Read Online Monster: Tale Loch Ness by Jeffrey Konvitz - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeffrey Konvitz
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the malicious parties involved, the answer is . . ."
" 'Yes'?"
"Definitely yes."
The telephone rang. The secretary had not returned yet, so Lefebre picked up the phone himself. The caller was Whittenfeld. They spoke briefly; then Lefebre walked Scotty out into the hall.
"Duty calls, my friend," Lefebre said. "But we should have lunch soon. Talk some more. Compare dossiers."
"Absolutely," Scotty declared.
The elevator arrived. Lefebre disappeared. Scotty sorted out impressions. Though Lefebre had tried to make a sincere and friendly impression, he'd failed. Scotty wasn't quite sure what he sensed, but he suspected a completely different kind of man lurking inside the smiling shell of the security chief.
He left the building.
It was raining the following morning when Scotty walked down the second-floor corridor past frenetic secretaries and popped into Jerry Foster's office.
"You look bright eyed and bushy tailed," Foster observed as he collated some papers on his desk.
"Hardly," Scotty said, picking up the bottom of the drawn window blinds. "You going to show movies in here?"
Foster laughed. "No. The rain depresses me. I also work best under artificial light."
Scotty sat, noticing a ludicrous picture of Foster in scuba gear hanging on the wail.
"That the Columbus report?" he asked, pointing at the papers.
"You bet."
"You have a full draft already?"
"Already? Hey, Scotty, that's a funny one. I haven't ieft this place since yesterday afternoon." He glanced down at the report. "God knows if the damn thing makes any sense. I'm so bleary-eyed I doubt I'll be able to tell. And hell, a lot of the stuff is Greek to me."
"You need my expertise?"
"No. Whittenfeld will be down in a while to dot the i's. He's been hovering around me like a bat since I started this thing. But who can blame him. The ship gambit backfired. There's been pressure from New York and London. And while you and Reddington were working on the loch, Whittenfeld was fielding some stinging phone calls from the Scottish Office and the Highland Council. No, he has every reason to make sure this report hits the mark, some special incentive, too. Loch Ness, this place, this operation, all of it is very personal to him. He lives for it. Christ, I'm surprised he's been as restrained as he's been this week, though, I tell you, when you laid the submersible thing on him, I thought he was going to explode like a bomb."
"Maybe I have a calming effect on him."
"Could be."
Thoughtful, Scotty picked up the draft, glanced over it, then laid it down and stood. "You call me if you need me."
Foster stood, too. "You got it," he said, smiling.
Chapter 5
Several days later, Whittenfeld summoned the executive staff to his office and distributed the Columbus report. The report recapped the events aboard the drill ship, the results of the investigation, and the conclusions reached by management. It declined to point an incriminating finger but acknowledged the company was undertaking steps to ensure the safety of its installations.
He asked for comments. There were none. He said he'd expected none, so he had taken the liberty of previously forwarding the report to Farquharson.
He dismissed everyone except Scotty and told Scotty about a meeting he'd arranged with the planning committee of the
Highland Regional Council. Having already forwarded copies of the report to committee members as well, he asked Scotty to take the meeting and answer any questions that might be forthcoming.
The planning committee convened the following morning. Scotty fielded questions, again avoiding incriminating accusations. Specifically, the committee asked why the company had not requested the assistance of the Northern Constabulary. There was no permanent damage, he replied. No fatalities. And the company had stiffened its security to ensure there would be no repetition. In fact, he said, the entire affair had been put to bed, and the meeting with the committee had been called solely as
" 'Yes'?"
"Definitely yes."
The telephone rang. The secretary had not returned yet, so Lefebre picked up the phone himself. The caller was Whittenfeld. They spoke briefly; then Lefebre walked Scotty out into the hall.
"Duty calls, my friend," Lefebre said. "But we should have lunch soon. Talk some more. Compare dossiers."
"Absolutely," Scotty declared.
The elevator arrived. Lefebre disappeared. Scotty sorted out impressions. Though Lefebre had tried to make a sincere and friendly impression, he'd failed. Scotty wasn't quite sure what he sensed, but he suspected a completely different kind of man lurking inside the smiling shell of the security chief.
He left the building.
It was raining the following morning when Scotty walked down the second-floor corridor past frenetic secretaries and popped into Jerry Foster's office.
"You look bright eyed and bushy tailed," Foster observed as he collated some papers on his desk.
"Hardly," Scotty said, picking up the bottom of the drawn window blinds. "You going to show movies in here?"
Foster laughed. "No. The rain depresses me. I also work best under artificial light."
Scotty sat, noticing a ludicrous picture of Foster in scuba gear hanging on the wail.
"That the Columbus report?" he asked, pointing at the papers.
"You bet."
"You have a full draft already?"
"Already? Hey, Scotty, that's a funny one. I haven't ieft this place since yesterday afternoon." He glanced down at the report. "God knows if the damn thing makes any sense. I'm so bleary-eyed I doubt I'll be able to tell. And hell, a lot of the stuff is Greek to me."
"You need my expertise?"
"No. Whittenfeld will be down in a while to dot the i's. He's been hovering around me like a bat since I started this thing. But who can blame him. The ship gambit backfired. There's been pressure from New York and London. And while you and Reddington were working on the loch, Whittenfeld was fielding some stinging phone calls from the Scottish Office and the Highland Council. No, he has every reason to make sure this report hits the mark, some special incentive, too. Loch Ness, this place, this operation, all of it is very personal to him. He lives for it. Christ, I'm surprised he's been as restrained as he's been this week, though, I tell you, when you laid the submersible thing on him, I thought he was going to explode like a bomb."
"Maybe I have a calming effect on him."
"Could be."
Thoughtful, Scotty picked up the draft, glanced over it, then laid it down and stood. "You call me if you need me."
Foster stood, too. "You got it," he said, smiling.
Chapter 5
Several days later, Whittenfeld summoned the executive staff to his office and distributed the Columbus report. The report recapped the events aboard the drill ship, the results of the investigation, and the conclusions reached by management. It declined to point an incriminating finger but acknowledged the company was undertaking steps to ensure the safety of its installations.
He asked for comments. There were none. He said he'd expected none, so he had taken the liberty of previously forwarding the report to Farquharson.
He dismissed everyone except Scotty and told Scotty about a meeting he'd arranged with the planning committee of the
Highland Regional Council. Having already forwarded copies of the report to committee members as well, he asked Scotty to take the meeting and answer any questions that might be forthcoming.
The planning committee convened the following morning. Scotty fielded questions, again avoiding incriminating accusations. Specifically, the committee asked why the company had not requested the assistance of the Northern Constabulary. There was no permanent damage, he replied. No fatalities. And the company had stiffened its security to ensure there would be no repetition. In fact, he said, the entire affair had been put to bed, and the meeting with the committee had been called solely as
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