Chapter 9
The photographs remained spread across Angelo's desk long after Doctor Durmont had left.
He picked up one photograph after another, studying them carefully.
There was no doubt about it.
Someone had been watching him.
The first photograph showed him arriving at the mine. Another had been taken outside the boarding house. There were photographs of him walking through town, sitting at the Eagle's Beak and even standing beside the waterfall.
Then there was the photograph of Maya helping him after his drunken night at the bar.
That one bothered him more than the others.
Whoever had taken it had been close.
Very close.
Angelo placed the photographs back into the file and leaned into his chair.
"Why me?"
Russell remained standing across the desk.
"That's what worries me, Mr. Black."
Angelo looked up.
"You seem to know more than you're telling me."
Russell hesitated.
"I know enough to tell you that you shouldn't take this lightly."
Angelo gave him a faint smile.
"Someone follows me around with a camera and a rifle, and I'm supposed to take that lightly?"
"I didn't mean—"
"I know."
Angelo closed the file.
"Have you reported this to the authorities?"
Russell looked uncomfortable.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because we don't know who the man was working for."
Angelo stared at him.
"That sounds like exactly why we should report it."
Russell lowered his voice.
"There are things about this town that don't make it to Phoenix."
Angelo's eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
Russell looked toward the closed office door before answering.
"It means you should be careful about who you trust."
Before Angelo could respond, someone knocked.
Russell opened the door.
Doctor Durmont stood outside.
"Mr. Black, I forgot something."
He walked over and placed another document on the desk.
Angelo glanced at it.
"What is this?"
"It's an old mine medical report. I thought you might find it useful."
Angelo opened it.
The report was dated several years earlier.
He read the first few lines and immediately noticed something strange.
There were references to workers suffering from symptoms similar to the Blue Stomach sickness.
Angelo looked up.
"You said this illness only became serious recently."
Durmont swallowed.
"I said the current outbreak became serious recently."
"That's not what I asked."
The doctor remained silent.
Angelo pushed the document toward him.
"How long has this been happening?"
Durmont looked at Russell.
Neither man answered.
Angelo's voice hardened.
"How long?"
"Years," Durmont finally admitted.
Angelo stood.
"Years?"
"Occasional cases. Nothing like what we're seeing now."
"Why wasn't I told this?"
Durmont looked down.
"I assumed the old records had been included in the files."
"They weren't."
The doctor said nothing.
Angelo suddenly felt a familiar anger rising inside him.
Everyone seemed to know something except him.
The mine manager.
The doctor.
His mother.
Perhaps even the people in Phoenix.
He had been sent here as the heir who was supposed to take responsibility for the mine, yet nobody had bothered to tell him what he had actually inherited.
A dying town.
A contaminated mine.
A mysterious illness.
And now someone apparently wanted him dead.
"Get out," Angelo said quietly.
Durmont nodded and left.
Russell remained.
Angelo looked at him.
"I want every medical record from the last ten years."
"Of course."
"And every accident report."
"Yes, sir."
"Production records too."
Russell hesitated.
"Mr. Black—"
"Everything."
Russell nodded.
"I'll have them brought to you."
He turned to leave.
"Russell."
The manager stopped.
"Yes?"
"If you know something else, tell me now."
Russell looked at him for several seconds.
"I know that your mother has been trying to keep production going for years despite everything that's happening here."
Angelo's expression changed.
"My mother?"
"She knows about the sickness."
Angelo stared at him.
"Are you saying she knew?"
Russell didn't answer.
He simply walked out.
Angelo remained standing behind his desk.
For the first time, the possibility that his mother had deliberately sent him to South River began to take shape in his mind.
He picked up the telephone.
He dialed the number to Phoenix.
His mother's secretary answered.
"I need to speak to my mother."
"She's in a meeting."
"Tell her it's urgent."
There was a brief pause.
Then his mother's familiar voice came through.
"What is it, Angelo?"
"You knew."
Silence.
"Knew what?"
"About the sickness."
Another silence.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't lie to me, Mom."
His voice was calm, but his anger was obvious.
"I've seen the reports. There have been cases for years."
"Angelo—"
"And you sent me here without telling me."
His mother sighed.
"You were sent there to learn responsibility."
"That's not an answer."
"You have no idea how complicated this business is."
"I know enough to know people are dying."
"And what exactly do you expect me to do? Shut down a company worth millions because you discovered that mining is not a pleasant occupation?"
Angelo clenched his fist.
"I'm not talking about unpleasant conditions. I'm talking about people dying."
"You will resume production."
"No."
His mother went silent.
"You will do as I say."
"No."
The line went dead.
Angelo stared at the receiver.
He slowly placed it down.
Then he heard the sound of a helicopter approaching.
He walked to the window.
The sound grew louder.
A large helicopter appeared over the rooftops and descended toward the mine compound.
Angelo watched as it landed.
Within minutes, Russell appeared at his office door.
"Mr. Black."
"What is it?"
"Your mother sent security."
"Security?"
"Two men."
Angelo sighed.
"Of course she did."
They walked toward the boarding house.
Two men were already waiting in the office.
Both were tall, broad-shouldered and dressed in dark clothing.
One stepped forward.
"Mr. Black."
Angelo looked at him.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Daniel Cole. This is Marcus Reed."
"And what exactly are you doing here?"
"We've been assigned to protect you."
"I don't need protection."
Daniel exchanged a brief glance with Marcus.
"Your mother disagrees."
Angelo almost laughed.
"My mother disagrees with almost everything I do."
"We were also instructed to make sure production resumes."
The smile disappeared from Angelo's face.
"There it is."
He looked from one man to the other.
"You're not here to protect me."
Daniel remained silent.
"You're here to protect the mine."
Neither man answered.
Angelo turned and walked out.
Behind him, Russell stood awkwardly between the two security men.
"Give him some time," he said.
Outside, Angelo stopped and looked toward the mine.
The wind carried dust across the compound.
Somewhere beyond those buildings, thousands of workers were waiting.
And somewhere in South River, someone had already decided that Angelo Black was worth watching.
Perhaps even worth killing.
He reached into his pocket and felt the photographs still there.
For the first time, he wasn't thinking about running away.
He was thinking about finding the truth.
And he knew exactly where he would start.