CHAPTER EIGHT: THE CONTRACTOR’S SECOND JOB
Lorna’s shortcut led behind the florist deliveries and across a narrow footbridge over the park’s ornamental pond.
From there, they could see the maintenance trailers without passing the festival entrance.
A crew was loading wooden panels into a white van.
Daniel recognized the vehicle that had slowed outside his house that morning.
He stopped walking.
“That’s the same van.”
Carol squinted at its rear doors.
“I thought so.”
A man in a red baseball cap emerged from the trailer, carrying a bundle of blue painted boards.
Lorna gripped the railing.
“That’s him.”
Daniel called Iris and described the van.
She told him the contractor had been instructed not to remove any more original equipment until the safety review.
“Somebody needs to stop the loading,
” she said.
“I’ll send the park manager.”
Daniel approached the trailer without touching the van.
The contractor turned as he arrived.
“We’re closing the old stock area,” the man said.
“You can’t park here.”
“I’m not parking,” Daniel replied.
“Why are you taking the blue exit signs?”
The contractor shifted the boards against his shoulder.
“Those are obsolete decorations.”
Lorna stepped into view.
“I painted them, and their purpose wasn’t decorative.”
The man recognized her.
“I already explained the new visual concept.”
“You explained that you wanted people to feel lost,” Lorna said.
“You never told me you’d remove the route markers.”
The contractor glanced toward Carol.
“Did she bring all of you?”
Carol raised her chin.
“I came because you sent Victor’s selector to recycling.”
“We didn’t know what it was.
”
Daniel held up the brass case.
“Then why did your crew disconnect the mounting plate at the control box?”
The man stared at the case for a moment.
“Because it blocked the motor shaft.”
“Who decided to remove it?”
“Mr. Voss.”
“Did anybody tell you what the part did?”
The contractor hesitated.
“The old volunteer explained something about the door positions.”
Carol’s face flushed.
“I explained that the selector prevented a door from opening against a wall.”
“I didn’t design the new system,” the contractor said.
“I was following the installation order.”
Lorna pointed at the bundle.
“Those signs could still be returned before the festival opens.”
“The sponsor won’t pay us for extra work.”
“You can tell him why you’re returning them,” Daniel replied.
The contractor looked toward the field, where the crowd had begun forming.
He seemed to be making a difficult calculation.
Finally, he lowered the boards onto the trailer bed.
“I won’t move anything else until the park manager arrives.”
Daniel thanked him.
Carol said nothing.
The man turned back toward her.
“For what it’s worth, I didn’t know they wanted to run the platform while people were inside.”
“You might have asked,” she replied.
He looked away.
When the park manager arrived, he took photographs of the boards and told the crew to remain on site.
Lorna signed a statement confirming that she had designed the markers as part of the original safety plan.
The manager promised to show the committee before the ribbon cutting.
As the three walked back toward the fountain, Daniel asked Carol why she had recognized the van so quickly.
“I watched them clear Victor’s workshop on Wednesday,” she said.
“I asked where the pieces were going.”
“And they ignored you?”
“They said the city had given them permission.”
“Did it?”
“The city gave permission to move decorations.”
She nodded toward the compass case.
“Not to throw away safeguards.”
Daniel wondered what would have happened if he had left the broken case in his trash without examining it.
The answer was not reassuring.
