"Scott Mackay - Horse Friends" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mackay Scott)

HORSE FRIENDS
by Scott Mackay

****

Everett’s horse friends were only ever whispered about—now they were
playing hardball.

****

As Lance Tedrow walked to his boss’s office through the Superior
Life bull pen, he knew Opal was watching him, trying to figure out why he
was going to see Patrick when Patrick customarily caught up on his e-mails
after lunch. Was this it, then, he wondered? Lance peered at Patrick
through the glass. Was Patrick going to end their suspense? His bald head
was bowed over his work. Had Minneapolis Corporate finally given Patrick
word on the promotion? Was Lance going to win out over Opal?

He entered Patrick’s office. His boss looked up. “Shut the door.”

“Sure.” Lance closed the door.

“Have a seat.”

Lance obeyed.

Patrick said, “Melvin Graham dropped by about the Osteen policy
while you were out at lunch.”

Lance’s shoulders tightened. “And?”

“He left some materials.” Patrick pushed a manila folder across his
desk. “Have a look.”

So. It wasn’t about the promotion after all.

Lance lifted the folder and opened it. He found photographs—views
of charred wreckage.

“Has he come to any conclusions, then?”

“Look at photo three. It’s the employee lunchroom at the Osteen
Paper Plant. Or what’s left of it. See the charring in the corner? Those are
accelerant patterns. Photograph four shows a half-melted gas can. Graham
found it under the collapsed receiving bay next to the employee
lunchroom.”

The office felt suddenly warm. “So he’s ruling arson?”

“Yes. And if I were you, I’d make Everett understand pretty quickly