That Pete knew how much it would cost was even more proof he'd paid someone to falsify the report. “Sit down!” Beau yelled as he took his place behind the desk and waited for Pete to pick up his overturned chair. There was a chance he could still end up fired. Pete could swing this thing in his direction easily, but he hoped he had knocked him off balance enough to rattle his thoughts.
“What's this about? Do you want money? I could toss some at you.” Pete's attitude changed once he was no longer in a position of power.
“No, Pete, I want justice.”
“That little—”
“Careful.” He leaned forward, and Pete leaned back.
“Roberta Cruise already got a lot of money. What? Now she wants more?”
“This has nothing to do with Bobbie.” He sat back and thought about that statement. It had everything to do with Bobbie, but not for the reasons Pete thought. Bobbie never told him about the reports. She could have done that from the beginning, but her core values required her to be fair. “All she told me to do was my homework, and she provided me with a research folder.”
“She's a ball buster.”
“She fights for what she loves, but this isn't about her. This is about you and how you will approach this situation. Eventually, word will get out that this building has environmentally unsafe materials. We can attack this situation in two ways. You can come clean and admit to bribing A-1, or you can come across as the safety-minded business owner who would stop at nothing to protect his crew and the residents of this building. I guess you'll go for option two, but option two will cost you lots of money. Not only do you have to pull in a professional abatement team, but you'll also have to keep the original team on the payroll. They shouldn't be held responsible for your oversight.”
“You're blackmailing me?” Pete crossed his arms over his chest and harrumphed. He was nothing but a spoiled man-child.
“If I were blackmailing you, I'd have asked for a lot more. I'm just forcing you to do what's right.”
“You're fired once this is over, and I'll make sure you don't work in this state again.”
“Is that right? If I were you, I'd be doing everything I could to make me happy. It would only take a phone call to change your life.”
“Screw you.” He stomped his foot like a four-year-old that's been told to take a nap.
“Back at you.” He rose and stood by the open door. “How about you think about it and give me your answer tomorrow? I'm sure Todd will want the courtesy of a call.” He pointed outside his office. “Don't let the door hit you on your way out.”
After a few calls, Beau had scheduled three companies for a bid. Two were rushing out this afternoon. There was big money in dangerous jobs.
Obviously, Aspen would take option two, but he took nothing for granted. He opened his drawers and removed any additional personal items he found and placed them in the box on the floor.
Macy Delaney's business card was on the edge of his desk, which he picked up and put in his pocket. He didn't want the press involved, but he had to keep his options open if things went further south.
His walk around the site was bittersweet. It was going to be a beautiful building once it was completed. If he had drawn up the plans, he would have put two large penthouse units on the top floor instead of four, but Pete and Todd didn't see beyond dollar signs. More units meant more money.
Floor by floor, he made his rounds and counted his blessings. Because this building had been used primarily for industrial purposes, the ceilings were open beamed, providing easy access for shoring up the floors above. Thank God, asbestos was only dangerous when disturbed. He couldn't have lived with himself if he had been responsible for the declining health of his crew.
* * *
After meeting with two independent abatement contractors for bids, he locked up the building and carried his box of belongings to his truck. He couldn't wait to see Bobbie and tell her the news. She'd be so happy he'd caught Aspen Construction in their lie before any damage could be done.
Once he'd dropped off his truck, he headed straight to the diner. The air was crisp, the sun was bright, and his heart was full. Things were finally looking up.