Chapter 41

Cal took a quick look at the weather out of his bedroom window. The meager light at that time of the morning made everything look grey.

“They said clouds but no rain on the weather report last night,” he called over to Roxie. “It looks like they were right.”

A mound of blankets stirred on the bed.

“I’m getting up soon,” a muffled voice from under the mound promised. “It’s just that it’s so cold out there and so warm in here.”

It made Cal laugh. Roxie was almost right. The days were turning colder and shorter in mid-October. The election campaign was getting shorter, too. Cal felt good about both. Autumn had always been his favorite time of year and he liked his chances in the campaign. He was thinking that if he had his way Election Day would be that very day.

He reached into his closet and picked out his charcoal suit that he’d just brought back from the cleaners. He glanced over at Roxie, who had just thrown back the blankets and was sitting on the edge of the bed rubbing her eyes.

“It’s my day off, you know,” she said.

“True enough,” Cal answered. “What are you going to do with it?”

“Dunno,” she answered. “I’ll run the vacuum around the house if you want.”

It didn’t take Cal long to hear what she’d said and spot an opening.

“If you’re going to keep my house you should move into it,” he said.

In the mirror he saw Roxie whip her head around and looked at him.

“We talked about that already, Cal,” she said. “Maybe soon—I’m thinking about it. I just like the way things are, at least for right now.”

Cal knew he was being scolded, but he didn’t mind. Roxie never held back when she had something to say or needed to stick up for herself. He had learned that it was better that way. It eliminated a lot of guessing games. And, on top of that, the facts were on her side. He had brought it up—more than once.

“I thought that I would whip up something for us as an early dinner and then we could go down to Appleton Orchards Trailer Park and do some campaigning afterward,” she said.

That reminded Cal of another thing he had learned about Roxie. Once a point was made, it was enough. Rubbing it in or seizing the high ground for the next disagreement never seemed to be in the picture. Cal figured that helped him avoid a lot of ulcers.

“So, when does Tanaka get into town?” she asked.

Cal finished straightening his tie.

“The signing ceremony is scheduled at ten,” he said. “Ross is meeting his plane in Syracuse and then driving him down here.”

“What a bastard that Ross is,” Roxie declared, “kicking you off the podium after you worked so hard...”

“I know, I know,” Cal agreed. “Nothing surprising there. It’s typical Jack Ross.”

He looked in the mirror at the knot in his tie and decided it wasn’t even close. He unraveled it and started over.

When the signing date was announced earlier that week all the parties met to discuss exactly how it would take place. They would hold a brief but formal ceremony in the large atrium outside of the City Council Chambers. There would be a podium—in fact, a large platform—erected right in front of the big double doors that opened up to the chamber. There would be plenty of space for everyone who needed to be there and elevated for optimal camera exposure.

“Jack says you are definitely not to be on the VIP platform,” Kyle had told Cal as he took him aside during their meeting.

Cal didn’t need to be there in the technical sense. The agreement was between the City and Midco. Although Cal had negotiated the deal on behalf of the county for the benefit of the city, there would be no signatures on the document by any county official.

“So, why are you even planning to show up?” Roxie asked.

“I can’t run away like a frightened rabbit,” Cal replied. “Besides, you never know what can happen. George and I agreed it would be a mistake to make a scene over whether or not I’m on the podium. But it’s a public event and I can stand in the back.”

“Whatever!” Roxie sighed and plodded into the bathroom.

Cal inspected his second try at the knot in his tie and pronounced it ‘good enough’. He headed downstairs to make some coffee.

Cal was standing in the back of the atrium watching the preparations for the signing ceremony. He saw George Lambe standing in the stairwell that led to the upstairs offices, so he went to join him there. He climbed up to the third step where George stood.

“You can get a better view from here,” George said.

A small stage, perhaps two steps above floor level and of sufficient length for a long table, was placed right in front of the oaken double doors that opened to the City Council Chambers. On it was placed a long table covered with a green, felt cloth draped over it. The American Flag was posted at one end and the Appleton City Flag at the other.

