The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County: A Novel

40. Reaction

157 Reaction 40 The explosion roused Marilyn Jones from a deep sleep. Not only had the sound startled her awake, but her entire house shook from the shock of the blast. Within a few minutes she heard sirens. She reached for her phone and called the Link Lake Police Department—she knew that Louise Konkel was working the overnight shift as dispatcher. Louise had once worked for Marilyn as a waitress at the Link Lake Supper Club. “Link Lake Police Department,” a perky, wide-awake voice said. “Louise, this is Marilyn Jones. What’s going on?” “I don’t really know. Lots of folks heard an explosion a few minutes ago and immediately the 911 calls began coming in.” “I heard it,” said Marilyn. “The blast shook my house. Where’d it happen?” “At the park. Jimmy, our night patrol officer, is over there right now. Fire department is also on the scene.” “Did Jimmy say what blew up?” “He guessed it was the big drilling machine that the mining company brought in a while ago.” “Oh,” said Marilyn. “Thank you.” Marilyn, now wide awake, walked to her kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She glanced across the waters of Link Lake and saw a bright sun slowly creeping above the horizon. Everything was peaceful and quiet. Except on the other side of town there was pandemonium. A fire was raging and people were awake and wondering what the explosion was all about. What had blown up and what caused it? Marilyn was thinking, I’d guess some radical kook blew up Alstage’s drilling 158 Reaction machine. One of those protestors who march in front of the park every day. I suspect the bomber was encouraged by that damn Stony Field. He just can’t quit sticking his nose into our town’s business. You’d think he’d have enough to write about in other parts of the world. What is happening to this country? Here we’re trying to improve Link Lake and people get all worked up when they see some changes coming their way. There’s a bunch of folks around here that want things to stay just the same. Members of the historical society, that bunch with old Emily Higgins goading them on, are so stuck in the past that they wouldn’t recognize progress if they stepped in it. Don’t touch anything. Don’t cut down an old tree. That damned Trail Marker Oak has evoked so much sympathy. You’d think it was a famous person. It’s just a damned old oak tree that’ll probably die by itself in a few years. And Stony Field—why does he think he should stick his nose into Link Lake’s business? The more Marilyn thought about the situation, the more agitated she became. But Marilyn wasn’t one to just sit around and let things happen; it was her style to make things happen. She pulled on her clothes, jumped in her black Cadillac Escalade, and headed to the park. She had to know what had happened and once she did, she’d decide what steps to take. Ambrose Adler had gotten up early that morning and was looking out his kitchen window when he saw a flash of light in the east and then heard a loud explosion followed by its echo. He’d never heard anything like it before. He snapped on his battery-operated radio and tuned it to WWRI, the station in Willow River. Earl Wade, the early morning announcer, broke into one of Willie Nelson’s tunes with a special announcement. “I just learned that there’s been a loud explosion and a fire in Link Lake. The explosion apparently took place in the Increase Joseph Community Park on the edge of town. A part of the park was recently leased to the Alstage Sand Mining Company of La Crosse. So far there are few details, but apparently no one was injured in the blast. When we learn more, we’ll share it.” Willie Nelson came back on singing “On the Road Again,” one of Earl’s favorite early morning tunes. 159 Reaction Wonder what happened, thought Ambrose as he fired up his woodburning cookstove, pulled the cast iron skillet from the oven where he stored it, and dropped in a hunk of butter, which began to sizzle as the fire warmed the...