Paradise Falls (Paradise Falls #1-5)(33)

Jennifer flinched. “That’s a lot of money, isn’t it?”

“As road projects go, yes. For something like this, definitely. Do you know where that money went?”

She shook her head.

“There was a bidding process. The contracts were doled out to local construction companies. It was part of the bill, supposed to stimulate the local economy, right? I have a list of all the companies that got contracts.”

Jennifer shrugged. “So?”

“Not a single one existed more than six months before that bill was passed, and they all folded. Every single one. Concrete companies, construction equipment rental and repairs, even the food trucks. Every single company blipped into existence right before this bill was passed and shut down when the work was done. Now there’s this.”

He put the last folder on her lap.

“This the National Transportation Safety Board’s report on the collapse. The description of the flaws that caused the collapse and the flaws were the exact same issues cited in the original report that called the bridge unsafe and in need of total replacement.”

“What’s your point?”

He sighed. “You’re smarter than that.”

She shivered. “I don’t see what you mean.”

Jacob shook his head sadly, shifted on the bed before spreading out the folders in front of them.

“You see, but you do not observe.”

“Sherlock Holmes,” Jennifer said.

“Look. We start here.” He pointed to the first report. “Then we’re here, in the middle.” He pointed to the funding bill. “We end here.” He pointed to the final report. “Put them all together and they tell a story.”

“They didn’t do it right,” said Jennifer. “That doesn’t mean…” She closed her eyes and forced herself to stop shaking. “I’m not hearing this.”

“Do you know how much I wanted to hear it? It’s there and you have to see it. Listen to me. Do you know how much James Katzenberg is worth?”

“No.”

“Almost two hundred million dollars. If he kept every penny of his Senate salary it would take him a thousand years to save up all that money. Where’d he get it?”

“This is a conspiracy theory. It’s just paranoia.”

“It’s not,” he insisted. “He took office twelve years ago. Before that he was the mayor of Paradise Falls. Before that he was a city councilman. Where did all that money come from?”

“Where?”

“Lots of places, but most of it filtered up from stealing the money to repair the bridge. They made it look like they were fixing it, but didn’t, and kept the rest. I think your brother-in-law was in on it, too.”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” she said. She felt so cold. Shouldn’t she be angry? “So what does any of this have to do with us? What are you going to do about it?”

Jacob stood up and walked to the window. “I’m going to bring them all down. I’m going to make them all pay the price for what they’ve done, starting from the ground up. That’s why I came back here… that and I hoped you’d be here. No matter how much I try to convince myself that’s not true, it is.”

“Me?” said Jennifer. “Why me?”

“You don’t remember me from when I was in school, do you? I was in Miss Garrison’s… Rachel’s class. I used to see you every day. You were so beautiful… and then it happened. I saw you trying to throw yourself into the river. All I could do was watch.” He turned around to face her. “When they were cutting me, I’d see your face and remember that there was still beauty in the world and it gave me something to fight for when I wanted to just die.”

Jennifer’s jaw dropped.

“I shouldn’t have told you that.”

“I’m not that person,” she said. “You don’t know me. I’m not good enough for that.”

“I want to know you. I really do. When I first saw you again I couldn’t believe you were real.”

She couldn’t hide her surprise. Did he actually say that? He sounded so sincere about it.

“I’ll get your phone, so you can call your sister.”

“Wait,” Jennifer said, but he left anyway. Jennifer pulled the tray back on her lap and ate the cold pancakes.





13.





From the way the purse bounced heavily on the bed, she knew the gun was still inside. Jennifer reached inside, touched the butt of the gun with her fingers, and pulled out the phone.

“What happens now?” she said, holding the phone in her hand.

“I want you to stay here,” Jacob said. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to go home.”

“You want me to move in with you? Jacob, we went on a bike ride together. Once. I’m not ready for—“

“I’m not asking you to sleep with me. Or do anything else. I don’t sleep up here anyway. You can have it. If you want to move out of town, I’ll make sure you have a safe place to stay. Anywhere you want to go. I can set up your sister, too.”

“I need a minute,” she said.

He left the room and pulled the door shut. Jennifer slumped on the pillows, covered her eyes with her hand, and pinched the bridge of her nose.