that. Men I pay good money to. To get the job done, keep the workers at it. On time,” he said, slapping his right fist into his left hand. “I worked hard to get where I am. Screw up a big job or two, and that — and this …” he waved around the grand room of photos and trophies, “could all vanish.”
Sarah felt she should pull back from questioning Winters too hard. Though affable, even warm — he clearly didn’t like this.
Still, her pad was open and she had written nothing in it.
Yet.
“So Gary Sparks may have known, but not you?”
A nod from Winters as if assessing the result of their last exchange.
“Tea okay?” he asked.
“Fine. Delicious.”
Another smile.
“Let me tell you a secret, Sarah. My job is to get these big jobs done, on budget, on time . That’s how I got to where I am. The people I hire, like Sparks, are all good men. But they know me. What I want out of my crew. What my values are, know what I mean? Full speed ahead …”
Sarah could see where this was going.
The suggestion that if there was anyone who had cut a corner or sidestepped the issue of a bogus ID, it would be Sparks.
Charlie Winters would be sure to keep his hands clean.
“Need overtime to do that? My bosses get the go-ahead to have crews work nights, weekends, whatever. And if some document or paperwork or ID doesn’t quite add up, and the supervisor … the on-site boss … thinks the worker is good, solid — like McCabe? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of my men, a man like Sparks, would look the other way.”
Then he laughed.
“No crime in that now, is there?”
“And the site’s safety records?”
Another nod as Winters walked over to the tea tray …
“Top up?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Then he poured tea into his own cup.
And Sarah had the distinct impression that he was using this bit of teatime gallantry to think about his answer.
Clever move …
After all McCabe had died on his site, accident or not. The final responsibility could well lie with Charlie Winters.
He’d have to be very careful about what he said.
No matter what the truth actually was, there could be legal ramifications for Winters Construction.
He sat back down, took a sip, then …
“Safety records on my sites are spotless.”
He pointed a finger at Sarah.
“You can check that. This accident mars what was a near-perfect record. I can only assume that it was fluke, that maybe McCabe … I dunno, his type … ? Maybe had a drink near quitting time? Little wobbly on an icy night?”
Sarah nodded. But she also thought: he’s actually laying some of the blame for this on McCabe himself.
Cagey indeed.
“Still — however it happened, it was a terrible tragedy, don’t you think?”
Sarah nodded.
“The man had no family.” A small laugh. “Certainly no savings. My company is paying for the small funeral. Least I could do …”
“That’s very thoughtful of you.”
He smiled at that.
She was about to ask if Winters had heard of McCabe’s issues — with gambling, with women — when she heard voices coming from upstairs.
One she recognised — Winters’ wife, now yelling.
“You will not do that, you hear me, Nadine?”
Then a young woman’s voice — loud, shrill, even here in the sitting room, one flight down.
“You can … not … tell me what to do! Not you. Not …” the voice raised even more, “Dad!”
Winters stood up.
Sarah could sense his whole body tightening.
Teenage girls.
They could give you a run for your money , as Sarah well knew.
“Sorry, seems like a bit of battle going on upstairs … I’d better see if I can calm things down.”
Sarah didn’t think that Winters, with his up-by-his-own bootstraps history, would be the one to calm things.
“Of course,” she said. “I’ll wait.”
And Winters hurried out of the room, then up the stairs.
While Sarah tried not to listen to the argument still playing in the house above …
11. Secret Lives
Sarah got up and
Sarah felt she should pull back from questioning Winters too hard. Though affable, even warm — he clearly didn’t like this.
Still, her pad was open and she had written nothing in it.
Yet.
“So Gary Sparks may have known, but not you?”
A nod from Winters as if assessing the result of their last exchange.
“Tea okay?” he asked.
“Fine. Delicious.”
Another smile.
“Let me tell you a secret, Sarah. My job is to get these big jobs done, on budget, on time . That’s how I got to where I am. The people I hire, like Sparks, are all good men. But they know me. What I want out of my crew. What my values are, know what I mean? Full speed ahead …”
Sarah could see where this was going.
The suggestion that if there was anyone who had cut a corner or sidestepped the issue of a bogus ID, it would be Sparks.
Charlie Winters would be sure to keep his hands clean.
“Need overtime to do that? My bosses get the go-ahead to have crews work nights, weekends, whatever. And if some document or paperwork or ID doesn’t quite add up, and the supervisor … the on-site boss … thinks the worker is good, solid — like McCabe? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of my men, a man like Sparks, would look the other way.”
Then he laughed.
“No crime in that now, is there?”
“And the site’s safety records?”
Another nod as Winters walked over to the tea tray …
“Top up?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Then he poured tea into his own cup.
And Sarah had the distinct impression that he was using this bit of teatime gallantry to think about his answer.
Clever move …
After all McCabe had died on his site, accident or not. The final responsibility could well lie with Charlie Winters.
He’d have to be very careful about what he said.
No matter what the truth actually was, there could be legal ramifications for Winters Construction.
He sat back down, took a sip, then …
“Safety records on my sites are spotless.”
He pointed a finger at Sarah.
“You can check that. This accident mars what was a near-perfect record. I can only assume that it was fluke, that maybe McCabe … I dunno, his type … ? Maybe had a drink near quitting time? Little wobbly on an icy night?”
Sarah nodded. But she also thought: he’s actually laying some of the blame for this on McCabe himself.
Cagey indeed.
“Still — however it happened, it was a terrible tragedy, don’t you think?”
Sarah nodded.
“The man had no family.” A small laugh. “Certainly no savings. My company is paying for the small funeral. Least I could do …”
“That’s very thoughtful of you.”
He smiled at that.
She was about to ask if Winters had heard of McCabe’s issues — with gambling, with women — when she heard voices coming from upstairs.
One she recognised — Winters’ wife, now yelling.
“You will not do that, you hear me, Nadine?”
Then a young woman’s voice — loud, shrill, even here in the sitting room, one flight down.
“You can … not … tell me what to do! Not you. Not …” the voice raised even more, “Dad!”
Winters stood up.
Sarah could sense his whole body tightening.
Teenage girls.
They could give you a run for your money , as Sarah well knew.
“Sorry, seems like a bit of battle going on upstairs … I’d better see if I can calm things down.”
Sarah didn’t think that Winters, with his up-by-his-own bootstraps history, would be the one to calm things.
“Of course,” she said. “I’ll wait.”
And Winters hurried out of the room, then up the stairs.
While Sarah tried not to listen to the argument still playing in the house above …
11. Secret Lives
Sarah got up and
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