I stepped as close to the edge of the hole as I dared, hoping to overhear snippets of conversation between the investigators.
"This is really strange," one technician was saying to another. "I expected to find a place where the gas line exploded outward. But it looks like the blast force came from the sewer line and then bent the gas line here." He pointed with his foot.
"So the sewer line ruptured first? And then the gas and water lines later?" his coworker was saying.
"I can’t think of any other explanation."
"That’s one helluva fire cracker down the toilet!"
"Take plenty of pictures. Swab the lines for chemical residue and let’s get this stuff to the lab."
"Roger that."
CHAPTER 35
I was at Becker Law Office when I received Gunner’s call.
"So, have you learned more about the City Hall explosion," I asked.
"Yeah… as a matter of fact. And I think it helps solve your mystery of the missing potassium machine."
"Stop right there. I’ll be at your office in five minutes. I want to hear this in person."
After asking Debbie to direct my calls to Karen, I hopped in the Pilot, arriving on the L.E.C. doorstep three minutes later. Gunner was waiting in the entryway as I pushed through the doors.
"C’mon in," he said, waving me into the inner corridor.
When we got to Gunner’s office, he had to sit in his chair before speaking. I remained standing. I was too anxious to sit.
"So you said this solves the potassium puzzle. Give me the scoop."
"The initial reports are back from the BCA lab. As you overheard yesterday, the explosion originated in the sanitary sewer line."
"Okay," I said. "I already knew that."
"But what you don’t know is that the bomb inside the sewer line was no ordinary bomb."
Gunner paused.
Sometimes I could just throttle him and his dramatic pauses.
"So what was unusual about it?" I managed, without jumping across Gunner’s desk.
"The bomb was made from potassium!"
I sat down.
"I’ll be damned. Tell me more."
"Somebody apparently wrapped a few ounces or so of pure potassium in some kind of pouch, then stuffed it into the sanitary sewer system. It was only a matter of time before the sewer water dissolved the pouch and the potassium and water would explode.
"So that solves the mystery of the potassium. It was used to make this bomb."
"So the pouch was made of some kind of water soluble material," I continued. "Do we know what that material was?"
"The report I got doesn’t say. Why does it matter? Your potassium was in a pouch and it blew up."
"The makeup of the pouch might say something about the sophistication of the bomber," I responded. My mind was still processing this new information. "Do they know where the pouch entered the sewer line?"
"No." Gunner looked irritated that I hadn’t immediately embraced his resolution of the missing lab device mystery. "And they will probably never know. The stuff could have been flushed down any toilet, or jammed into any floor drain, then floated downhill to City Hall. There’s no way to estimate how far the damn thing may have traveled before exploding."
I stared at the ceiling. Gunner fidgeted in his chair.
"I don’t think I’m buying this scenario," I said after a moment.
"What! There was definitely potassium residue… and shreds of the dissolvable pouch. And it exploded right in front of City Hall. What’s not to buy?"
Gunner was more frustrated than angry.
"Gunner, listen. Think about it. If you wanted to make a big hole in front of City Hall, how many ways could you do it?"
Gunner thought for a moment. "I s’pose a half-dozen or more."
"Any of them involve potassium?"
"‘Course not. I’d probably use dynamite, gun powder or homemade plastique. And I’d either shove it down the storm drain out front, or climb down a manhole and put it right where I wanted. Remote detonator or a long fuse would work.
"What’s your point?"
"So there are lots of other ways to blow up a street… right?"
"Okay. So what? He decided to use potassium because he’s a chem geek."
"Gunner, no ‘chem geek’ is going to risk his life manufacturing elemental potassium when a jug of nitro would work just grand. No way."
"So what’s your theory as to why there was potassium in that hole?" Gunner crossed his arms over his chest.
I paused a moment in thought.
"Here’s what I think," I replied. "The bad guys know we’re looking for a potassium bomb. I don’t know how they know — but they do. So they give us one."
"So you’re saying this explosion was a diversion? And their real target is somewhere else."
"That’s the only logical explanation for finding potassium in that hole."
Gunner still didn’t look convinced.
"Gunner. Try this one on for size. S’pose our bomber… for some inexplicable reason… had a thing about using a potassium bomb. Why not cause more damage? Why not put the pouch in a rail car of ammonia? Or the storm drain of a gas station? Or a lavatory at a government building?
"Why just a harmless hole in the street? It’ll be fixed up good as new by next week."
Gunner considered my arguments.
"Okay. It doesn’t sound likely that someone would kill a man, steal his potassium machine, and then just use it to blow up a street.
"But maybe the location was a mistake. Maybe he intended to bring down City Hall. That might be worth the extra effort to some radical."
"But Gunner… we’re still down to the same thing. Why potassium? Gasoline in a stairwell, a stick of dynamite in the basement, a fertilizer bomb parked out front, a Molotov Cocktail on the tarred roof — all of them would do a better, and a more certain, job of destroying City Hall. If our bomber is smart enough to make pure potassium, he’s too smart to miss his target.
"No way this was the real attack. I’m more convinced than ever that the nuke is the goal. And we now know that Ahmed’s been able to make at least some pure potassium for the attack."
"Wait a minute. How are we sure it’s Ahmed?"
"He’s the chemist. He’s the guy who is capable of distilling the pure potassium, using a unique machine that only he could have taken from the University Lab. Farris Ahmed is definitely connected with this bombing. Unless you know of other manufacturers of elemental potassium?"
Gunner eyeballed me with irritation.
"Beck. I should be getting used to losing these arguments with you. But I gotta admit you make sense… dammit!"
I laughed.
Gunner smiled.
"Glad to hear you’re still onboard. Because even though this explosion doesn’t solve our potassium riddle, it does raise a question that needs investigating."
"Which is?"
"Farris Ahmed, or his conspirators, must know that we suspect a potassium bomb. Hence, the diversion. How did they find out?
"The only people I’ve talked with about potassium are you, Beth, Bull, Dr. Downing and the nitwits at the nuke security council. Somebody leaked something to somebody. Maybe you could track down the leak? That might get us closer to Ahmed."
"Sounds like traditional police work, thank god. I’ll see what I can find out."
"¡Muchas gracias!"
"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah."
CHAPTER 36
Nearly two months had passed since Farris started processing the potassium chloride. It was now early August. John was back at the farm again today. Urland and Brenda had supposedly been working on their water bucket conditioning for weeks. It didn’t show. It probably wouldn’t matter. At least it had kept them busy and tired them out.