He slipped the phone into his back pocket as the door opened. In walked Ranger Tim Rivers. Not happy.
Tim shoved the door to the newsroom open with more force than was necessary, the glass rattling in the frame. He pointed a finger at Chase. “You gave me your word.” His voice was as sharp as the crack of a whip. “You said you wouldn’t run this story until all the gold was found.”
“I said I’d wait as long as I could,” Chase said, spreading his hands in a gesture that was meant to appear conciliatory.
Frankie and Maisie slipped in behind Tim and stood just inside the doorway. Chase looked a little relieved at the sight of them, which only infuriated Tim more.
Chase put a hand on Frankie’s shoulder. “When Frankie called to tell me he’d found the envelope, it seemed like the end of the story just fell into place.”
“Me?” Frankie slapped a hand on his chest. “How do I always seem to get stuck in the middle of this?”
Tim ignored him. “End of the story? It’s not even close to the end of the story.”
“Yeah, it is. I found more gold this morning—up on Cadillac Mountain. I’m doing all I can to help bring this story to a conclusion. Maybe not every single clue has been checked off, but most have.”
“Doesn’t matter. This isn’t your story to tell.”
“This story is bigger than any of us. Bigger than me. Bigger than you. People deserve to know what’s been uncovered—and to know the truth of it now, not weeks from now. News like this can’t wait, Ranger.”
“It can’t wait because you don’t want to wait.”
Chase sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m just trying to do my job. Just like you.”
Tim shook his head, his frustration still simmering. “Once this story gets out, Acadia is going to be overrun by treasure hunters. During the busiest time of the year when park staff is already stretched to its limits. And don’t even get me started on the federal funding cuts.”
“Maybe there’s a silver lining in this. Maybe you should stop and consider this story as a good thing for the park.” Chase put his hands on his hips. “This could be a great publicity opportunity. And you’ve got plenty of time to prep your staff.” He rocked his hand in the air. “A little bit of time.”
“Do you have any idea of the kind of person who will cometo look for gold? They’re not here to see the carriage roads and go bird-watching. They’ll go off trail. They’ll turn over every stone. They’ll push hikers out of their way.”
“You’re only seeing the bad side. What about the bump up in visitor fees? What about the vendors who make more money with more park visitors? What about the Bar Harbor restaurants, hotels, ice cream shops? Ranger Rivers, you’re missing the upside, and I guarantee there is an upside.”
Tim folded his arms across his chest, his jaw tightening. Chase might have a point, but he could still foresee a nightmare for park staff. “I want the envelope.”
“Okay. Okay,” Chase said. “You can have it. We got what we needed from it.”
Tim’s eyes narrowed. “I bet you did.”
“You can even read the rough draft of the article. It’s fair. I made sure to credit everyone.”
Tim wasn’t mollified. “I don’t care about your story. I only want the envelope.”
Chase nodded, his jaw tight. Without a word, he disappeared into his office. Tim heard voices, then Chase returned and extended it toward Tim. “Here you go.”
Tim took it without a word. “When does it run?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“You’ve just made my job ten times harder.”
“Ranger, I—” Chase started, but Tim raised a hand to stop him.
“You made your choice.” Tim’s voice was cold and final. “Now I have to deal with the fallout.” Without waiting for a reply, he strode out, already running through the calls he’d have to make—starting with the park superintendent. Extra staff. More patrols. Maybe barricades. All through the Fourth of July weekend.
Tim’s eyes squeezed shut. Retirement, which he’d been dreading, suddenly looked quite appealing.
One-sided text exchange between Chase and Scout:
Chase
