are wrong in this case. There’s no story here.”
“Really?” Hayley lifted a brow. “So, it’s pure coincidence that nearly ever local subcontractor you selected is a known political contributor to Councilman Nesbitt? Do you really think anyone is going to believe that? You don’t think these Internet hacktivists are going to find the link between you and Nesbitt?”
“There is no link between Bill and Alpha One,” Yates snapped, getting to his feet.
“Bill?” Hayley said, giving Brad a quick look. “So you and the councilman are on a first name basis? No link between you, huh?”
The man’s face darkened. “Get out! Or I’ll call security and have you dragged out.”
Both Hayley and Brad stood at the same time. They knew when they’d worn out their welcome.
“Okay, we’re going,” Hayley said. “But remember, if you ever decide to get in front of this before it’s too late, you can always call me.”
It looked like Yates was about to say something in reply—or explode. But then Brad turned and clicked off about a dozen shots of the man as they were leaving, and Hayley thought Yates might detonate right on the spot. She grabbed Brad’s arm and hurried him the rest of the way out the door, not wanting to get covered in sleazy business stew when Yates blew.
The guy at the front desk looked confused as they passed him, apparently not sure if he should scowl at them or wave.
“Was there a point to all that?” Brad asked as they headed for his Camry. “Or were you poking him for fun?”
“I’m hoping accusing him like that will provoke some kind of reaction and get him or Nesbitt to make a mistake.”
Brad shook his head as he climbed behind the wheel of his car. “Yeah, it will probably provoke a reaction all right…as in a lawsuit.”
* * * * *
Hayley looked through her handwritten notes then tapped out a few more lines on the draft article she was putting together on her laptop. In between reading her notes, doing searches on the net, and writing her article, she did her best to eat, but the truth was, even though it was late in the day and she hadn’t had a thing to eat since breakfast, she didn’t have much of an appetite right then.
She and Brad had stopped at the small grill for a late lunch, early dinner after a seriously long morning and afternoon of getting doors slammed in their faces. She’d told Brad it was too beautiful a day to eat inside, so they should sit on the patio, but she doubted he’d believed her. In reality, she’d taken one look at the gray concrete block walls in the café and her heart had nearly jumped out of her chest in the panic attack that followed.
Okay, no more gray concrete block walls for her. Ever. Again.
She finished the article she’d been reading on The People , closed the search page she’d had open on Jack Yates, then took a small bite of her chicken quesadilla and forced herself to eat it. That little flashback she’d gone through had done a number on her.
“Find anything good?” Brad asked, acting like he didn’t see the effort she had to put into chewing food she normally would have been wolfing down.
“Nothing we didn’t already know,” she admitted. “If there’s direct connection between Yates and Nesbitt it’s well hidden.”
“Maybe one of the people we talked to today will call us and that one tip will change everything.”
She took another bite of food and shrugged. “Maybe.”
She and Brad spent hours going from one construction company to the next on their list of Alpha One subcontractors. From excavation and heavy equipment specialists, to cement and brick masons, to carpenters, metal workers, electricians, heating and air people, even simple laborers, the reception had been the same everywhere. They’d tossed her and Brad out as soon as they figured out what she wanted to discuss. Every one of them claimed Alpha One had selected their particular company because they had long track records of getting jobs
“Really?” Hayley lifted a brow. “So, it’s pure coincidence that nearly ever local subcontractor you selected is a known political contributor to Councilman Nesbitt? Do you really think anyone is going to believe that? You don’t think these Internet hacktivists are going to find the link between you and Nesbitt?”
“There is no link between Bill and Alpha One,” Yates snapped, getting to his feet.
“Bill?” Hayley said, giving Brad a quick look. “So you and the councilman are on a first name basis? No link between you, huh?”
The man’s face darkened. “Get out! Or I’ll call security and have you dragged out.”
Both Hayley and Brad stood at the same time. They knew when they’d worn out their welcome.
“Okay, we’re going,” Hayley said. “But remember, if you ever decide to get in front of this before it’s too late, you can always call me.”
It looked like Yates was about to say something in reply—or explode. But then Brad turned and clicked off about a dozen shots of the man as they were leaving, and Hayley thought Yates might detonate right on the spot. She grabbed Brad’s arm and hurried him the rest of the way out the door, not wanting to get covered in sleazy business stew when Yates blew.
The guy at the front desk looked confused as they passed him, apparently not sure if he should scowl at them or wave.
“Was there a point to all that?” Brad asked as they headed for his Camry. “Or were you poking him for fun?”
“I’m hoping accusing him like that will provoke some kind of reaction and get him or Nesbitt to make a mistake.”
Brad shook his head as he climbed behind the wheel of his car. “Yeah, it will probably provoke a reaction all right…as in a lawsuit.”
* * * * *
Hayley looked through her handwritten notes then tapped out a few more lines on the draft article she was putting together on her laptop. In between reading her notes, doing searches on the net, and writing her article, she did her best to eat, but the truth was, even though it was late in the day and she hadn’t had a thing to eat since breakfast, she didn’t have much of an appetite right then.
She and Brad had stopped at the small grill for a late lunch, early dinner after a seriously long morning and afternoon of getting doors slammed in their faces. She’d told Brad it was too beautiful a day to eat inside, so they should sit on the patio, but she doubted he’d believed her. In reality, she’d taken one look at the gray concrete block walls in the café and her heart had nearly jumped out of her chest in the panic attack that followed.
Okay, no more gray concrete block walls for her. Ever. Again.
She finished the article she’d been reading on The People , closed the search page she’d had open on Jack Yates, then took a small bite of her chicken quesadilla and forced herself to eat it. That little flashback she’d gone through had done a number on her.
“Find anything good?” Brad asked, acting like he didn’t see the effort she had to put into chewing food she normally would have been wolfing down.
“Nothing we didn’t already know,” she admitted. “If there’s direct connection between Yates and Nesbitt it’s well hidden.”
“Maybe one of the people we talked to today will call us and that one tip will change everything.”
She took another bite of food and shrugged. “Maybe.”
She and Brad spent hours going from one construction company to the next on their list of Alpha One subcontractors. From excavation and heavy equipment specialists, to cement and brick masons, to carpenters, metal workers, electricians, heating and air people, even simple laborers, the reception had been the same everywhere. They’d tossed her and Brad out as soon as they figured out what she wanted to discuss. Every one of them claimed Alpha One had selected their particular company because they had long track records of getting jobs
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