Page 14 of Small Sacrifices
Reid has to take a few deep breaths before he can muster up the courage to knock on Mr. Wright's door. There's a clattering sound from inside, like something has just been knocked over, and some muffled cursing. Then, Mr. Wright says: , "Come in!"
When he's stepped close enough to see it, the expression on Mr. Wright's face is annoyed. "You again. I thought I told you what to do?"
He also told him to come back for help if he needed it, but Reid bites his tongue. Saying that won't help him.
"I apologize, but I'm afraid that we won't be making any progress with the parents as long as we have nothing concrete to tell them."
Mr. Wright scrunches up the surplus of skin on his forehead. "I told you how to deal with that."
Reid doesn't scoff, but it's a close thing.
"You did, but I don't think we'll find much success with that strategy.
" God, he hates this so much. He shouldn't have to be talking this carefully.
Especially not to someone he's working with.
Why is he so scared of Mr. Wright's reaction?
He's done nothing wrong. Mr. Wright should want him to do this properly.
But right now, he looks annoyed at best.
"And what does that mean?" he asks, leaning back in his chair.
"It means that assurances that Governor Mackenzie is actively working towards a solution aren’t enough. People are already angry, so I think it would be best to only tell them what we know for sure. Even just disappointed hopes could make the situation much worse."
"You talked to that Greene woman, I take it?"
Reid nods. "Her son is now hospitalized."
"Crap. I thought you said she was our best hope?"
What?
"I used her as an example because she has been outspoken since the beginning.
She would be good on camera if she was willing to cooperate.
" He stops to think for a moment. "She may even agree to a photo of her son with the governor.
In the hospital. But she told me to only call back once I had something concrete to tell her. "
Mr. Wright's chest heaves with a silent chuckle. "Feisty, ain't she? But you think you can convince her?"
Feisty. Anger coils in Reid's stomach on her behalf. More like rightfully angry.
"I think she wants to trust in the government, the system," he says. "She is a teacher. But she'll need proof that's still justified. And she wants help for her son. Hospital stays are expensive."
"So this is about money." Mr. Wright nods as if he understands, even though he definitely does not. Reid swallows a snippy answer.
"Partially. But isn't it going to end up being about money either way?
There are always lawsuits with these sorts of cases.
" People have already started throwing around the word impeachment like it's beads at Mardi Gras.
It's not justified, but whoever might end up in the jury is likely to remember that.
"Ah." Mr. Wright clicks his fingers. "We don't talk about lawsuits in this office. It's bad form, don't you think?"
Reid thinks it's foolish not to consider potential future implications. Parents who feel their concerns are addressed now are less likely to sue later. Although he has a feeling that may not be what Mr. Wright is saying. He could just be asking Reid not to jinx it.
"So she wants money?" Mr. Wright asks when Reid has been quiet for too long.
Reid digs the fingernail of his ring finger into the ball of his thumb. "I think she wants someone to take responsibility."
"Well, that ain't happening."
He figured. Still. "Couldn't we just—"
There's a knock at the door and Mr. Wright holds up his hand. Not that it makes a difference—Reid has already stopped talking.
"Come in!" he says. His voice booms so loudly that Reid almost flinches.
The door swings open, and Lieutenant Governor Clarice Coleman enters with long strides, her cerulean scarf swishing behind her. When she sees Reid standing by the desk, she pauses. "Am I interrupting something?"
And Reid would like to continue this, but he knows that question. You should never answer that question honestly unless it's an emergency. Even among friends and family, it's perceived as rude to say you're busy.
Thankfully, Mr. Wright is all too happy to speak for him. "Of course not! How can I help you?"
His eyes twitch between Reid and the door for a moment, as if he's searching for something. And maybe he finds it, because soon enough, he focuses on Ms. Coleman again as she starts speaking.
"I wanted to ask what exactly we're doing because I keep getting questions. That statement clearly wasn't enough. And Raymond seems to be too busy to catch me up."
Oh. It makes Reid a bit giddy that someone else is asking the same questions that he is, and that he may now even get an actual answer.
But also… Governor Mackenzie isn't even updating his lieutenant governor on this?
How is he too busy for something this important?
But Reid remembers how he himself avoids the people who could help him when he isn't doing well.
