After Midnight Read Online Free PDF Page A

belong to business organizations where you hold office. I mean, how would you have the time to sift through all the day-to-day stuff here?”
    Kane took a breath to stem his rush of temper. The man was new, after all, as chief of the waste disposal unit. And he made sense. “That’s true. I haven’t time to oversee every facet of every operation. Normally, this would be Ed Nelson’s problem.”
    â€œI know that. Yes, I do, sir. But Mr. Nelson’s had kidney stones and he had to have surgery for them last week. He’s sort of low. Not that he doesn’t keep up with things,” he added quickly. “He’s still on top of the situation here.” That wasn’t quite true, but the wording gave Lombard the impression that Nelson had agreed with Jurkins’s decision to replace CWC.
    Kane relaxed. Jurkins was a native of Charleston. He’d know the ins and outs of sanitation, and surely he’d already have a handle on the proper people to do a good job. “All right,” he said.“Who have you contracted with to replace CWC?”
    â€œI found a very reputable company, Mr. Lombard,” he assured his boss. “Very reputable, indeed. In fact, two of the local automotive parts companies use them. It’s Burke’s.”
    â€œBurke’s?”
    â€œThey’re not as well-known as CWC, sir,” Jurkins said. “They’re a young company, but very energetic. They don’t cost an arm and a leg, either.”
    Kane’s head was hurting. He didn’t have time for this infernal runaround. He’d ask Nelson when he got back to the office the following week.
    â€œAll right, Jurkins. Go ahead and make the switch. I’ll approve it, if there’s any flak,” he said. “Just make sure they do what they’re supposed to. Put Jenny back on the line.”
    â€œYes, sir! Have a good vacation, sir, and don’t you worry, everything’s going along just fine!”
    Kane made a grunting sound and waited for his secretary to come back on the line. When she did, he began shooting orders at her, for faxes to be sent up to his machine, for contract estimates, for correspondence. He hadn’t a secretary here and he hesitated to ask for Jenny to join him, because she had a huge crush on him which he didn’t want to encourage. He could scribble notes on the lettersfor answers and fax them back to her. Yes, that would work.
    While Kane was debating his next move, a relieved Will Jurkins pushed back his sweaty red hair and breathed a long sigh, grinning cagily at the man standing beside him.
    â€œThat was a close one,” he told the man. “Lombard wanted to know why I made the switch.”
    â€œYou’re getting enough out of this deal to make it worth the risk,” came the laconic reply. “And you’re in too deep to back out.”
    â€œDon’t I know it,” Jurkins said uneasily. “Are you sure about this? I don’t want to go to jail.”
    â€œWill you stop worrying? I know what I’m doing.” He slipped the man a wad of large bills, careful not to let himself be seen.
    Jurkins grimaced as he counted the money and quickly slipped it into his pocket. He had a child with leukemia and his medical insurance had run out. He was out of choices and this cigar-smoking magician had offered him a small fortune just to switch sanitation firms. On the surface, there was nothing wrong with it. But he was uneasy, because Burke’s sanitation outfit had already been in trouble with the environmental people for some illegal dumping.
    â€œBurke’s is not very reliable,” he began, trying again. “And I already made one major mistakehere, letting that raw sewage get dumped accidentally into the river. If they catch Burke putting anything toxic in a bad place, it will look pretty bad for Lombard International.”
    â€œBurke’s needs the business,” the