Chapter Ten A: Money on the Table

Aaron took a cab directly from the airport to Jack’s house. He was still wearing his Washington suit and a club tie. Well, he wouldn’t be going to Washington all that much, he decided, so it wasn’t that bad to have to wear them now. He pecked Theresa on the cheek, but grabbed the sandwich she offered him and his stack of black chips and went directly to Jack’s poker room. He was relieved to see Will and Susan there as well as Adele and two others that Jack had called in. Aaron couldn’t remember their names exactly, but he knew that Jack would have chosen them carefully for this game.

“Well, stand up and salute,” Jack muttered when he saw Aaron in his power-suit. “You look like a rich mark in a shark’s lair.”

“All things taken into consideration,” Aaron said, “that’s what I feel like. Now you guys all be kind to me. I don’t really know much about playing this game.” Everyone laughed at his demeanor.

“You can’t sucker me with that innocent attitude,” Will scoffed. “I hear you are employed in Washington, D.C. That means it’s our money that’s not safe.”

“Aaron, do you remember Eric Woolrich, class of ’81?” Jack said. “And Lonnie Williams, class of ’89 you may not have met.”

“Eric, Lonnie, good to meet you. It’s good to see you again, Will, Susan,” Aaron shook hands all around.

“You too, Aaron,” Susan said. “It’s been too long.”

“Let’s play poker,” Jack announced. “Seven Card stud, dollar ante.” He started dealing the cards. “Tell us what your game is, Aaron.” While they played over the next hour and a half, Aaron explained his project and his theory. Aaron thought of Will in a strictly professional forum as an attorney practicing in South Bend. That should give him an adequate jumping point to be able to investigate around Portage. Susan, on the other hand, was a private investigator who could uncover just about anything. Her typical forte was tracking lost objects, including embezzled cash and stolen property. Aaron discovered that Eric had joined the faculty at Purdue as a history professor in West Lafayette, and Lonnie worked in the County Auditor’s office in Portage County. That was a real coup for the team that Aaron wanted assembled.

“I don’t believe that the dredgers are in that harbor because of any of the reasons that the harbormaster suggested. The company’s record suggests that they really don’t care if they keep their longshoremen busy during the winter months. Most move off to other, warmer ports in the winter months and migrate back to Indiana when the Seaway opens. I’d guess he actually had to call someone back from a warm-weather stint to run that dredger. Second, there’s no Kudzu in that harbor. Don’t ask me how I know this, but understand that I’ve investigated that and it just isn’t there.”

“Why do you think they’re dredging?” Will asked. “Something must have motivated them to start it up when they’d agreed not to. You wouldn’t think that even if they don’t like the Congresswoman they would do something just to spite her.”

“Exactly,” Aaron said. “I think they are being pressured to dredge by someone who holds more sway over them than the Congresswoman. After all, she isn’t actually in their district. My best guess is that it’s the steel or gas industry. As to why, I think it has to do with the fish kill. I was out on the beach early this week and there is an extraordinary number of dead fish washed up. It didn’t look to me like they’d been chopped up as they would have with the dredger. Also, no carrion birds are touching them. That strikes me as really odd.”

“What could be causing it then?” Susan asked.

“I think there is something toxic in the water and they are trying to cover it up as long as possible,” Aaron stated flatly.

“There’s a lot of implications there,” she rejoined. “We’ve got inspectors that should be monitoring the water there. How are they getting away with no reports on the conditions?”

“That’s exactly what I’d like to know,” Aaron continued. “Here’s the lay of the land and what I want out of this investigation. First, what is in the water that’s being covered up, and who’s paying for it? Second, how are they doing it without having government inspectors up the wazoo? Third, what kind of dangers does this pose for the workers at the harbor and at any of the plants and refineries in the area, even for the population around the area? Finally, I want a solution to the problem that will be an economic and health benefit for the workers of Portage County and the rest of the Lakeshore. I don’t want an industry-killer.”

“You’re not really asking much for the money, are you?” Lonnie asked.

“Consider it a down-payment,” Aaron said. “I want these questions answered—not because they are beneficial to my candidate, but because somebody is killing fish, the lakeshore, and maybe people. This isn’t even in the Congresswoman’s district, so it’s not really going to affect her election one way or another other than to show her as a crusader for the common citizen.”

“That in itself should help her campaign,” Lonnie continued back. “I’m not affiliated with her party, and I’d hate to be seen as aiding the enemy. But what you say is right. That portion of the Lakeshore is in my County and I sure won’t give you the first part of the answers without the last part. That will help us all, no matter what party we’re affiliated with.”

“I appreciate your sentiments, Lonnie,” Aaron answered. “I hope we can show this as a cross-party coalition that is fighting for the best interests of people and the environment. I don’t want to come off as being anti-anything.”

“Questions, anybody?” Jack broke in. Everyone at the table shook their heads. “Let’s play poker,” Jack continued. “Seven card stud, Black Bottom Split. The price of poker just went up. Table stakes.” Everyone anted and all but Jack and Aaron folded after the first cards were dealt. At the end of the hand fifty black chips from each sat in the middle of the table and Aaron folded. The contract was sealed.

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