A situation like this must be horrible to deal with. He doesn't envy the man.
"Right now, we're waiting for the test results to come in. That's what the reaction from CalEPA is going to be based on. And we can only follow their lead once they announce their plans."
She cocks her head. A metal prong glints in the light where she's put up her tiny box braids in an updo. "What I know is that we could have dispatched aid by now if Raymond hadn't somehow gotten himself tangled up in this. When are the test results going to be in?"
Mr. Wright leans forward and steeples his fingers on top of each other on his desk. "We don't know that yet."
"Actually—" The word is out before Reid can stop himself.
But now, Lieutenant Governor Coleman is looking at him, so he kind of has to continue, doesn't he?
"Well, I asked Mr. Swayne, and he said that the lab claimed the results would be ready tomorrow.
But I don't think he completely trusts them on that count. "
"You asked Mr. Swayne? Why?"
The confusion in her voice confuses Reid in turn. He looks to Mr. Wright for help, but the man just shrugs. Reid decides that it's best to just be honest and tells her.
"They just sent you out with nothing?" is her first reaction. Then, after a second. "And what else did Mr. Swayne say?"
Reid shrugs, uncomfortable. "Basically, the same as Mr. Wright said just now. We're all still researching how this came to be, so we can't even make any statements about that."
"So we have nothing," she states. Then she turns towards Mr. Wright again.
"That is not acceptable. The parents aren't the only ones who need answers.
The voters deserve to know what happened.
And our colleagues are getting nervous, too.
Everyone is being asked all these questions.
Apologies and I-don't-knows won't cut it for much longer. "
Mr. Wright squares his shoulders. "I'm not the one who has the answers. You should probably ask Governor Mackenzie about the things you want to know."
"It's your job to have the answers! Why haven't you asked him these questions?"
Reid thinks that's a fair question. But Mr. Wright seems to be so surprised by it he just opens and closes his mouth like a fish. It takes too long, apparently, because Ms. Coleman moves onto Reid.
"What do you need to do your job?" she asks.
Oh. That's… He wasn't expecting that.
"Ideally?" he wants to know. She nods, so he takes a deep breath.
"Ideally, I would need an explanation of what happened, a proposal of how to make sure it doesn't happen again, a fund set up for healthcare costs and someone to take responsibility.
" He hesitates. "Do you think Governor Mackenzie would be willing to call for criminal prosecution of Agrifarm executives? "
This is likely much more initiative than Mr. Wright would want him to show. But the quirk of Lieutenant Governor Coleman's mouth tells him she isn't mad at him.
"I don't think that's likely," she says.
Reid agrees. Unless Governor Mackenzie can prove he knew nothing about the pesticides—which is likely to be close to impossible—he probably won't do that. It's too risky.
Coleman issues an aggravated huff. "So what you're telling me is that there's really nothing that anyone can do until the test results come back and CalEPA acts on them. Or unless Raymond stops hiding."
Mr. Wright has the grace to look contrite. "I'm afraid so."
"Well, if you lay eyes on him, please tell him to come talk to me. Going it alone is not a good idea. He should know this."
It's incredible to witness. Clearly, she's livid, but her voice is completely level. She's not smiling, but she's not frowning either. She's just blank. The epitome of professionalism. Reid loves it so much.
Mr. Wright does not, if the way he tilts his head and raises an eyebrow is anything to go by. Even his lips are pursed when he takes a breath to say: "Of course, ma'am."
The words drip false politeness like honey. And now, Lieutenant Governor Coleman is smiling, kind and wide.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Wright. A pleasure, as always." She turns to Reid. "Nice to have met you, Mr."
"Maxwell," Reid says.
"Mr. Maxwell. Good luck with the parents. It would be a shame to alienate them."
"Of course, ma'am. Thank you." He tries his best to smile in a way that his nervousness won't distort. Because what was that last sentence? Why would he alienate them? What is she doubting here, his motives or his skill?
But then, Mr. Wright grunts. "Don't worry. We'll get the information he needs. He's not doing this alone."
And then, suddenly, Reid realizes she may not have even been talking to him. It lifts a weight off of him. Thank God. Maybe she has a similar opinion of Mr. Wright as he does. Not that he's going to ask, but it feels nice. A bit like he has another Marisol, a secret ally.