasn’t too keen about the ham on a kaiser roll that I picked up from the Quick Stop. But it was better than the tuna salad. I open the plastic container and the smell of roasted chicken and garlic potatoes fills the break room. I eat everything on my plate before heading back to the control room to check on the furnace.

  Things go relatively well for the next few hours and I’m able to finally finish my book so I can start the next one. Gotta love that Tolkien!

  “Sorry to bother you. Do you have a minute?” Jamison cracks the control room door and peeks in.

  “Sure! What’s up?”

  “I’m getting ready to leave and I wanted to make sure you met Phelps here.” Jamison opens the door wide and an older, portly gentleman steps inside.

  “Hello. I’m Garrett Phelps. Nice to meet you, Miss Carter.”

  “Oh! Hi.” I stand up and shake his hand. “Nice to meet you, too. Thank you for coming out.” I feel awkward, not really sure how I’m supposed to interact with off-duty cops who are babysitting me.

  “I’ve taken Phelps on a round already and showed him all the potential weak spots on the property.”

  “Oh. Okay.” I didn’t realize the plant had any potential weak spots.

  “He’s been read-in on all of Logan’s habits and known associates. I think you’re in good hands. So I’ll leave you guys to it.”

  “Thanks, Jamison!” I say as he closes the door. “And thank you, Phelps!” I call out behind them, forgetting about him already. Sheesh. I’m simply not accustomed to having this much activity in the control room at work. There aren’t these many people coming in and out during the weekday shifts.

  It’s almost time for me to go on rounds again already. So, I turn off my iPod, set all the controls to auto, and grab my hat. This is an ugly run, where I have to go check on the number four tower to make sure all the pins are still holding. I head down the path to the plant and run into Phelps, who already looks lost.

  “Hey, Phelps! Can I help you find something?” I yell.

  “Hey! Yeah. Sorry, but which way is the North gate?” He places his hands around his mouth like a megaphone as he yells, and then he scratches his head and spins around in a circle.

  “It’s…uh…North. Over there.” I point toward the far end of the facility.

  He nods. “Okay! Got it! Thanks!”

  I continue up the stairs to the number one tower, choosing to just take them in numbered order. Number one tower is fine, all the hoppers running on full cylinders with no issues. But I have to restart the boiler on number two, again, and shovel out all the raw clay, again. I hike toward the number three tower and I look down to see Phelps strolling around the grounds like he’s lost again. I wave and smile and he waves back. Funny how I never saw Jamison walking around even once tonight?

  Climbing the stairs to the number four tower, I get a feeling in my gut that this isn’t going to go well. I plod along the catwalk toward the furnace, and I can already see from here that the conveyor belt is stopped. At least I know my gut is giving me accurate readings.

  “Shit!” I kick the locker where we store the Kevlar gloves and the harness, hoping it will decide to unlock itself against the threat of brute force. Of course, it doesn’t. I have no idea where the key is kept, and I’ve already tried cursing it with no results. I look around for something besides my foot to jimmy the locker open and I spy a boiler grappler propped against one of the compressors. It’ll work. Maybe. I climb to the next level, grab the grappler, and head back down to the locker.

  “Shit! Shit! Shit!” I kick the locker again. The grappler
is curved and the tip is too thick to wedge into the door.

  My only options are to walk around and look for a crowbar or call someone and wake them up. The guys would never let me live this down. I could actually change it out without the harness and just use the grappler without the Kevlar gloves. I decide to give it a try.

  I step out onto the plank and lean over as far as I can, swinging the grappler toward the seven-inch iron pins. It almost reaches. Almost. I stand on the second rail and lean over a bit more.

  “Hi there!” a man’s voice yells out behind me, scaring the hell out of me.

  “Fuck!” I yelp, dropping the grappler to the conveyor belt below and barely grabbing the rail and preventing myself from joining it.

  I swing myself back off the rail and regain my footing on the catwalk. “What the hell—” I look up and see a man who I know I recognize, but I just can’t quite place. He smiles.

  “Whoa! That was close!” he yells, pulling a small gun out of his coat pocket.

  Who the fuck is he? I stare in disbelief, racking my brain, trying to figure out how I know him.

  “You don’t remember me?” he says, frowning and shaking his head.

  I shake my head and then glance back over the rail. My grappler is lying on the conveyor belt about thirty feet below.

  “I’m hurt.” He places his hand over his heart, as if I’ve crushed him. “See if this helps.” He reaches into his other pocket and produces a pair of black, rimmed hipster glasses that he slides onto his face.

  Oh my God! “Lenny.” I look at his feet and he’s wearing the same black Converses that he had on at the police station.

  “You do remember me!” He smiles now. “I told you I’d see you soon.”

  I turn around and try to call for Phelps. But I don’t see him anywhere. And even if I did, I know he wouldn’t be able to hear me over the hoppers and the other machines.