Facing out toward the crowd the cloth reached down to the bottom of the table and bore the City of Appleton name and emblem in bright, gold letters. There were four chairs lined up on the other side of the table facing out to the crowd.

“They only dust off the green tablecloth for the big events,” George mumbled, but loud enough for Cal to hear him.

“Or when they want to give themselves a big pat on the back,” Cal added.

Cal surveyed the preparations for the big event. Spread out in front of the podium, a number of metal folding chairs were set up in a semi-circle for the expected audience—perhaps a hundred.

At the same time he watched as workers tested the microphones and a TV crew from the local station was testing its sound pickup. A reporter from the newspaper had come early to get a chair right in front of the podium.

“Of course, if Kyle hadn’t kicked me off the podium I’d be singing a different tune,” Cal added.

So, at least, he was satisfied with being honest with himself and whoever cared to listen, which at the time appeared to be himself and George standing next to him—and he wasn’t altogether sure about George.

“You should be up there, Cal,” came George’s deep rumble. “You did it for all the right reasons and you made it happen. But, things have a way of working out. The story doesn’t end until the last page is turned, so let’s just wait and be patient.”

A crowd was beginning to filter in and fill the atrium. It was surprising how much interest the signing had generated. Many of the audience were workers from the City Hall building—secretaries, clerks and the like. There were others, like retirees and housewives that Cal recognized from his neighborhood not far away, and some professionals who Cal knew who had offices in the business district.

“I’m glad we got up here where we could see something,” George said.

Cal saw Kyle Stevens’ secretary emerge from behind the large double doors with an armful of papers and some pens in her hand. She set the pens at the place of each chair and arranged two neat stacks of papers inside large presentation folders at the two chairs in the center. She finished the arrangement, took a last, quick look and then about-faced and disappeared inside the council chambers and closed the doors behind her.

“They must be almost ready to start,” Cal said to George. “It was supposed to start at ten. They’re ten minutes late already.”

The atrium was about as full as Cal had ever seen it. There were at least a couple of dozen people who overflowed the chairs and were standing in the back.

Without warning, the double doors opened once again. Jack Ross mounted the podium first and stood behind the chair on the far left. Mildred Watkins was second and went to the place at the far right. Kyle Stevens and Mr. Tanaka came out together and took the two positions at the center. Jennifer Davis came out last and stood in back and off to the side near Ross.

The crowd in the atrium rose in polite applause. All the participants except Jennifer, who had no chair, and Ross took their seats. Jack Ross stepped out in front of the green-covered table to where a microphone waited for him.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” he began, “thanks for coming out today. You all know me. I’m Jack Ross, your State Senator.”

He paused and the crowd waited for him to continue. Jennifer Davis began to clap and the crowd followed her lead and broke into applause.

Ross found his toothy grin.

“We’re here today to finalize an agreement that we know will lead to hundreds of new opportunities for our people. Your Mayor and City Council worked with me and my staff to bring this to reality.”

Ross went on to introduce the people seated at the table on the podium, as well as Jennifer Davis.

“He never even uttered Homer Barlow’s name,” Cal whispered to George.

George shrugged.

“I hope you’re not surprised by that,” he answered.

Cal returned his attention to the table. Ross was saying a few words about the project. To Cal it was all boilerplate—nothing new. Nevertheless, the audience gave scattered applause every few seconds.

Cal saw Mr. Tanaka lean over and whisper something to Kyle Stevens. Stevens shrugged and shook his head. Mr. Tanaka’s face took on a frown.

“Something’s bugging Mr. Tanaka,” Cal said.

“Yes, I saw that. What do you think it is?” George said.

Cal shook his head.

“Damned if I know, George. I just hope that something isn’t going wrong with the agreement at the last second.”

Jack Ross was still speaking, but Cal could see that he was wrapping up.

“Say what you want about Ol’ Jack,” Cal said to himself, “but he knows exactly how to work a crowd.”

Jack finished his speech and accepted more applause. He returned to his place on the other side of the table and took his chair. A technician took the microphone out of its full-length holder and inserted it in a shorter one that was at Ross’ place at the table.

Ross leaned forward just a bit and spoke in the microphone.

