Chapter Ten
MONKEY WRENCH
Thursday morning, Joe hurried into the office of the small Blue Haven city hall. He smiled at the gray-haired receptionist in a tidy suit. “Hi, Betty. Looking wonderful as always.”
“Oh you!” She gave him a flirty smile and fluttered her hand in the direction of the inner office. “You go right on in. Mayor Klanderman is expecting you.”
Joe nodded and headed toward the closed door. He’d tried to tamp down his excitement ever since he gotten the call to come see the mayor pronto. There’d been rumors that city hall needed some major repairs. Joe hadn’t gotten himself elected to the city council to get government jobs, but he sure wouldn’t turn any down, either. With the new truck and equipment bought with the bank loan, he would hire extra staff and never have to turn down any work again. If he could report he was bidding on a plumbing contract at the mayor’s invitation, he would go to the bank to amend the loan application this afternoon.
Pushing the door open, Joe smiled his most confident hello. “Mayor Klanderman. Nice to see you.”
“Call me George,” said the elderly man hefting himself from the large old-world leather chair behind an equally old dark wood desk. “And thank you for coming over, Joe.” They shook hands, and the mayor indicated he sit in one of the chairs facing him.
“No problem. Happy to do my bit for the town, anytime.” Joe sat, placing a folder on his lap that held a rough bid he’d sketched out for the rumored project, just in case.
“That’s great. I knew you’d be a great addition to the city council.”
Joe smiled. “Thanks.”
“Well, let me get right to it, since we’re both busy men.”
Joe nodded, sitting straighter and gripping the folder tighter.
“So, Joe, you may not know it but there’s been a rezoning proposal on the table for a while, ever since the town took over management of the township several years ago. I think it’s time to dust it off, and I’m seeking your support on this important legislation.”
“Well…sure.” Disappointment flared within Joe, but maybe if he scratched the mayor’s back now, his back would feel the pleasure later. “Since I’m new to the council, I must admit that I’m not sure what rezoning you’re referring to. Does it have to do with parklands?”
The mayor shrugged. “In a manner of speaking, I suppose. It’s Ordinance 453-A which basically curtails any further business development along the shoreline in the township.”
Joe lurched back, trying to keep the disappointment from registering on his face. “You mean like…new factories or manufacturing?”
“Certainly, certainly. We don’t have the infrastructure for that sort of thing along the coastline. Sewage, water lines, and such. And we need to make sure we don’t overburden our country roads.”
“I see.” Joe sighed, his excitement deflating faster than a bad tire. “I can see the wisdom of that, although I haven’t heard of any new factories going up in the township for years. Not in the town proper, either, for that matter.”
“Yes, yes, but we need to be prepared.” Klanderman leaned forward. “Can I count on your support?”
“I guess so. I’d like to read it, however.”
“Wonderful. I knew you’d be a solid egg when you joined the council.” The mayor looked pleased. Standing up, Klanderman reached out to shake Joe’s hand.
Unease slithered through Joe, making the back of his neck itch. He made no attempt to rise. “It doesn’t affect any ongoing projects, does it? Especially ones that operate without town services.” He waited, his hands a death grip on the folder that held his disappointment.
The mayor frowned. “Actually, yes. It curtails any new venture that hasn’t already opened for business. Ones that haven’t received the town engineer’s final approval.”
“But that would include Alexis Kosta’s new B&B, wouldn’t it? The town has already approved the preliminary work, but because of the extra plumbing repairs, the final approvals had to wait.”
Klanderman lowered his bulk back into his seat, clearly realizing that he hadn’t won Joe’s cooperation, yet. “Yes, well, that’s unfortunate, but we need to move on the rezoning to halt other potential projects. You understand.”
“No, I don’t. The town had no problem with Ms. Kosta’s B&B before. It’s so far out of town it will run on septic sewage and pump water and won’t need town services.”
“I know, I know, but a hotel shouldn’t be run on a septic tank anyway.”
“It’s not a hotel. Just a small guesthouse. And it doesn’t seem fair to Ms. Kosta. She’s put her life savings into this and she’ll lose everything. The town should have stopped the project from the get-go or make an exception for her now.”
The mayor’s eyes narrowed on Joe, his expression grim. “Look. This proposal is going forward. If you want to be on the right side of the town, you’ll support it.”
Joe stared at Klanderman, silently willing him to see reason while he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. “Like I said, I’d like to read the ordinance before I commit.”
“Your duty is to the council, and not to any other…liaisons.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think you know.” He stared at Joe, challenging him to deny it.
Joe was stunned. How could anyone even know that he and Lexie were an item? And then he understood, the connections falling into place. “This is really about competition, isn’t it? I ran into Linda Curtis and she didn’t seem pleased about Kosta’s new B&B. Curtis is one of your biggest supporters, I believe.”
“Not at all. And I don’t like what you’re insinuating.” He rose swiftly to his feet again, giving a great rendition of being affronted, but Joe wasn’t fooled. “Like I said, the rezoning has been in the works for years.”
Joe stood, too. “Like I said, I’ll read the proposed bill. That’s all I’ll agree to at this point.”
“Sure. I’ll have Betty mail you a copy.” The mayor sounded angry but kept his tone even. “We’re going to pass it at the town council meeting next week. We’ve got the votes. I expect your support, just as you’ll expect my support should any questions come up about whether or not your business is a sound investment.”
He didn’t say more, but Joe knew with soul deep certainty that the mayor referred to his loan application. The Triad—mayor, crony, and bank-manager brother were at it again, but this time it would hurt someone he was beginning to care for a great deal. And maybe it would hurt him, as well.
Joe left without another word, and once outside yanked his cell phone out of his pocket. Striding to his car, he held it at the ready, trying to decide what to say. Lexie needed and deserved to know about this, but at the same time, he didn’t want her to worry that she stood in the way of his getting the bank loan.
Joe tucked the cell back into his pocket. Nothing could happen until the vote next week anyway, and he needed time to come up with a plan that didn’t involve going head to head against the mayor and his entrenched friends. Do that, and both he and Lexie could lose everything.