Chapter 10: The Board Room

At eight on Tuesday morning, I walked a man in a gray coverall into the Rainey boardroom with his wrists zip-tied in front of him.

Marty walked on one side and the machinist on the other.

Behind us, the whole crew crowded in the doorway, twelve men with their arms crossed.

The room had a long walnut table, six leather chairs and a portrait of Clifford's father.

The three board members from yesterday sat at the table with their coffees.

Dwayne sat at the end in a fresh pullover with his laptop open.

Clifford sat at the head with a cane across his knees that I had never seen him use.

Cleo stood behind her father's chair.

She looked as though she hadn't slept at all.

"Mr. Danner," Clifford said. "You've interrupted a board meeting."

"Yes, sir."

"I hope you have a reason."

I set the gallon can on the table with a thump.

The smell of thinner rolled across the walnut.

"This man was in my building at three this morning," I said.

"He poured this along the wall under the model, and he had a lighter in his hand."

The board members stared at him.

"Say who gave you the key," I told the man in the coverall.

He swallowed.

He looked at Marty, then at the machinist, then at the old man at the head of the table.

"Mr. Dwayne," he said. "Mr. Dwayne Rainey."

"That's absurd," Dwayne said.

He didn't stand.

He smiled, a small tired smile.

"This is a Garland plant, Uncle. They sent a man to burn the building, he got caught, and now he's pointing at the nearest face."

"I never met him before in my life," the man said.

"That's convenient."

"You called me at a number ending in four-four-one-seven," the man said. "You said to wait until the night after the first start."

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