“We’re ready to commence with the signing,” he announced. “Would the signatories open their contract packages to page three and sign on the lines indicated.”

Mr. Tanaka and Kyle Sevens complied as Cal watched the signatory pens scratching on the documents, although he couldn’t see the ink flowing onto the paper. When he had completed signing Mr. Tanaka leaned over to Jack Ross and whispered something to him.

“Tanaka is questioning something again. What do think is bugging him?” George asked again.

“I don’t know, George,” was all Cal could say. “I just want the ink to get on the right lines before something blows up in our faces.”

“If he turns this way again I’ll try and read his lips, for what that’s worth,” George said.

Besides the main document, which was the lease, there were several more side agreements to sign regarding insurance, upgrades and maintenance, utilities and a contingency that the roadway bond would be approved in the upcoming election.

At last Mr. Tanaka and Kyle Stevens had signed all the lines that there were for them to sign. Mildred Watkins and Jack Ross then signed as witnesses. Jack took the documents and brandished his pen with great flourish.

“So, once I sign these papers it will be official,” Ross said.

Then he gave the crowd a sheepish grin and put his hand over the microphone nearby as if he wasn’t aware that it was still open.

As Jack was signing Cal watched Mr. Tanaka lean over to Kyle Stevens once again and whispered something to him. Cal thought that the expression on his face and his mannerisms appeared more impatient and insistent.

The crowd saw it too, and began murmuring. Jack Ross looked up from the pile of papers in front of him, but kept on signing, nonetheless.

“Tanaka’s asking ‘where is Mr. Tucker’,” George whispered to Cal.

All at once a loud female voice rose over the buzzing of the crowd.

“Cal Tucker’s standing over there in the stairwell!”

Cal would know Roxie’s voice anywhere. He hadn’t spotted her in the crowd.

Cal saw the crowd shift its attention to him and George in the stairwell. Jack Ross stood up with an angry look on his face. At first, he appeared confused, but then he motioned to Cal to come to the podium and join him there. Cal began to make his way down, but he saw the TV and newspaper people rushing toward him in the stairwell.

George Lambe was laughing as Cal stood next to George.

“Did you put Roxie up to this?” he asked Cal.

“I didn’t even know she was here,” Cal replied.

“Wait till we get the remote camera set up—wait till we get the remote set up,” a member of the TV crew was yelling at Cal.

The flash of the newspaperman’s camera went off and blinded Cal for a second. When his eyes unblurred he found that he was speaking into a half dozen microphones.

He looked out over the crowd to see if he could find Roxie, but could not. He did see Jack Ross standing in place at the green-covered table with a scowl on his face. Mildred Watkins was smiling and Cal saw Mr. Tanaka making his way to the stairwell.

Reporters kept firing questions at Cal. Cal ignored the questions and looked into the TV camera.

“This is a very great day for Appleton and Midco Company alike,” he began. “There will be wonderful job opportunities for our people and Midco will find out what a fantastic job that our fine Appleton workers will do for them.”

Cal looked out and saw that the audience had crowded around the stairwell and were cheering. Mr. Tanaka appeared and had grasped Cal’s hand and was shaking it. It set off a new round of camera flashes. There was too much noise to hear very well.

“Mr. Tucker, I am very pleased to see you again,” Cal was able to make out through the crowd noise and Mr. Tanaka’s accent.

“I am happy to see you, too, Mr. Tanaka,” Cal replied.

Mr. Tanaka said something else, which Cal could not quite make out, but he thought that he had said ‘I will see you soon’. He let go of Cal’s hand and started making his way to the door to the outside. The crowd and press followed him.

Cal looked over to the table on the platform with the green felt cloth draped over it. Jack Ross and Jennifer Davis were making their way to the outside through a side door. Cal couldn’t see Kyle Stevens anywhere. Mildred Watkins remained and she was putting the signed documents in their proper folders.

Mildred completed her gathering up of the documents and disappeared through the double doors that led to the Council Chambers. There was another stairway in the back and Cal was sure she was on her way to deliver the folders to the City Clerk. Cal and George were alone in the atrium.